Rhiwbina U10's

We're the U10's!

Date	Opponents	Results (won/lost refers to Rhiwbina)
6 Sept 2009	Penallta	Drew 5-5 (Away)
13 Sept	Caerphilly Tournament	Winners
20 Sept	No game
27 Sept	St Peters	Won 49-0 and 21-0 (Home)
4 Oct	Cowbridge	Won 35-15 and 60-5 (Away)
11 Oct	Penarth	Won 49-0 (Home)
18 Oct	Cheltenham Tournament	Runners-up
25 Oct	No game
1 Nov	Llandaff	Won 10-21, Drew 7-7 (Away)
8 Nov	No game
15 Nov	No game
22 Nov	No game
29 Nov	No game
6 Dec	Dinas Powys	Won 0-40 and 12-43 (Away)
13 Dec	Llandaff North	Won 0-55 and 5-65 (Away)
20 Dec	No game
10 Jan 2010	No game
17 Jan	No game
24 Jan	Dinas Powys	Won 5-49 and 0-49 (Away)
31 Jan	No game
7 Feb	Treorchy	Won 19-7 (Blues Cup R2) and 21-12
14 Feb	No game
21 Feb	St Peters	Won 47-7 and 47-0 (Home)
28 Feb	Pentyrch	Lost 0-7 and 5-7 (Away)
7 Mar	St Josephs	Won 56-14 (Away)
14 Mar
21 Mar
28 Mar
4 Apr
11 Apr
18 Apr
25 Apr
2 May
9 May

Photos of the U10's in action against Treorchy, 7th Feb 2010
Photos of the U10's in action - Dec 2009 and Jan 2010
Photos of the U10's in action - Sept, Oct and Nov 2009

St Josephs (Sun 7th March 2010 - Away)

Well, we're into March now and the sun finally shone (although there was a cold wind) for this away encounter with St Joes at Heath Park. Three 15 minute periods of play was agreed between officials, which made it quite difficult for the Rhiwbina Coaches to manage, given that 22 players had turned up. Having said that it was nice to play on some firm ground for a change after the last couple of months of playing in mud!

Period 1: St Josephs 0 v Rhiwbina 21
(Tries: Callum (2), James; Conversions: Max T (3))

Period 2: St Josephs 14 v Rhiwbina 14
(Tries: Callum, Oliver; Conversions: Max T, Oliver)

Period 3: St Josephs 0 v Rhiwbina 21
(Tries: Lance, Oliver, Ben T; Conversions: Oliver (2), Sam P)

Thanks to St Joes for three competitive periods, where there was plenty of free flowing rugby and committed tackling on display, even with the amount of changes taking place continually throughout the morning ... well done everybody.

And finally not forgetting ...

Squirrel of the Day: Lance, need I say any more, a few barnstorming runs and a try to boot.

Pentyrch (Sun 28th Feb 2010 - Away)

Game 1: Pentyrch 7 Rhiwbina 0

Game 2: Pentyrch 7 Rhiwbina 5
(Try: Max H)

St Peters (Sun 21st Feb 2010 - Home)

This was our first home game of 2010 and possibly our last depending on the Blues Cup draw. The weather conditions were dry and cold but very heavy under foot ... but this didn't stop some attractive rugby being played by both sides. In the two games, the Rhiwbina forwards again provided the backs with a great platform to run riot, and the defence was very solid indeed, which was reflected in the final scores.

Game 1: Rhiwbina 47 St Peters 7
(Tries: Callum (3), Harry, Nathan W, Miles, Oscar; Conversions: Max T (6))

Game 2: Rhiwbina 47 St Peters 0
(Tries: Tom (2), Max H (2), Sam P (2), Lewis; Conversions: Lewis (5), Sam P (1))

All twenty Rhiwbina boys gave it their all today and it was pleasing for the Coaches to see the improvements made in their game awareness as well as the greater cohesion between forwards and backs. It was hard to pick out individuals today but a couple come to mind. There was some strong running from Callum when given the space in the first game, and another player to catch the eye, was Tom who completed numerous tackles ... like to see the stats on that one!

