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Colwyn Bay
Rugby Club
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Under 15/16's Match Reports 2006/7
Sunday 22nd April
ERYRI CUP FINAL 2007
PWLLHELI U'16's 23 COLWYN BAY
U16's 12
After hitting top form in the previous two rounds The Bay could not
quite find the right gear to overcome the hosts Pwllheli in this
years' Eryri Cup Final. Pwllheli blessed with home advantage and a
referee who was coincidently wearing green were victorious in a match
which The Bay were always trailing.
Pwllheli soon settled into their game, by pressurising The Bay they
forced them into making too many handling mistakes using the damp
conditions to their advantage. Their domination was rewarded with a
converted penalty after an infringement at the ruck. Pwllheli went
further ahead after 10 minutes when a scrum was awarded to The Bay in
their own 22 for a knock-on, the ball was not cleared away and the
home side pounced to score a try which the referee was unsighted in
awarding his decision.
After conceding the early points The Bay stared to get into their game
by gaining territory and possession and a tremendous touch finding
kick penalty kick from halfway by Tom Geeson put The Bay 5m from the
home try line. From the resultant line-out they won the ball and drove
Callum Stomach over with The Bay still in the match. Pwllheli scored
again towards the end of the half after stretching the visitors
defence. The score at the interval was15-5 with The Bay still in this
match.
Colwyn Bay's confidence grew after half-time and the game had
developed into an exciting contest with both sides sharing territory
and possession. Good strong breaks by the forwards were always gaining
territory and notably Jack Dennis' run saw him cross the 10m line and
up to the 22m to offload to the supporting Llion Mortimer to beat
three defenders to score the try of the match, which was converted by
Jacob Ryan. The Bay supporters really got behind their team and could
sense that a comeback was on the cards. This was short-lived as
Pwllheli hit back and scored in the right corner after sucking in the
visitors defence to crate the overlap and put themselves two scores
ahead.
The Bay continued to scrummage well, win clean ball at the line-out
and produce good driving mauls, but the backs were rarely able to show
their skills due to the well drilled defence. Pwllheli' s No. 8 was
always a threat and he consistently crossed the gain-line. He was
unlucky not to score except for some courageous last ditch tackling
holding the ball up from being grounded. The final nail in the coffin
was struck home by Pwllheli' centre when he stepped into the pocket to
drop kick the ball to seal a victory by 11 points.
On behalf of the management and coaches we would to thank every player
who turned up for this final whether they played or not, it was very
much appreciated. Also I would like to thank everybody who supported
us in this final.
Sunday 15th April Eryri Cup Semi-Final
COLWYN BAY U16's 43 LLANGEFNI U16's 12
The Bay started nervously in this match knowing that they had done the
double over the visitors this season and were very wary of being too
confident. It was evident from the early exchanges that rustiness had
crept into their game and it took time for them to settle into this cup
tie. The pack recycled the ball well with scrum-half Ian Marshall and
fly-half Ollie Collinge yet again masterminded the home side's attack.
Early on The Bay's backs were always looking to punch holes in the
Llangefni defence and this proved a good tactic when centre John
Griffiths spotted a gap to score the first try to ease the home side's
nerves. The huge presence of outside centre Jack Powell caused defensive
problems throughout this match with his trademark powerful direct
running and he was rewarded by crossing over for two tries. The forwards
competed well in the scrum and were often driving the visitors back the
required 1.5m,but the line-outs were dominated by Llangefni who out
jumped and out thought The Bay's line-out tactics.
A number of The Bay's players had just returned the previous day from
South Africa whilst touring with Rydal and there was not a hint of jet
-lag especially Ollie Collinge who found new confidence after the tour
to side-step the opposition several times to open up gaps and create
space in which he could exploit, one such break he split the defence to
score a fantastic try. Captain Morgan Edwards got himself on the score
sheet with a solid determined run to the corner, the score line at the
interval read a healthy 29-0.
The Bay continued in the same form after the interval and were more
prepared to spread the ball wide to draw in the opposition. Ian Marshall
capitalised on a mistake at the ruck outside the visitors 22 to open the
scoring early in the second half beating numerous tacklers to score
under the posts. Hooker Jack Dennis tackled well all day and was
outstanding in the loose showed true grit and determination to score a
magnificent try midway through the second half.
The Bay had virtually killed off Llangefni with these two scores after
half-time and they were keen to make a number of substitutions to give
the rest of the squad a taste of a cup-tie atmosphere. This is when
Llangefni upped their game and deservedly scored a couple of tries to
restore some pride in themselves.
The Bay now look forward to the final knowing that they have to improve
on various aspects of their game such as line-outs, spreading the ball
wide and supporting the ball carriers. WELL DONE LADS.
IRELAND TOUR 30th MARCH - 2nd APRIL 2007 U15's/U16's
After weeks of hard work by our manager Debbie [Lady Penelope] we set off
on Friday afternoon for our tour to Ireland to participate in the Irish
Festival of Rugby played over two days hosted by Middleton RFC Cork.
Fielding a small squad comprising a mixture of Under15's/Under16's the
performances in the six matches was exceptional considering The Bay were
playing against full up Under16's.
Tournament rules were played under IRB rules except for no lifting in the
line-out and the 1.5m maximum push at the scrum. Twelve minutes were
played each half and conversions were made in the form of a drop-kick.
