As the Youth team has been reconvened this season, last year's highly successful Under 16's side has formed the core of the team, so there will be plenty of challenges as they face up to other established teams with older players.
However, we have many things in our favour;
- Facilities - not many other Youth teams in Wales have the range of training, social and playing facilities at Jarrods Fields, and the coaches have now supplemented this with occasional indoor training at the Football Factory (www.cwmbransportsclub.com).
- Dedicated coaching and support staff - head coach Dean Jeffries is supported by forwards coach and front row enthusiast Roy Long, as well as backs coach Sean Hanson who has an unusual line in post training cool downs. As ever Anwyn is on hand with medical back up and a mean pre-match rub down, and Sandra cooks the books / makes sure we are all solvent
- Annual tour - see below
- team spirit - our captain is abrasive and cheeky scrum half Ashley Jeffries, who has captained the team over the last few season's age groups, and represented Gwent Dragons and East Wales. Almost all the boys have now been together for several seasons, though we have a few excellent new players who are making big impacts. There is a fabulous team spirit throughout.
Given our new status, the team have been allocated a slot in division E of the Gwent Youth league. There are also plenty of 'friendlys' to fill out the season, and a possible spring 'short tour' in Surrey.
We still need to strengthen the squad, so if you enjoy playing and working hard, and a great team spirit, come and try us out.
Thursday evenings 6.30 - 8pm at Jarrods Fields
ANNUAL TOUR - 22 March to 25th March 2012
Final details of this season's tour are now emerging. The location is the well known rugby heartland of Benidorm, Spain, and we are flying out from Gatwick on Thursday 22nd, returning on the evening of Sunday 25th March.
There is to be one evening fixture on the Saturday. Opposition yet to be confirmed.
The hotel is 3 nights half-board, which is situated in the middle of the nightlife area of town. The total cost is £351 p.p. including all transfers to and from Gatwick. A deposit of £150 p.p. is required ASAP to secure the flights at the stated price. This represents great value considering it is £70 cheaper than last year's U16 trip. Please get all deposits to the 'over-competitive dad' ASAP.
Anyone present at the Lloret de Mar trip last year will remember it as an all-action affair, with some great highs, including the fabulous win against a strong local Quimics side. This year should match that, with the added benefit that Benidorm temperatures at the end of March average 18 degs + ! That's a real benefit on last year's event, when the cultural evening trips were often made in frosty conditions. Get your booking in quick.
THIS SEASON'S RESULTS
Saturday 10 December 2011
EDWARDS SEALS WIN WITH DRAMATIC TRY
New Panteg Youth 17 Blackwood Youth 12
Its often the case, they say, that the worse you feel, the better you play; that a long party the night before and just a few hours sleep takes away many of the pre-match nerves.
That may not be the best advice for young players, but it did work at Jarrod's Fields on Saturday, when most of the lads had been up until the small hours at the Christmas Disco the previous evening, and one or two (your roving reporter had first hand experience) had just returned home after two consecutive all night parties.
From the off New Panteg threw the ball wide, stretching their bulkier opponents, and paying arguably their best rugby of the season. The back row were often first to the breakdown and helped recycle the ball well, and the experiment of playing Gibbs and Dawkins in a new centre combination was paying dividends. Blackwood hardly touched the ball in the opening exchanges, and after 8 minutes a flowing series of back moves ended with prop Jeffries, loitering between centre and wing, crashing over wide out.
The running rugby didn't end there, and it was often interspersed with long diagonal kicks from both Bradbury and Dawkins which made good ground. and weaving runs from McKenna, out of position on the right wing. New Panteg then picked up the pace in great style and it was a front row combination triumph. A long line-out throw from hooker Tudgay was won by Cleverly on Blackwood's 10 yard line. The forwards took it on and young prop Jones charged around the fringes like a demented rhino. He was eventually brought down, but tight head partner Jeffries was again on hand to hoof the ball upfield and win the chase against Blackwood's full back to score. Bradbury converted. Blackwood started to show signs of recovery, but New Panteg held out and went into the break 12 - 0 in front.