And finally ...

Squirrel of the Day: Harry for his all action display especially his support play and dynamic tackling.

Treorchy - Blues Cup Round 2 (Sun 7th Feb 2010 - Away)

We headed up to Treorchy for this second round encounter in the Blues Cup, and what a cracker it turned out to be ... which is just what the doctor ordered after the disappointment of the England v Wales game the previous evening! With a later kick off time of 11.45am, the conditions were cold but dry with a firm pitch, which was a bonus given the weather conditions recently.

Game 1 (Blues Cup): Treorchy 7 Rhiwbina 19
(Tries: Miles, Sam P, Callum; Conversions: Max T (2))

The game started off with Max T taking the high ball from kick off and he immediately put pressure on Treorchy with one of his trademark runs. Try scoring opportunities were spurned on a couple of occasions as overlaps were not spotted.

The first try wasn't long in coming though, as great work by the forwards, with Oscar and Nathan C leading the way, led to Miles darting over for the opening score, 7-0 at half-time to Rhiwbina. The second half produced more concerted pressure from the Rhiwbina forwards which led to another try, this time scored by Sam P.

Treorchy then found some momentum and it was Rhiwbina's turn to show their defensive qualities.
A clearance kick up field was followed by a great chase from James, and Rhiwbina managed to turn the ball over and when Callum found himself in space he sprinted half the pitch to score the third try. Back came Treorchy again and their commitment was rewarded with a try of their own in the final minute.

Game 2 (Friendly): Treorchy 12 Rhiwbina 21
(Tries: Luke, Max T, Lewis; Conversions: Lewis (2), Oliver (1))

The second game started off with a bang, with Luke showing his pace by out sprinting the Treorchy defence to give Rhiwbina an early lead. Just like in the first game, Treorchy came straight back at Rhiwbina to score a try of their own. Again the commitment of both was evident, and although Rhiwbina had a lighter pack they held their
own with Ben S, David M and Dewi leading the forward charge - half-time 7-7.

In the second half, Treorchy took the lead with another well taken try but Rhiwbina were not finished yet. Max T came on as replacement and immediately made an impact with another long distance try. This was quickly followed by the decisive score of the
game which came from Lewis, who opened up the defence and sprinted half the field followed by a conversion by Oliver.

Skill of the Day: Lewis - great show and go which led to him scoring a try from the halfway line.
Tackle of the Day: Sam P for a tremendous blindside tackle when the pressure was on - this saved a certain try.
Squirrel of the Day: Oscar for his workrate and communication in galvanising the forward effort in the first game.

Coaches comments: Considering the lack of rugby that has been played by both teams recently, you wouldn't have believed it with the skill level evident today. It was a great advert for Welsh rugby ... the futures bright but not orange, red hopefully!. Well done to all the boys, we couldn't have asked for anymore. Thanks also to Treorchy for the friendly welcome we received, hope to meet up in the near future.

Dinas Powys (Sun 24th Jan 2010 - Away)

Reporter: Richard W

Our home pitch was not available for this fixture so we were grateful to DP who agreed to host us at short notice.

The weather was dry and bright and perfect for running rugby and the boys didn’t disappoint.

Game 1: Dinas Powys 5 Rhiwbina 49
(Tries: Harry, Sam J, James D (2),Callum(3); Conversions: Max T (7))

The first match was an even affair early on with a much improved home side showing great commitment in attack and defence.
They were however matched by the Rhiwbina side that were equally determined not to let the home team cross the try line.

After a period of consistent pressure from Rhiwbina, Harry slipped over for the opening try. Not to be outdone and showing good character, DP scored almost immediately from the restart to level the try count.The Squirrels began to take control of the rest of the half from this point and James D crossed when the backs moved the ball left giving him space in midfield to wrong foot the defence.