The first game was against Irish side Westpark who were physical and
quick, but The Bay matched up to them in the first half with some good
work in the rucks and penetrative run from the backs. The Bay gave a
spirited display but they could not compete with the power and speed of
the Irish boys.
The second match saw The Bay face fellow touring side Wadebridge Camels
from Cornwall, these again were a large physical side with various
hairstyles but they did not posess the same skills as the Irish side. Most
of their game was centred around their No 8,scrum-half and fly-half. The
Bay showed plenty of commitment in this match and the backs were able to
show their skills. The Bay lost this match two tries to nil with the
latter try awarded after some intimidation by the Wadebridge coaches to
reverse the original decision.
The last match of the day was against the team which eventually won the
tournament Redruth also from Cornwall. Now The Bay started to be more
organised in their attacks and settled down into playing a more controlled
type of game. The forwards were often seen crossing the gain line using
the well proven 'chill-ball', they gave a disciplined, courageous display
and spirits were lifted when flanker Llion Mortimer linked well with his
players to run through and score The Bay's first try of the tournament.
Colwyn Bay eventually lost this match but were highly commended by the
opposition coaches and supporters by their gutsy performance.
The first game of the second day was against Darlington who'd had a good
first day of rugby. From the kick-off The Bay pressured the English lads
into too many errors, these errors proved costly because Shaun Thomas's
determined run earned The Bay the lead. The second period Darlington came
back into the match and exploited weaknesses to score two tries. At the
final whistle the Darlington players, management and fans were full of
praise for the way The Bay had approached the match, attitude, rugby skill
and technique.
The last match of the pool stages was a closely fought encounter against
Oxford who were looking for their first win. There was a lot of handling
mistakes by both teams and they suffered to bring continuity into their
game. Good pressure by the Oxford pack saw them cross to score their
opening try, their winning try came from a speculative kick ahead which
bounced cruelly past the on coming defender and the Oxford winger was
alert enough to race under the posts.
The Bay's final game was a decider to determine fifth and sixth place
against their previous opponents Oxford. This was The Bay's last chance to
secure a tour win, and they did that convincingly beating a confident
Oxford side comprehensively. The Bay dominated territory and possession
with Oxford unable to penetrate the solid defence and not able to reach
the 22.This was a win built on determination, guts, control and a
willingness to spread the ball. Tries were scored either side of half
time, firstly by John Griffiths's strength to beat would-be tacklers and
Tom Williams also taking advantage of poor tackling.
Colwyn Bay Under 15's/16's came away from this tour having gained the
respect of not only the teams that they played but also other teams of
different age groups who were impressed by the standard of rugby produced
by The North Walians. Many new friends and contacts was made during this
tour and hopefully future tours will be centred around these contacts,
either home or away.
The management and coaches wish to express their gratitude towards
everybody who contributed to make this such a successful tour, it would be
recommended that other age groups would certainly enjoy and benefit the
Ireland experience.
r.
Thursday 29th March 6.30pm k.o.
ERYRI CUP
COLWYN BAY U15/16's 33 BANGOR U15/16's 29
Bangor must have been quietly confident of progressing into the next round
of The Eryri Cup having beaten The Bay a couple of weeks earlier at Brookfield
Drive, but this time the home side had other ideas. Fielding a slightly
stronger side The Bay struck from the first whistle when flanker Greg Gostage
who was always supporting his players scored under the posts, this was
converted by Ollie Collinge.
The Bay dominated territory in the first quarter of the half with the forwards
setting up good clean ball for scrum-half Ian Marshall and fly-half
Ollie Collinge to mastermind various moves in the backs which asked questions
of the Bangor defence. An excellent break by Jacob Ryan saw him held up on the
visitors try line and the ball was recycled from the resulting ruck where Tom
Geeson picked up and drove over the line.
Bangor started to get back into the game and their fly-half and inside centre
dictating many of the attacks, Bangor scored two unconverted tries before half
time.
The Bay regrouped after the break and continued to spread quick ball down the
line from the breakdown, where inside centre Jack Powell 's strength and pace
was causing problems for the visitors defence resulting in an early try. The
lead was extended when influential prop Callum Stronach powerfully ran from
his own half to offload to Greg Gostage to touchdown.
At this point The Bay were comfortably leading by 18 points and were starting
to be more adventurous in their play, this lead to mistakes and Bangor gained
more possession. Loss of control and focus in this period saw Bangor score
three tries, two of which was converted to see them take a one point lead with
five minutes remaining.
Straight from the restart The Bay pressurised the visitors into making
mistakes, The Bay returned to their own style of play and good determined
forward play released outside centre Aarran Williamson to beat two tacklers to
cross over for the winning try.
Management and coaches praised the effort and commitment of all squad members
who turned up for this enthralling cup tie.
Scorers-Tries-Greg Gostage 2, Tom Geeson 1, Jack Powell 1, Aarran
Williamson 1, Cons-Ollie Collinge 2, Jacob Ryan 2
SUNDAY MARCH 25th
COLWYN BAY U16's 81 AFON DEE U16's 9
Colwyn Bay's backs scored 10 tries in this hastily arranged fixture
after original opponents Nant Conwy postponed. Straight from the whistle
The Bay exposed weaknesses out wide in the Afon Dee defence with some
good quick passing down the line leaving both defending wingers
vulnerable to the attacking Bay players, seven tries were scored by
spreading the ball wide.
Afon Dee's strength were in their pack of forwards and they asked many
questions of their opposite numbers in the scrums, line-out, rucks and
mauls, sheer grit, determination and strength saw them reach the home
sides 22 on many occasions and with more composure, organisation and
technique they should have threatened The Bay's defence.