Coaches Jeffires and Hanson were urging the lads to start the second half in similar fashion, and so they did. A text book scrum 30 yards out gave scrum half Jeffries room to outwit their back row on the blind side, and feed No 8 Clark backing up well. He was brought down short, but showed enough presence of mind to flick a pass, as he was tackled, to utility player Edwards, who stormed over from 2 yards to score.
The try signalled something of a relaxation on New Panteg's part, or perhaps it was the previous night's bonhomie starting to kick in. Blackwood also upped the stakes by bringing on a few older heavies, and the game became an attritional forward battle in the descending gloom and worsening mud. Despite their opponents picking up two tries from forward drives in this period, New Panteg's defence held up well. Flanker Hardwick epitomised their spirit with a marvellous game at 7 and was involved in a series of big tackles, as was out half Bradbury, with one full speed version on Blackwood's full back that would have made Maa Nonu wince.
The game finished with New Panteg defending their line well against a series of strong Blackwood drives. and with many of the lads pleased with the prospect of a few hours afternoon kip.
team;
Luffman, McKenna, Gibbs, Dawkins, Edwards, Bradbury, Jeffries (capt), Jones R, Tudgay, Jeffries, Francis, Cleverley, Hardwick, Jones E, Clark.
Saturday 26 November 2011
NEW PANTEG TRIUMPH IN BEDWAS BOG
Bedwas Youth 12 New Panteg Youth 17
They don't do grass in Bedwas. Not the type that's supposed to grow on their 2nd pitch anyway. In driving drizzle and on a murky afternoon it was like watching two hippos fighting for the soap in a mudbath.
Neither side really mastered the conditions, but both tried to run the ball, in New Panteg's case, often not from the best of positions. However, unlike the previous weekend, New Panteg started this game on fire; rolling mauls, driving rucks and in total control up front. After dominating the game for 15 minutes but without scoring, No 8 Clark chose to abandon his usual interception party-piece, and instead run on to one of fly-half Bradbury's teasing 9 iron chips, and to all playing and watching, touch down close to the posts. The referee, however, thought otherwise. The ensuing scrum to Bedwas was driven 10 yards backwards by New Panteg's strong front five, but the slippery ball again let them down on the point of touchdown.
The scoring breakthrough came on the 26 minute mark. New Panteg were winning every scrum, regardless of put-in, and from one of these on their 10 yard line, flanker Hardwick broke strongly and when the ball was recycled, centre Marchant took it on the burst to effortlessly glide his way over the mud from 50 yards like a young Sean Hanson in his prime. Bradbury converted.
To their credit, Bedwas came back strongly, and when we all thought it might become armchair stuff, New Panteg failed to clear their lines, and from close range Bedwas scored, and the teams went into the break with New Panteg just 7 - 5 in front.
Bedwas started the second half mysteriously without a hooker, and one of New Panteg's chief attacking weapons - the scrum - was reduced to passive form. It changed things for a while, and Bedwas started to look strong. A speculative punt upfield by their out-half got log-jammed in the mud, and their forwards, who had been casually loitering in New Panteg's half, 30 yards in front of their kicker, took it on to score. Soon after, New Panteg full back Dawkins, who had been running strongly in the conditions, left the field, but their forward dominance had resumed, and after a free kick close to the Bedwas line, prop Jeffries barnstormed his way over for a try like a wayward bull, to level the scores.
It was getting like the old days in the mud. You could hardly tell the jerseys apart, but it was good end-to-end stuff with Gibbs proving a handfull in midfield, and prop Jeffries muscling his way round the park. When it looked like it might end all square, some fine inter-play by New Panteg close to the touchline ended with a solo burst from scrum half Jeffries to touch down wide out.
Bedwas pressed strongly at the finish, but New Panteg's pack, which played together well throughout, but in which No 6 and man-of-the-match Clarke was outstanding, held out after a series of skirmishes close to their line. Flanker Hardwick, deputising at scrum half, cleared his line at the final whistle, and the tired but jubilant New Panteg team trudged off to a mighty cleaning bill.
team;
Dawkins (r. Luffman 45) Luffman (r. Morris 45) Gibbs, Marchant, Edwards, Bradbury, Jeffries (capt), Jones, Tudgay, Jeffries, Francis, Cleverley, Clarke C, Clark J, Hardwick
Saturday 19 November 2011
STIRRING SECOND HALF DISPLAY NOT QUITE ENOUGH
New Panteg Youth 12 Chepstow Youth 15
There's a puddle on the reserve team pitch big enough to drown 10 men. Its on the touchline, and so deep that if hooker Tudgay ever had to throw in from that position, he'd be launching the ball from a level 2 feet lower than usual.