Following more good driving play from the forwards Nathan C, Nathan W and Oscar, Sam J was able to cross the try line for the last play of the half.The second half began as the first half had with the home side starting brightly but never really threatening the Rhiwbina try line.

As the half progressed The Squirrels began to play much more cohesively as a team and began to dominate in tight and loose play. Nathan C was prominent in defence with great driving tackles and Sam C didn’t stop running and tackling all day.DP became more ragged and lost their discipline as the half went on with gaps appearing in the defensive line which the Rhiwbina backs were able to exploit and end up winning comfortably 49-5.

Game 2: Dinas Powys 0 Rhiwbina 49
(Tries: Tom, Max H (2), Sam P, Nathan C (2), Josh; Conversions: Ollie (7))

The second match was an even more one sided affair with Rhiwbina scoring from the first attacking move in the first minute, when Tom was able to dive over in the corner after some good tackling from the home side.From the restart Max H ran unopposed through the DP defence .2 minutes gone, Rhiwbina 2 tries to the good!

There were strong performances throughout the Rhiwbina team with some good handling skills and strong tackling by all the team. Sam P ran strongly and tackled well as did Nathan C who also carried the ball well into contact.

The half ended with the Squirrels well on top having scored 6 tries.The second half was scrappier and DP obviously benefiting from their team talk as they played with more tenacity and spirit. DP competed well for the opening of the half and defended with determination although they never looked likely to score a try. Max H finished off a convincing victory with a try just before the end.
Final score Rhiwbina 49-Dinas Powys 0.

Game 2 - Tom, Max H (2), Sam P, Nathan C (2), Josh; Conversions - Ollie (7)

Skill of the Day: Max T - reading of the game and good awareness.

Tackle of the Day: Tom W for a tackle when he stole the ball and started a counter –attack (no bias from the writer, honest)

Squirrel of the Day: Sam Cousins for non-stop running and tackling all morning.

Llandaff North (Sun 13th Dec 2009 - Away)

I think I'm right in saying a week has passed without any rain, meaning pitches were on for our away fixture at Hailey Park. Twenty two of our players braved the cold but sunny conditions ... as well as the parents, families and friends, of course!

It was decided with the hosts, that two full games would be played even though Llandaff North only had fourteen/fifteen players to call upon. The Rhiwbina teams chosen for each match varied from the norm, as different combinations were tried out.

With the ground firmer than the previous week this led to more free flowing rugby, and a feast of tries for the away side. You couldn't fault the commitment of both the Rhiwbina and Llandaff North players with some crunching tackles going in. Hard choice for 'Squirrel of the Week' trophy this week, with David M just shading it for his excellent work rate around the field.

Game 1: Llandaff North 0 Rhiwbina 55
(Tries: Callum (4), Max T (2), Ben T (2), Sam J (2); Harry)

Game 2: Llandaff North 5 Rhiwbina 65
(Tries: Luke (4), Miles (4), Tom (3) Sam P (2))

Dinas Powys (Sun 6th Dec 2009 - Away)

With Glamorgan Wanderers not having an U10's team, an away game was arranged against "Dinky Poo". The overnight rain on Friday and Saturday night didn't stop this game going ahead on the Common of Dinas Powys. In fact, the sun was shining although there was a strong wind and the recent monsoons ensured the pitch was heavy going.

With twenty Rhiwbina boys turning up, two full games of fifteen minutes each half was agreed to be played. In both games, we looked a bit rusty to start off with, which was understandable as we hadn't had a proper game for five weeks ... we had a few cases of white line fever!

But class always shows through in the end, which is what happened in the second halves of both matches, with quicker ruck ball produced by the forwards and great handling by the backs. This was typified by Ben T who was awarded the 'Squirrel of the Week' trophy by the Coaches at the end of the games.

Game 1: Dinas Powys 0 Rhiwbina 40
(Tries: Callum (2), Max T (2), Oscar (2); Conversions: Max T (5))

Game 2: Dinas Powys 12 Rhiwbina 43
(Tries: Josh (2), Tom, Ben T, Miles, Lewis, Max H; Conversions: Oliver (4))

Again, the Coaches would like to thank parents, family and friends for their tremendous support but a special thanks must go to Dinas Powys for hosting us at the eleventh hour and providing hospitality after the game.