Excellent handling was displayed by the home sides players and the try
of the match was scored by Greg Gostage who received the ball at pace on
his own 10m line from Ollie Collinge who slipped the ball inside whereby
the on-coming Greg changed the angle of attack to scythe his way through
the middle of the park to score under the posts.
With a huge squad to choose from wholesale changes were made at half
time and the majority of the starting 15 were substituted, this did not
stop them continuing the momentum and unfortunately the tiring Afon Dee
players battled on bravely throughout the 70minutes using their first
choice fifteen. AFON Dee's points came from 3 excellently executed
penalties by their fly-half
It was an encouraging performance by The Bay, when they dictated and
controlled the play they were disciplined in their attack whereby the
forwards went through a few phases and then were confident to release
their talented backs. Hard work on the training ground started to come
together and was clearly evident in this match.
SUNDAY MARCH 18th
FLINT U16's 17 COLWYN BAY U16's 26
Colwyn Bay were relived to clinch victory in this tough, physical
encounter after losing their last 4 games, the significance of this win
was a massive confidence boost closely compared to The National teams' win
the previous day.
Flint used the slope and the strong to gale force wind to their advantage
in the early period of this match forcing The Bay to defend deep in their
own 22 before the visitors had time to settle down into their game. The
first score came from Flint when they pressurised the visitors defence and
after a scrum down on the visitors 5m line fly-half Ollie Collinge' s
clearance kick blew back over the try line and the following Flint
forwards were on hand to touch down. After this early set back The Bay
started to settle and the forwards were winning good ball but the backs
were still getting used to the length and accuracy of the passes because
of the unfavourable weather conditions. Progression up field was staggered
with the Flint defence grasping tackles and committing numbers to the
breakdown, but it was only a matter of time that Flint were getting sucked
in and gaps were starting to appear. One such attack was halted just short
of the home sides try line but prop Dafydd Owen was alert to pick-up and
drive over to score. Another similar attack saw Aarron Griffith cross the
gain line to off load to the supporting Aarran Williamson to cross the
line taking with him two tacklers.
Flint kept up the pressure for the remainder of the first half with
numerous attacks towards The Bay line using their No.8 as a battering ram
but he was met by some solid Colwyn Bay defence, either holding him up or
driving him back from the line.
The second half saw the game open up with The Bay unable to capitalise on
the strong wind and territorially the game was played deep in both halves.
Line-out ball was a lottery in these conditions but good strong
Scrummaging was a huge factor enabling The Bay to win a large percentage
of possession with hooker Aarron Griffith taking most of Flints' scrums
against the head. Ball retention and rucking at the breakdown was good by
The Bay and when they were in control they were able to to build momentum
to go through a few phases. Greg Gostage was always involved in these
passages of play and was rewarded with a try after some powerful, direct
and determined running.
Colwyn Bay were guilty of losing their focus on the game when Flint's
physical style of play upset the visitors concentration and two tries were
conceded in this period, they could have lost the lead except for a try
saving tackle by wing Dan Evans.
The Bay restored their discipline and ended the game strongly and a
breakaway try by Aarran Williamson sealed a well deserved hard fought
victory.
Scorers- Tries-Aarran Williamson 2, Dafydd Owen 1, Greg Gostage 1,
Cons-Charlie Fowler 3
Sunday 11th March
Bangor 34 COLWYN BAY 12
Both sides struggled to gain momentum and continuity in this match because of the strong crosswind, the majority of the first half was played in the visitors half with The Bay matching their bigger opponents in the scrum, line-out and tackle area. Attacks were limited by the well marshalled Bangor defence but mid way through the first half Aarran Williamson spotted a gap near his 10m line to race over for the opening try under the posts ,which was safely converted by Charlie Fowler. This was a wake-up call for the visitors and they responded by starting to gain more territory but were restricted to having to start their attacks from deep, one such attack saw them go through a few phases, gaining hard yardage past the gain line to release their back line for the winger to evade despairing tacklers to cross the line, this was also successfully converted. Arran Williamson was always a constant threat to the Bangor defence and nearly scored a similar try to his first but opted to pass the ball to his supporting winger who was bundled into touch. The scores remained level going into half time.
The usual substitution policy was again implemented at half time by The Bay
with some of the other squad members given a chance to make their
contribution to the game. Bangor soon stamped their authority on this game
helped on by the favourable wind, an early try set them on their way to
victory. The Bay never gave up the fight with captain Tom Geeson leading
the charge with some penetrating runs after picking at the base of the
scrum to score an excellent try entering the final 5 minutes.
Bays Next Cap? Under 16's scrum-half Ian Marshall and second-row forward Richard Lewis who are North Wales U16's Rugby Union squad members switched codes at the weekend to represent the North Wales U16's Rugby League side in Cardiff. This was a National Squad selection fixture against a representative side from the South Wales area to select a squad of 23 players in preparation for the two forthcoming international games against England and France over the Easter period. This game enabled the National coaches the opportunity to see the tremendous talent that North Wales has to offer.
The game was played in heavy conditions which surprisingly did not affect the
skill level of both sides, which made it a highly entertaining match. North
Wales ran out winners scoring 4 tries in reply to the 3 tries scored by the
strong South Wales side, this was an excellent victory but most importantly 8
North Wales regional players were selected to join the train-on squad amongst
whom was our very own Ian Marshall. Unfortunately Richard Lewis was not
selected for one of these highly competitive places.
