Fixture

Caernarfon Youth 26 v 7 Dolgellau Youth 

After a highly entertaining draw at Marian Mawr earlier in the season it was Caernarfon's turn to host this return fixture under the lights of the Morfa on Friday evening. Despite the Cofis missing a number of players due to regional commitments they were able to field a large squad, a number of U16s players stepping up to fill the breach vacated by their peers.

Playing up the slope, with a strong prevailing wind the kick off soon saw the visitors pinned back in their own half where only some resolute defending, accompanied by some poor handling prevented an opening try. Looking to clear their lines a long kick up-field eventually relieved the pressure on the Dolgellau defence, further handling errors by the home side providing the opportunity to enforce a sustained assault on their opponents try line.

With Caernarfon now on the defence it was to take an excellent clearance by fly half Ifan Gwynn to relieve the pressure, his wind assisted kick taking play back deep into the visitors half. A successful take at the ensuing line out saw, for the first time in the game, some excellent phase play by the Cofis taking play up toward the visitors try line where a penalty award allowed Number Eight Llew Williams his customary charge toward the whitewash. With a try looking inevitable it was to take some excellent tackling, and a little help from the upright, to prevent the crossover, however a sweet offload saw the ever present Second Row, Samiwel Williams take the final pass and crash over for his sides opening score.

With outside centre Owain Williams adding the extras play resumed with a long kick finding the safe hands of full back Rhys Wynne, his jinking run taking play back into the Dolgellau half. With another score on the cards a desperate, mis-timed clearance by the visitors gifted the ball back to the home side and resulted in a lineout barely metres from the Dolgellau try line. As had been seen previously indiscipline was to prove the visitors downfall and an ensuing penalty , again quickly taken, saw second row Williams crash over for his second of the evening, centre Williams again adding the extra two points.

Once again a long kick off provided the visitors with a period of possession deep in the Caernarfon half where it was to again take the trusty boot of fly half Gwynn to relieve the pressure, his clearing kick again taking play back into their opponents half, however on this occasion seeing a surging run by the visitors full back, and impending try, only halted by a marginal forward pass.

With the first half entering the final 10 minutes there were to no further incidents of note, play centred around the middle of the park with both sides cancelling each other out in terms of attack and defence.

Going into the second period with a somewhat complimentary 14 - 0 lead the young Cofis were soon to produce their best rugby of the game, a succession of back line passes eventually seeing full back Rhys Wynne join the line and crash over near the corner flag. With an excellent kick by Williams again adding the extras it appeared that, finally, the victory they craved would be secured, however Dolgellau were not to be undone, on this occasion a perfectly placed kick providing a line out opportunity on the Cofi try line. Despite the visitors failing to win the set piece an attempted break out of defence by scrum half Rhys Williams, which ultimately saw him exit the field with a recurring shoulder injury, found the ball in the hands of their imposing forwards and resulted in a richly deserved try under the posts. The conversion was successful.

With the visitors sensing that there was, indeed, something to be had from the game, play again centred around the Caernarfon twenty two metre line where the Cofis were to suffer a second successive injury, on this occasion a heavy knock forcing full back Wynne to leave the field.

With Dolgellau now clearly in the ascendancy and time left aplenty there was a sense of nervousness amongst the home contingent however, no sooner had the re-start been taken, a turnover on the home sides twenty two metre line saw Number Eight Llew Williams with ball in hand, charging imperiously down the field. With a try to the young Number Eight looking inevitable it was to take an excellent covering tackle to prevent his progress however the perfect off-load to replacement Ellis Thomas could not prevent his 25 yard dash for his sides bonus point try under the posts. 

With victory to Caernarfon now assured there was to be little other incident in the game, a yellow card to Dolgellau forward Ben Davies being the only event to trouble the referees note book, the result completing a potentially tricky fixture and further enhancing the young Cofis league aspirations.

With the long trek to Newtown next on the agenda and again the likelihood of RGC absentees, coach Dafydd Roberts will have taken great pleasure from this performance, in particular with regard to the contribution made by the U16 contingent, Reece Thomas Thompson, Ben Jones and Dafydd Eccles.