A final comment - we tend to forget about the refereeing, but it must be said that this was the fairest refereeing we've had away from Caedelyn Park this season.

Llandaff (Sun 1st Nov 2009 - Away)

Reporter: Tim K

Game 1: Llandaff 10 Rhiwbina 21
Tries: Callum (2), Miles. Conversions: Ollie: (3)

The glorious weather of half-term was definitely over as we stepped onto Llandaff Fields in very windy and showery conditions – horrible for the supporters but no problem for the battle-hardened Squirrels !

The game started brilliantly as Llandaff kicked off, David K. caught and carried then from the tackle the ball was re-cycled to Callum and he did the rest from the halfway line. With Ollie slotting the conversion it was 7-0 inside a minute. Another easy win in prospect?

Not quite so easy it turned out. Our boys were frequently caught making technical infringements and as the penalty count started to mount in favour of Llandaff, they began to gain territory and forced their way over for a try (conversion missed). The rest of the first half was an even battle with Callum having a potential try disallowed for a foot in touch.

Rhiwbina got on top early in the second half though with a brilliant dummy and solo try from Miles in the scrum-half position. Next another run out of defence from Miles was well supported by Tom and Nathan W. (see Skill of the Day) before Callum went over for the third and clinching try. Ollie kept up his 100% success rate on the conversions.

Llandaff did manage some more pressure near the end and scored another unconverted try to make the final score of the first game 21-10 to Rhiwbina.

Game 2: Llandaff 7 Rhiwbina 7
Try: Sean. Conversion: Lewis

The 2nd Match opened with first Sean, then David K. charging forward to within about a yard of their line before another penalty enabled Llandaff to clear their lines. The rest of this half was evenly matched before ending with a good run by Luke leading to Oscar again coming close to barging over – this time we were foiled by the half-time whistle.

Once again though we started the 2nd half with an excellent drive from their kickoff which ended with Harry setting up Sean for a try. Lewis converted (7-0). As the game wore on Llandaff again pressed forward. We held our line magnificently with tackle after tackle until finally they broke through and then converted with what was the last kick of the game. Final Score of 2nd game 7-7.

Skill of the Day: Some very good handling in difficult conditions today and on a few occasions we managed to get good passes in before being tackled. The best of these was Nathan W who set up Callum in Match 1. Also noticed were a similar pass by Harry to set up Sean for his try, a nicely floated pass from Max H. to Dewi coming away from our own line and good lineout take and quick feed from Ben S.

Skill comment: One area Llandaff did do much better than us was to take the ball in the fly-half position, at speed.

Tackle of the Day: Overall a very good defensive day with Oscar, Ollie, Tom, Max H and both Nathans all making good tackles. The one that got noticed the most though was a last-ditch effort from David K. in the far corner just when the Llandaff winger seemed certain to score.

Squirrel of the Day (Chosen by the coaches): For his all-round contribution, great tackling, running and passing – as well as his excellent try … Miles.

Cheltenham Tournament (Sun 18th Oct 2009)

The sun threatened to shine through today but failed as conditions stayed dry but cold. Sixteen teams had entered this tournament with the format being four pools of four teams with only the pool winners progressing to the semi-finals. To give every team the opportunity of playing five games, the teams that finished second in their group played off as well, with the same scenario for the teams finishing third and fourth.

Playing English U10 rules of nine players a side, no kicking and contested scrums the Rhiwbina boys had to adapt quickly, which they did admirably in the Pool stages scoring six tries in each of the three encounters whilst only conceding two. The work rates of the forwards and the passing of the backs was probably the best we have seen so far this season.

The first game kicked off at 10.15am and by Midday we were playing our semi-final against Old Patesians (derived from Cheltenham Grammar School) who were the winners of Pool 2. A narrower victory this time, as again Rhiwbina kept the ball moving at every opportunity.