I am sure everyone at Colwyn Bay Rugby Club wish Ian all the best for the future and hopefully gains his first cap for Wales. Sunday 18th February
PWLLHELI 50 COLWYN BAY 0
The majority of The Bay side had played a tough physical match the
previous day and were yet again thrown into battle against an older,
stronger Pwllheli side. The home side were well organised and varied
their tactics between kicking for territory or using one of their
forwards as first receiver to punch holes in The Bay defence, both of
which caused problems. Early intimidation by the home side seemed to
go unnoticed by the referee but he was alert enough to speak to the
captain Tom Geeson to request that he would talk to his players so
that he could diffuse the tension, subsequently Ashley Jones was the
victim of an ugly fracas at the line out which resulted with him
playing no further part in the game because of a nasty gash under his
left eye.
Fitness levels were put to the test during this match whereby the home
side seemed to have plenty of time to figure out their options, The
Bay were undecided in their attack and were frequently unsupported at
the breakdown .Scrummaging was good with a couple of scrums won
against the head. Unusually, far too often The Bay lost the ball in
the rucks whether it was legal or illegal. The visitors were guilty of
not showing enough commitment and desire to win the ball in this area
and were weak around the fringe.
Form and confidence has been dented over recent weeks but The Bay have
shown tremendous character to get stuck in and show traces of the good
rugby which we know that we are more than capable of.
Sunday 18th February COLWYN BAY 0 DUBLIN HIGH SCHOOL 27
Colwyn Bay welcomed Dublin High School to Brookfield Drive who were
touring in the area. When this fixture was arranged confirmation was
made that they were to play against an U15 side, but the home side were
greeted by a side comprising of U16's and U17's.The Bay players
sportingly agreed to fulfil the fixture.
The Bay fielded a new look side including a few new signings because
many squad members were on holiday or too old!!! The game started with
both sides equally matching territory and possession, but mid way
through the first half the tourists started to release their talented
back division whose quick passing down the line exposed weaknesses in
the home side defence to score the opening try. The remainder of the
half the game was played deep in The Bay half with another two tries
scored through the forwards asserting their strength.
The Bay competed well in the scrum against a heavier set of forwards who were surprised at the home side's tight technique. Good clean line out ball was difficult to achieve with the Irish spoiling tradition kept very much alive.
A couple of substitutions at half time by The Bay increased the physical
competitiveness of their game and they started to win turn-over ball at
the rucks, which brought on a new found confidence to be able to pick
and drive to gain territory. The Dubliners started to lose their
discipline when The Bay increased the physical side of their game and
were constantly questioning the referee about alleged offences awarded
against them after being quite prepared to dish out similar offences
towards the home side earlier in the match.
The Irish were penalised with some long ,accurate touch finding kicks
from the reliable boot of Tom Geeson.
The Irish scored another two tries before the end for a comfortable win
but were made to battle all the way by the younger Bay boys who kept the
score line down through some good, gritty, determined defending.
SUNDAY 11th FEBRUARY
RHYL U16's 72 COLWYN BAY U16's 0
Colwyn Bay U16's came up against their toughest opposition of the season
so far but the score line does not reflect the hard work that was put into
this game by the visitors. Rhyl fielded an U16's side whereas The Bay put
out an equal mixture of U15's and U16's.
The Bay started brightly more than matching the physically larger pack by
pressurising the scrum and hitting the rucks hard, they set up good clean
ball but were rarely able to penetrate the gaps in the defence, fly-half
Ollie Collinge did find space but was restricted to breaks down the flanks
before being bundled into touch.
Rhyl' s strength started to show mid way through the first half where they
were able to go through the disrupted Bay defence due to an injury to
inside centre John Griffiths. Rhyl continued their attacks in the second
period and were gifted a couple of soft tries through shortage of
concentration by the reshaped team that had come on at half time. The Bay
continued to fight up to the final whistle with hooker Tom Geeson showing
the backs how to find touch with some excellent long distance relieving
kicks and Charlie Fowler putting in some good text book tackles.
LANCASHIRE U16's 5 NORTH WALES U16's 10
Colwyn Bay U16's scrum-half Ian Marshall was selected to play in the North
Wales team which travelled to St. Helens on Sunday January 28th.The North
Walians were victorious over their North Western counterparts in this hard
fought encounter in which Ian played an influential role at scrum-half.
Hopefully many North Walians caught the eye of club scouts, whether they
come from the emerging popular clubs associated with the 15 man game, or
from the 13 man game which is traditionally strong in the area.
Well done Ian
SUNDAY 21st JANUARY'07
Selection policy remained as in the previous match at Denbigh due to the large
squad that turned up, where by the U16's forwards and U15's backs played the
first half and vice versa for the second period. The large squad was very
beneficial in that numerous substitutions could be made because of the heavy
ground conditions.
Llangefni turned up with a strengthened team from the previous encounter at
their home ground, some new players proved to be a welcome addition to their
squad.
The Bay attacked right from the kick off putting pressure on the Gefni's
defence. The first try was scored within the first five minutes after some
good work by the forwards picking-up and driving inside Gefni's 22 and then
the ball was spread wide to the left wing for Sam Pierce-Jones to beat two
defenders to score in the corner. Handling mistakes was inevitable with the
slippery ball but The Bay continued to dominate territory in the first quarter
playing the game well into the visitors half. A strong determined run saw John
Astbury score the second try after slipping through three tacklers to
powerfully cross over the line.
Llangefni stuck to their task and started to string a few phases together
using their strong set of forwards to venture deep into the home side's
territory but were denied keeping possession by the greasy ball slipping out
of their grasp. The game started to even out in the second quarter of the
first half and Gefni were finding the touch line with great accuracy. The Bay
broke out of their own half after one of Gefni's excursions into the home 22
with Greg Gostage and John Astbury consistently breaching the defence to
offload to the supporting Ollie Collinge to score.
Shortly after the restart Llangefni were rewarded for their efforts when their
full-back joined the attacking line and his pace saw him beat his man on the
outside to score in the corner. This was the only time that the visitors
threatened The Bay try line. The Bay substitutes settled into their game and
were desperately trying to build momentum and speed into the attack, this
nearly worked when a training ground move between Tom Morris who popped the
ball to the full-back Jacob Ryan whose angle of running penetrated the defence
but was tackled on the Gefni 22
The Bay dominated the last quarter of the match with the tiring Llangefni
defence put under constant pressure by the home side especially Ian Marshall
who burrowed his way over the try line to score the fourth try. The Bay
rounded off their performance with another two late tries by Andy Wilson and
Greg Gostage.
Lessons would have to be learnt after this match if The Bay are to face
stiffer opposition, six tries were scored by the home side and everyone of
them the scorers were made to work hard for the points, whereas these 30
points or more would have come easier by more control, looking for supporting
players, positive decision making, forwards getting in the way of the backs,
these aspects of play can be put right on the training ground with players
arriving to train in a positive frame of mind.
Try scorers-Sam Pierce-Jones, John Astbury, Ollie Collinge, Ian Marshall, Andy
Wilson, Greg Gostage.
Sunday 14th January '07 DENBIGH U16's 5 COLWYN BAY U16's 53
The Bay's first match for a month resulted in a fine win away at Denbigh,
impressive displays were made by all squad members who were determined to put
behind them the dismal performance against Caernarfon.
Selection policy for this match was to play an U15's back line and a mainly
U16's pack in the first half, then the second half comprised an U16's back
line and a majority of 15 year olds in the pack.
The Bay settled into their game quickly and were soon pressurising the home
defence, good forward play and strong running by the backs saw outside centre
Aaron evade would be tacklers to side step the Denbigh full-back to cross
under the posts for the opening score, this was converted by Charlie Fowler.
The Bay grew in confidence and were dominant in open play where good support,
passing and ball handling resulted in both wingers Andy Wilson and John
Astbury scoring tries. Denbigh struggled to gain any possession, territory and
continuity to their game but a lapse in concentration by the visitors Denbigh
gained the ball inside just inside the opposition half and a good well
disciplined driving maul saw them reach the 22m line and a number of pick up
and drives by the forwards saw the scrum-half cross over on the blind side.
The Bay came back from this to pin the home side deep back inside their own 22
with an excellent touch kick by Ollie Collinge after the home side were
penalised for consistently handling in the ruck. The Bay won the line-out and
a pre-planned move saw Capt. Morgan Edwards peel along the front of the line
and he off loaded in the tackle inches from the line to the supporting Lewis
Keane to score.
Wholesale changes were made at half time and it took the visitors longer to
settle into the game, Denbigh seemed to restart hungrier and with a far more
competitive and combatative edge to their game. Good discipline by The Bay
players notably Greg Gostage and Aaron Griffith overcame this and were
oblivious to the punishment and continued to play the game of rugby. A scrum
on the Denbigh 10m line saw the pack win good clean quick ball which was
passed out to inside centre John Griffiths who off loaded to Kieran Green who
chose an excellent angle of running to hit the gap to break the defensive line
only to be denied a try by a last ditch tackle short of the line, from the
break down possession was kept and Pete Kirby drove over to score. Kieran
Green was rewarded for his efforts for setting up the previous try by
scoring one himself with a good strong determined run.
The last 10 minutes The Bay piled on the pressure and were cheered on by their
vocal supporters who enjoyed the enthusiasm the players put into their game.
Another two tries were scored before full time, one by Gavin Eastwood and the
other by Tom Constantine.
Key factors in this win was the good support play, linking the forwards and
backs, Scrummaging, rucking, recycling, continuity, enthusiasm and discipline,
BUT most of all was the performance of some players who think they do not
figure highly in the selection order, these individuals gave an impressive,
encouraging, character building performance.
Scorers -Tries -Aaron, Andy Wilson, John Astbury, Lewis Keane, Pete Kirby,
Kieran Green, Gavin Eastwood, Tom Constantine
Pen-Charlie Fowler
Cons-Charlie Fowler 2, Jacob Ryan 3
Sunday 26th November COLWYN BAY 12 LLANDUDNO 12
Honours were even after this derby match with both sides struggling to find
continuity through poor handling skills and frequent infringements. The Bay's
superior dominance in the scrum was a major factor in the first score with the
home side winning a scrum inside against the head inside their own half and
then good inter play by the backs saw the supporting Greg Gostage race 40m to
score in the corner. This sparked 'The Kids' (Llandudno) into life and they
increased the intensity of their game and their fly half was always a
constant threat to The Bay defence with some good attacking rugby. Their
strength continued into the second half and they were gaining good line out
ball to feed to their back division whose outside centre exploited the gap to
cross under the posts which saw them take the lead through the conversion.