After a short break and awaiting the outcome of the other semi-final which finished as a draw, Cheltenham 'A' progressed having scored more points than Ledbury throughout the morning, so it was Rhiwbina versus the hosts in the final.

The final turned out to be Welsh flair against English brute force, with the latter winning the day. To say Rhiwbina were unlucky would be an understatement!

Pool 1:
Rhiwbina 30 Moseley 'A' 5
(Tries: Callum (3), James, Sam J, Nathan W)

Rhiwbina 30 Cheltenham 'B' 5
(Tries: Nathan C, Max H, Harry, Oliver, Callum, Tom)

Rhiwbina 30 Droitwich 0
(Tries: Sean, Miles, Harry, Oliver, Callum, James)

Semi-Final: Rhiwbina 15 Old Patesians 0
(Tries: Sean, Callum, James)

Final: Rhiwbina 5 Cheltenham 'A' 10
(Try: Max H)

Every squad member was a Squirrel of the Week today, as the Coaches couldn't choose an individual for the effort and commitment everyone put in ... well done boys you did Rhiwbina proud once again. Thanks Mums/Dads for getting up extra early this morning and for all your support, it is most appreciated.

A final thank you to Cheltenham RFC for hosting a great tournament, especially keeping the waiting times between each game down to a minimum, love to come back next year.

Penarth (Sun 11th Oct 2009 - Away)

Reporter: Gary N.

On the first of many a wet day to come, Rhiwbina welcomed Penarth this morning, with the boys riding on the crest of a wave at the moment. The coaches told the boys that three halves of rugby was being played.After

First Period. Rhiwbina 35 Penarth 0
(Tries: James (2), Sean, Callum, Nathan C; Conversions: Oliver (5))
With Ben S captain today, Rhiwbina received the ball from kick off on a wet slippery pitch. Straight away the forwards do what they do best and really got into the Penarth forwards. They didn’t give Penarth a chance to settle on the ball and play rugby, and when they did run with ball, the backs simply tackled them just as hard. I am not going to mention individuals today because the forwards ran, hit and bossed everything up front and the back played a hard free flowing game with some mazy runs, kicks, tackles and great passing of the ball.

There were a few handling errors due to weather conditions but all in all Penarth never looked like scoring passed Rhiwbina. With the boys playing this well the quality of rugby was very very good. Well done boys in difficult conditions. After

Second Period. Rhiwbina 7 Penarth 0
(Try: Lewis; Conversion: Lewis)Some changes with this game and with all the boys going to get good game time in. This proved a harder game for the boys mainly because of the conditions. The forwards, with a few changes up front, continued on from where they left off from the 1st half with good hard tackling and drives but sometimes losing ball in rucks due to numbers at contact area.

Penarth, with not many changes to their team, won some good ball at contact areas with numbers. The backs played well with some crunching tackles and great runs but sometimes with overlaps some decisions not quite working out. After

Third Period. Rhiwbina 7 Penarth 0
(Try: James; Conversion: Lewis)Changes again this game and the weather never let up. Again all I can say is the boys played well and although the score this game wasn’t as high, Penarth never looked like scoring, where Rhiwbina could have scored a few but just a few times player decisions didn’t quite go as planned.

Thank you Penarth for a good game today.Well done boys for a good game of rugby.

Skill of the Day: Oscars clearing kick into touch via rebound off a Penarth players head!

Tackle of the Day:The forwards for stopping them on our line and the backs helping to drive them backwards!

Squirrel of the Day: Nathan C. for his body position and going into rucks and general all round play.

Cowbridge (Sun 4th Oct 2009 - Away)

Well, we're into October now and the sun still shines on us, perfect weather for running rugby which is exactly what we got on a great flat surface. Two full games were played to give both squads maximum playing time.