This score gave them confidence and they were showing more commitment and
desire to win.' The Kids' outside centre was again on the score sheet after
evading several weak tackles to extend their lead.
The Bay fought back in the last quarter and they were never out of the
visitors half continuing to put pressure on 'The Kids' defence, powerful
breaks by the forwards drove them closer to the try line but were denied by
some last ditch tackling.' The Kids' line out had been excellent throughout
the match but one loose throw whilst on their own 5m line saw Morgan Edwards
catch the ball unopposed and stroll over the try line to narrow the score
line. The high pressure kick was slotted over by Charlie Fowler to level the
scores. The last five minutes The Bay were still pressuring the visitors
defence and were awarded a penalty on the 22m line where Charlie Fowler
stepped up to take the kick but was cruelly denied by the upright.
On reflection it was a good result for 'The Kids' but a game where The Bay
should have gained more control on the ball, dictated the play and capitalised
on the scoring opportunities presented to them.
Sunday 19th November Blaenau Ffestiniog 13 Colwyn Bay 12
Colwyn Bay would be kicking themselves for loosing this match having lead
throughout until the last five minutes when the home side secured the victory
with a penalty after being harshly penalised for a handling offence. The Bay
started the strongest and within 10 minutes fly-half Ollie Collinge drove over
for the opening score, which was successfully converted by Tom Constantine.
Typical Blaenau Ffestiniog weather meant that open attacking rugby was
constantly interrupted by a series of handling errors especially by the
visitors who found it difficult to adapt to the wet conditions. Blaenau
capitalised on one of these mistakes drove the ball with some well drilled
forward play to score an unconverted try. Another period of pressure by The
Bay saw them drive the home side's scrum back inside their 22 forcing the
fly-half to hurry his kick which was caught by Greg Gostage in which he
offloaded to Tom Constantine to dive in at the corner.
Again due to the large squad that travelled everybody participated at some
point with numerous substitutions made at half time. Continuity and possession
was difficult to build and maintain under the conditions with play very
scrappy and too many of The Bay players were guilty of greedily taking the
ball too far into the contact area. Blaenau were starting to dominate the
forward battle and were constantly breaking tackles and crossing the gain line
to their advantage, this dominance lead to another touchdown. Now sensing that
they could turn this match around they piled on the pressure and thanks to the
supposedly neutral referee they were awarded a penalty which was converted by
the fly-half to make amends for his earlier poor clearance kick.
The Bay must learn that this is a 15 man game, should be intelligent enough to
change their game to suit the conditions and be more controlled in their
decision making.
Sunday 5th November
BANGOR/CAERNARFON V COLWYN BAY
Due to a mix-up in confirmation of fixtures by Bangor they had arranged a
match against Caernarfon and were they were surprised by the early arrival of
The Bay, it was therefore decided under the circumstances to play a mini
tournament with each team playing two half hour games.
The Bay faced Bangor in the first match where the home side soon settled and their hunger to gain possession of the ball was far more superior than the half hearted Bay. Weak tackling, poor ball retention and recycling meant that Bangor pressed home their early dominance to lead 14-0 at the interval. A short period of pressure by The Bay saw Dave Dudley cross the try line to score after some powerful direct running. This pressure was short-lived and Bangor re-grouped to score another two tries. All of Bangor's’ tries were accurately converted from various sides, angles and distances by their very talented place kicker. The Bays’ players commitment, conviction, desire, fitness and honesty to the game was seriously put to the test in this match where basic Bay style rugby would have secured a win against an home side. Final Score Bangor 28 Colwyn Bay 5 Wholesale changes were made for the second match against Caernarfon which turned out to be an evenly matched contest. Slightly more commitment saw The Bay gain more possession but were frequently turned over by lack of supporting players. Early territorial advantage by The Cofis saw them go down for their fifth scrum just outside The Bays’ 22 but typical harassment by scrum-half Ian Marshall saw him snatch the ball from his opposite number to race deep into the opponents half where the supporting Dan Evans was on his shoulder to receive the pass to cross the try line taking with him two would be tacklers, this was converted by Tom Constantine. Immediately Caernarfon hit back with a well worked try to take the scores level at half time. Even pressure by both sides resulted in an entertaining second half, Colwyn Bay scored first through some strong running by prop Tom Geeson which was converted by Tom Constantine. Then Caernarfon scored a couple of unconverted tries to go into the final minute of the game three points ahead. Hooker Jack Dennis excellently caught the Caernarfon's’ relieving kick inside his own half where he set up the ball from which Tom Constantine received a pass from his scrum half to beat numerous despairing tacklers to touchdown for the winning try.
Final Score Caernarfon 17 Colwyn Bay 19
Sunday 22nd October
AFON DEE 8 COLWYN BAY 36
The large Bay squad travelled to Shotton for this fixture but were welcomed by
the announcement that the home side were unable to field a full side, so a
number of The Bay players obligingly converted at various times to play for
the home side.
Early pressure by The Bay resulted in the first try for Tom Constantine, but
this was a wake up call for the home side and straight from the restart the
Afon Dee forwards gained possession which saw them camped in The Bay 22 for
the next five minutes putting pressure on the defence. Gaining turn over ball
by the scrum-half Ian Marshall his relieving kick was welcomed by his
forwards. Scrappy passages of play by both sides in which to produce good
flowing rugby was very common and the referee did not help by constantly
blowing up for over interpretation of the laws.
Another four tries was scored before half time regaining some period of
dominance led by the backs. Firstly a typical break down the wing by Tom
Constantine was converted by Jacob Ryan. Then a strong determined run by
full-back Jacob Ryan evading numerous tackles touching down under the posts
which he successfully converted. Debutant Dave Dudley playing at centre scored
after some powerful direct running slipping through more weak tackling, this
was converted by Charlie Fowler. Fly-half Ollie Collinge again using his side
step to create the gaps scored an excellent individual try.
The Bay should have seized the opportunity to completely dominate the game
after half time but were victims of their uncharacteristically bad forward
play where poor rucking, poor clearing of the opposition players and bad
decision making must be rectified before the next game, players changing to
play for the opposition and reorganisation would be a poor excuse for not
playing basic Colwyn Bay style rugby.
A well taken penalty by Afon Dee deservedly saw them on the scoreboard and now
their pack of forwards started to dominate again, gaining valuable territory
resulting in an unconverted try. Afon Dee were now on a roll but good ripping
work in the maul by Aron Griffith set up a move for Andy Wilson to use his
pace on the wing to score the final try.
Hopefully lessons have being learnt by this performance highlighting the
importance of attitude, commitment and focus as being factors towards this
disappointing win.
Sunday October 15th
COLWYN BAY 45 FLINT 5
Excellent back play was a major factor in this win as most of the tries
featured good clean ball passed down the line for either the quick wingers or
the centres to score. Two tries in the opening five minutes were nearly
identical in their build up and execution except for the scorers, good forward
play won good ball beyond their 10m line releasing their backs to spread the
ball wide firstly for Tom Constantine and secondly Greg Gostage to race under
the posts. Flint struggled to cope with the superior pace of the backs and
Ollie Collinge' s skilful side step and timing of his passes to draw the
opposition was creating space for his team mates to exploit.
Playing against a heavier pack The Bay dominated the scrums consistently
driving the opposite 8 men backwards until an injury to the Flint prop
resulted in uncontested scrums being played for the rest of the match. Ashley
Jones was prominent in the line out and the loose on his first outing of the
season. An injury to the new signing Mitch Van Wyk playing his second match
which required specialist medical treatment it was decided to switch from the
first team pitch to the second team pitch, his condition was later diagnosed
as a broken collar bone, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. The Bay
were hungrier and stronger in the rucks and mauls constantly recycling and
turning possession over to their advantage by crossing the gain line and
winning good territory.
Substitutions were made at half time and the home side started to lose their
shape and composure, but another breakaway try by Greg Gostage settled things
down. Flint began to build up a few phases and were now attacking the home
side try line deep in the Bay 22 using their heavier pack to good effect the
flanker deservedly crossed the line for their only score. Young left wing Andy
Wilson played a huge role to set up Richard Lewis's try by running wide,
stepping inside and slipping the ball to the supporting player to score. The
winger was finally rewarded for his efforts late in the game when he beat two
defenders to touchdown in the corner. This was a good team performance which
allowed the coaches to view players playing in unfamiliar positions, excellent
decision making, popping of the ball in the tackle, keeping possession and
continuity was displayed by all members of the squad.
Thank you to Ray Howells who stepped in at the last minute to referee this
fixture.
Try Scorers - Tom Constantine - 3, Greg Gostage-2, Richard Lewis - 1, Andy
Wilson-1
Conversions - Charlie Fowler - 4, Greg Gostage - 1
SUNDAY 8th OCTOBER
LLANGEFNI 0 - COLWYN BAY 51
Colwyn Bay entered unknown territory having never played a fixture against
Llangefni, anticipating a tough test bearing in mind their senior team plays
at a high level in Division Three these thoughts were unfounded.
Playing against the wind in the first half The Bay's backs were not going to
let the home side settle and were quickly up in their faces forcing them into
mistakes to gain possession, Llangefni were shocked by some crunching tackles.
When the ball was allowed to go through the hands out to the flying winger Tom
Constantine he rewarded his team with two touchdowns on both wings.
The Bay's forwards were stronger and technically better than their
counterparts showing terrific rucking and mauling by placing and protecting
the ball well keeping continuity and momentum to create options for the ball
carriers particularly Tom Geeson, Dafydd Owen, Greg Gostage, Lewis Keane and
Jack Dennis to consistently cross the gain line to set up various scoring
opportunities.
With a large squad to choose from substitutions was made at half time, these
changes did not stop The Bay's dominance or change their style of play.
Scrummaging worked well and scrum half Ian Marshall was always harassing his
opposite number on the home side's put in to disrupt any thought of an attack.
Hookers coped well throwing into the line out because of the strong wind and
winning ball from these set pieces the forwards disciplined control allowed
them to catch and drive for Tom Geeson to spin away to score a well worked
forward's try in the corner.
Llangefni only entered The Bay's 22 once with strong forward play but the ball
was carried into touch, resulting in the visitors winning their throw,
securing the ball and excellent mauling saw them reach the half way line to
stop the home side attack. The game was played in an excellent spirit and
hopefully when Llangefni visit Brookfield Drive for the return fixture they
will provide a stiffer test. Every player performed to the best of their
ability with some confidence beginning to show in their game, but still more
hard work needs to be done on the training pitch to be ready for tougher
opponents.