Match 1: Cowbridge 15 Rhiwbina 35
(Tries: Callum (2), James (2), Max T, Nathan W, Lance)

This game started off with both sides giving it their all, with forwards and backs not taking a backward step. Leading the way for Rhiwbina were Oscar, Lance and both Nathan's with some great carries. It was the quick ball that they generated that gave the backs the space to run in the tries, this was typified by an excellent pass by Callum to put James into space to score his second try. Max T and Miles also kept the Cowbridge backs guessing as to what was going to happen next. The forwards though, not to be outshone, drove Lance over for one try and Nathan W sealing the victory by ripping the ball off an opponent to score in the corner.

Match 2: Cowbridge 5 Rhiwbina 60
(Tries: Luke (5), Lewis (2), Sam J, Tom, Max T, Callum, Nathan W)

All change for the second game, which showed Rhiwbina's strength in depth. As the saying goes, you don't win matches without a forward platform, which is exactly what Rhiwbina had with Ben S, David M and Dewi leading the way. The quality ball provided by the forwards allowed Lewis, Sam J and Ben T to move the ball wide at every opportunity, where Luke was the main benefactor touching down five times. This game just proved the boys must be listening to the Coaches at training!

Skill of the Day: Nathan C - great pick up off the floor which kept the forward momentum going and resulted in a try for Rhiwbina.

Tackle of the Day: Sean for a tremendous tackle when Cowbridge had an overlap on, this tackle almost certainly saved a try.

Squirrel of the Day: Luke, not just for his scoring exploits but for his general awareness and tackling.

Coaches comments: Thanks again to all the boys for the effort they put in today and to the support which got very excitable at times. Thanks also to Cowbridge for two great games and their hospitality back at the Clubhouse.

St Peters (Sun 27th Sept 2009 - Home)

Report by Richard W

On a beautiful sunny morning we welcomed St Peters to Caedelyn Park. Both sets of coaches agreed to play two 20 minute games giving the boys plenty of game time.

Match 1: Rhiwbina 49 St.Peters 0
Lots of early pressure from the squirrels was met with determined defence from the visitors who also counter attacked with pace which tested the squirrels defences early on.

Before long though sustained ball retention and control from Rhiwbina forwards saw them take an early lead when following good driving play and ball handling from the forwards David K went over for the first try.
The Rhiwbina forwards continued to work impressively as a unit from the restart with Nathan and Oscar making some hard yards.

As the half continued despite dogged defence and application from St Peters, the Squirrels continued to exert pressure with backs and forwards combining well to release Max T on a dazzling run to score Rhiwbina’s second try.

The visitors were down but certainly weren’t out and following the restart the Squirrels were forced to defend the try line again. However they were able to play their way out of trouble and move gradually up- field. Again ball retention and work rates were impressive. A sustained period of pressure saw Sean L almost score. From the resulting scrum the ball found its way to the backs and then to the forwards again before Nathan W spotted a gap in the tiring defence to crash over for the third try.

Half-time score: Rhiwbina 21 v St Peters 0

The squirrels started the second half as they had ended the first with dominant forward play and forceful running behind. Early on desperate defence from St Peters resulted in a maul then a scrum close to the visitors try line. The Squirrels moved the ball quickly to the left and Max T crossed for his second try of the match.

As the half progressed the Squirrels became even more dominant and despite all attempts by St Peters to get on the scoreboard, the Squirrels refused take a backward step. The rest of the game was spent in the visitors half and despite St Peters becoming more ragged and demoralised there was no let up from Rhiwbina who continued to impress. As the game drew to a close, Oscar crossed for a well earned try after more driving forward play. Miles also scored from a dummy pass and jinking run from the base of the scrum and Max T finished off a fine team display with a try in the closing seconds.

Full-time score: Rhiwbina 49 v St.Peters 0

Try/Conversion Scorers:
Max T (3), David K, Nathan W, Oscar, Miles; Conversions: Max T (7)

Match 2: Rhiwbina 21 St Peters 0
This was a more evenly matched game from the start with both teams giving their all from the kick-off.