Try scorers - Greg Gostage 3, Tom Constantine 2, Tom Geeson 2, Richard
Lewis 1, Ian Marshall 1
Conversions - Jacob Ryan 2, Charlie Fowler 1
COLWYN BAY 72 - DENBIGH 0
The younger members of the squad were given their opportunity in a
predominately U15's fixture because Denbigh had a majority of fifteen year
olds in their team. Another typically slow start by The Bay allowed the
visitors to dominate possession and territory in the first five minutes
until they turned over the ball on their 10m line and quick hands by the
backs saw left winger John Astbury score in the corner. This was the spark
that they needed to get The Bay's engine running. Another five tries was
scored in the first half with Jacob Ryan converting three of them.
The Bay's superiority carried on into the second half where they ran in
another six tries with Charlie Fowler adding three conversions. One lapse
of concentration saw Denbigh break the defensive line to cross the home
side's try line but they were denied a score by the strength of second
half full-back Tom Constantine to hold the attacker up from touching the
ball down.
The Bay dominated every aspect of play ,line outs worked well, good tight
Scrummaging, excellent rucking but the feature of the game was the support
play which was an encouraging sign followed up by good ball retention
which allowed the forwards to go through a few phases before releasing the
talented backs to spread the ball wide or look for the gaps inside. It
would be unfair to single anybody out for man of the match because every
member of the squad performed with a huge amount of credit.
Try Scorers were- Greg Gostage 3, Jacob Ryan 2, Peter Kirby 2, John
Astbury 1, Llion Mortimer 1, Nick 1,Tom Constantine 1, Sam Pierce-Jones
1
C OLWYN BAY 34 CAERNARFON 3
Caernarfon's first game of the season started brightly which saw them first
on the score sheet within a couple of minutes through a penalty, but The Bay
soon clouded their morning when Tom Constantine ran in 4 tries in a game
which the referee was consistently blowing his whistle and not allowing the
game to flow.
The Bay were still showing their early season rustiness with handling errors
and playing the game too fast, but through strong tackling and constant
defensive pressure The Bay try line was hardly threatened through the match.
Tom Constantine's tries were all similar with good committed forward play
inside their own half and using his explosive speed left the Caernarfon
wingers for dead.
Good support play led to Richard Lewis crossing the try line and also
debutant fly half Ollie Collinge showing good turn of speed and side steps
to score under the posts. Jacob Ryan converted two of his teams tries.
The Bay were always in control of this match after the early scare but they
were frustrated by the referee who awarded Caernarfon 30 penalties to The
Bay's 3.Imperssive displays by the younger members of the squad especially
the backs means encouraging signs of the season ahead.
COLWYN BAY 19 FLINT 14
Emotional scenes at the final whistle of this match will live in the memory of
all who was there, loud singing and chanting echoed around the ground to the
words 'There's only one Chris Turnbull'. This was a match in memory of Chris
whose untimely death shocked everybody who knew him. This fixture was arranged
with Flint because it was Big Chris' last game against them and he'd always
enjoyed the encounters between them.
A two minutes silence was respectfully observed by friends, team mates, senior
club players, club members and most importantly Chris' parents John and Debbie
in honour of Chris.
The match started at a fast pace and the coaching staff soon realised that
this was a much improved Flint side who had obviously worked hard pre-season.
Rustiness was evident in The Bay's play with numerous handling errors and
indecisiveness brought on by the quick pace where the sensible option would
have been to slow the game down and allow time to think.
The Bay had the majority of possession in the first period and midway through
the first half Ian Marshall typically broke through the defence inside the
opponents 22 to score in the corner. Tom Williams converted a difficult kick.
Numerous substitutions was made after this to allow former team mates and
present squad members who were eagerly wanting to participate in this unique
match. Flint started to show their capabilities after this score and were
always fighting for the ball at the breakdown gaining more possession.
Organised back play was rewarded by a touchdown which was accurately converted
to level the scores going into half time.
More substitutions followed the break by The Bay, this gave the coaching staff
a good indication of the improvements which will have to be worked on in the
next few months. Guest player for Flint Tom Beaumont was consistently involved
in the game either side of half time his experience was invaluable which
resulted in him crossing the home side's try line which was also converted.
The Bay were starting to go on the back foot and were penalised for a handling
offence in the ruck just outside their 22,fortunately the kick drifted wide of
the upright which would have stretched Flint's lead by two scores,this was the
break that The Bay wanted to get them back into the game.
The home side grew stronger driven on by the passionate ,vocal crowd, the
forwards began to dominate and gaps started to appear in the tiring Flint
defence, The Bay capitalised on this and another break by scrum half Ian
Marshall saw him being tackled on the visitors 5m line and he was well
supported by flanker Dafydd Owen who picked up the ball to powerfully drive
over to score a try. Tom Williams converted a high pressure kick to level the
score.
The scene was set for a grandstand final 10 minutes of the game highlighted by
the forwards winning turn over just inside their own half and mauling and
rucking the ball to within two or three metres of the try line but one phase
too many with the backs lined up to score a knock on lead to a Flint scrum
under the posts. Still pressuring the defence The Bay secured possession and
the ball was finally spread wide for winger John Astbury to cross over the
line in the corner to secure victory.
This was not a classic game of rugby but it could not have been scripted any
better, it had excitement, tension, passion, commitment and emotion due to the
unfortunate circumstances leading to this fixture. Reece McNally was awarded
man of the match for his physical and mental strength, and it was good to see
that every player gave 110%.
Hopefully Colwyn Bay Rugby Club have contributed to aid the grieving process
for John, Debbie and all of Chris' friends and this match will once again
prove that Chris will be sadly missed but never forgotten.
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