St Peters began the match well and the Squirrels’ resilience was tested by the visitors’ good ball retention and strong running from ruck and maul. Not to be outdone the Rhiwbina forwards defended steadfastly and competed robustly for the ball. In fact the sides were so evenly matched this first quarter of the game saw no scoring.

The game became scrappier as the half progressed until a moment of magic from Callum broke the stalemate. As the ball was cleared from the St Peters try line with a miss kick, it was fielded by Callum who raced through the watching St Peters players to score the first try of the game.

From the restart St Peters kicked the ball straight out of play. Rhiwbina punished the error by pushing play all the way to the St Peters line again. From a line out the Squirrels quickly moved the ball left to Callum who again sped past the defenders to claim his second score of the half.

Half-time score: Rhiwbina 14 v St Peters 0

The second half was a copy of the first with close quarter forward play and great defending from forwards and backs. The first score was critical and would either bring St Peters right back into it or further extend Rhiwbina’s lead. Both teams seemed to realise how important the next score could be.

Despite great distribution from Sam J and ball handling from Lewis M (in trying to create opportunities for others), the St Peters defensive line held firm. However following some excellent clearing out work at a breakdown from Tom, Rhiwbina turned over the ball and (luckily for the Squirrels fans) it was that man Callum again who received the ball in open play and showed great pace to go over for his hat trick.

To their huge credit however the visitors would not give in and both Callum and Tom went close to another score prevented only by some fantastic tackling from the St Peters team and their left wing in particular.

Full-time score: Rhiwbina 21 v St Peters 0

Try/Conversion Scorers:
Callum (3); Conversions: Lewis M (3)

Skill of the Day:
Oliver B for the take of a high ball going backwards!

Tackle of the Day:
David K in the first match, a couple of crunchers.

Squirrel of the Day:
Tom W for commitment shown when clearing out at the ruck, excellent tackling and great attitude.

Caerphilly Tournament (Sun 13th Sept 2009)

On another barbeque Autumn day, Rhiwbina U10's travelled over the mountain to play in a tournament hosted by Caerphilly RFC. Our first game was due to kick off at 11.10am but the withdrawal of Pencoed and Dowlais resulted in a rejig of the tournament to include a Barbarians side made up of players from the four participating teams at this age group (whoever the Barbarians competed against, the team consisted of players from the three other teams).

Rhiwbina 15 Barbarians 0
(Tries: James D (2), Max T)
Our first game kicked off at 11.50am, but the delay didn't seem to hinder the team's concentration as the Rhiwbina forwards took control straightaway. Some great rucking by the forwards created the space for Max T to go on one of his mazy runs which resulted in the first try of the game. James D showed his pace just before half-time to increase Rhiwbina's lead with a length of the field try.

The pressure exerted by the forwards told in the second half when a great passing movement resulted in a straightforward run for James D to seal the victory.

Rhiwbina 25 Pontyclun 0
(Tries: James D (4), Max H)
Some great carries and turnovers by the Rhiwbina forwards, Oscar, Ben S, Nathan W and David K paved the way for a first half hat-trick of tries for James D and one for Max T.

Pontyclun kept on using their big forwards to drive holes into the Rhiwbina defence, but Rhiwbina held firm everytime. It was the quick ball being recycled by all the Rhiwbina players which resulted in further tries for the speed merchants James D and Max T. The great Jonathan Davies would have summed this game up in six words "there is no substitute for pace".

Rhiwbina 30 Newbridge 0
(Tries: James D (3), Max T (2), Max H)
Rhiwbina opened the scoring early on with some great interplay between backs and forwards resulting in James D going over in the corner. Two more tries were to follow in quick succession, and from a scrum just before half-time Max H picked up from the base of the scrum, spotted a gap and stepped on the gas. Great try, four tries to nil at half-time.

Quick ball from the rucks again produced two second half tries for James and Max T. What summed up the attitude of the Rhiwbina players was the last play of the game i.e. a great forward surge by Newbridge resulted in them crossing the Rhiwbina try line but unable to ground the ball... great defence and team effort Rhiwbina, even though the game was already won.

Rhiwbina 15 Caerphilly 5
(Tries: James D, Ben T, Nathan W)
This was the big one, whoever won would be crowned champions. Rhiwbina with only a ten minute break after playing Newbridge, started the stronger as both packs didn't give an inch (or should that be centimetres now!). It was James D again who found himself in space to break the deadlock. The game ebbed and flowed until Rhiwbina were hauled just short of the tryline but some great follow up work by Ben T, saw him pick the ball up and score in the corner to make it two tries to nil at half-time.

In the second-half, Caerphilly threw everything at Rhiwbina and when the ball was turned over by them on the halfway line, they raced away to score in the corner ... game on. It was left to the forwards to seal the match for Rhiwbina with them driving into the heart of the Caerphilly defence the last drive by Nathan W resulted him scoring the third and final try of the tournament ... game won, tournament won!

Thanks to all the Rhiwbina boys who played for the Barbarians, it was a new challenge for them playing with players from other teams but they all really enjoyed it:

Barbarians v Caerphilly - Max H, Harry H & Ben S.
Barbarians v Pontyclun - Ben T, Lance & Nathan C.
Barbarians v Newbridge - Miles K, David M, Oliver, Nathan W, Harry H.

Skill of the Day: Lewis M - great pick up on the right wing, from a poor pass which landed around his ankles, which he took into contact and was recycled quickly end up with a try in the left -hand corner.
Tackle of the Day: Team effort holding up Newbridge over our try line.
Squirrel of the Day: It was a very hard decision for the Coaches as there were some great individual performances, but Nathan W just shaded it with his great work-rate in the tight and loose.

The Coaches would like to thank all the players for giving them one hundred and ten percent effort, the SUN (yes, that round yellow thing in the sky), parents/family/friends for their great support again, and thanks to Sue S, Deb M, & Jon W who contributed to the match reports.

Thanks to Caerphilly RFC for hosting a great tournament, especially after two teams had pulled out at the last minute.

Penallta 5 Rhiwbina 5 (Sun 6th Sept 2009)

Report by: Jo

Match Report: The weather was kind to us this week as 15 (plus 1 injured) squirrels travelled to Ystrad Mynach to begin their 2009, U10 campaign.

A lot of good Rhiwbina pressure at the start of the game saw two well matched teams unable to break through each others defensive lines. Great handling skills from both teams were demonstrated with occasional errors at the contact area making tries difficult to come by.

Numerous attempts to break through our defence were completely snuffed out by hard decisive tackling from many players particularly Oscar, David K and both Nathans. Eventually after a long period of possession and good ball retention Oliver was able to go over for the first try of the game – good hands Ol!

The first half finished with some excellent handling skills which moved the ball wide and very nearly resulted in Oscar going over for the squirrels’ second try. A good tackle from one of the Penallta boys just denied Oscar this time – next time Penallta won’t be so lucky!

A number of changes were made at half time giving the other boys a chance to get their boots dirty. Initially the boys took their time to settle but a spirited defence prevented Penallta from getting a try when the ball was held up right on their line but further pressure later resulted in them scoring the equaliser.

The squirrels were unlucky not to snatch the winning try right at the end of the game when a long period of possession deep in opposition territory probably should have resulted in a score. With more practise and awareness these tries will definitely come.Overall the game was played with a great spirit and lots of new skills were in evidence.

The handling skills and commitment of all players was excellent and bodes very well for the rest of the season.C’Mon you Squirrels!!

Try/Conversion Scorers: Oliver B – 1 Try (no posts no conversions)

Skill of the Day: Oliver B – Two excellent catches from Penallta kicks one taken right over his shoulder with his back to the oncoming players. Well Done Oliver!

Tackle of the Day: Close decision between a number of the pack but because of the commitment shown from the first whistle to tackle hard and decisively throughout the game – David K.

Squirrel of the Day: Max H for his tenacious tackling and hounding the opposition when the pressure was on.