It took Head Coach Jeffries 10 minutes to squeegee the lake away. Chepstow trained solidly during Jeffries's lonely vigil, while the New Panteg lads thought about their summer holidays. So it was no surprise that Chepstow came steaming out of the blocks and their forwards quickly took control. After 10 minutes they were 12 - 0 in front ,and some of the large home crowd had turned their thoughts to Strictly and a few beers.
There were, however, extenuating circumstances. Dragons call ups and injuries had severely impacted New Panteg, and the team that ran out was a shadow of the usual side, with a few players making their debuts and many others well out of position. Prop Jones had been called from his death-bed simply to get a front row on the pitch, and when he limped off at the 15 minute mark, the referee, who put a big marker on the match, had no option but to revert to uncontested scrums. No 8 Clark, staring at the possibility of 55 minutes in the hooking berth, was saved by the referee's call, but still had to take on the line-out throwing in duties, which called on his full repertoire of pub darts technique.
More injuries were to follow, with captain Cleverley being replaced by flanker Hardwick, then returning later to replace Edwards, but at least New Panteg had stemmed the flow and were beginning to adjust to their new line-up and their bigger opponents. By the end of the first half they were starting to take the game to Chepstow, and were rewarded with a fine penalty by fly-half Bradbury to go into the break 12-3 down.
The touchline puddle had re-emerged at the start of the second half, but coaches Long and Jeffries had abandoned thoughts of pitch administration to whip their team into a better mind set. It soon paid dividends. A magnificent punt to the corner from man-of-the-match Bradbury, who was outstanding in attack and defence throughout, brought a series of tap penalties close to the line and after hard yards from flanker Jones, lock Francis and effervescent flanker Hardwick, Dawkins, playing out of position at inside half, crashed over.
New Panteg, now much more fired up by Cleverley, were beginning to match their bigger opponents on all fronts. Discipline wasn't always their trademark, however, and after one or two questioned a few refereeing decisions (the home crowd were voting with the team) Chepstow pulled ahead with a well struck penalty kick, but somewhat against the run of play.
It didn't deter the home forwards however, or the home defence, in which Blake, and Flanker Jones excelled, and after a jinking run from Hardwick, which continued with rolling mauls close to the Chepstow line, wing Richards, a rumbustious runner, muscled his way through to touch down 10 yards out and Bradbury converted. Although New Panteg continued to press, time ran out with Chepstow just holding their 15-12 lead.
New Panteg had taken the second half, if not the honours, and it was a gutsy display against a polished Chepstow outfit. A few newcomers held their hands up for selection and, if everyone turns out for training on Thursday, Jeffries will thankfully have more than puddle clearing to think about.
team;
Luffman, Blake, Johnston, Marchant (r. Thomas 60) Richards, Bradbury, Dawkins, Daniels, Tudgay, Jones R (r. McKenna 15), Francis, Cleverley (capt), Jones E, Clark, Edwards (r. Hardwick 25)
Saturday 5 November 2011
BIG PERFORMANCE FROM NEW PANTEG FALLS JUST SHORT
New Panteg Youth 19 Whiteheads Youth 33
Whiteheads must be a big club. New Panteg usually travel with 3 or 4 reserves, but a whole spare team? Who supplies the jerseys? Is there enough room in their showers?
Whiteheads visited Jarrods Fields not just with a big playing contingent, but also a strong team, especially in their back line, but met fierce resistance up front from New Panteg who matched and often bettered them in the important forward battle.
It was end to end stuff in the first half with Whiteheads threatening from the off but missing an early penalty opportunity, only to then see home No 8 Clark perform his weekly party-trick - an interception on the half-way line. Last week at Tredegar, in identical circumstances, the ball slipped from his grasp - so fast was he travelling (so he told us) - so this time the large home crowd held their breath until he crossed near the corner. That flourish gave the New Panteg pack renewed confidence, and they were now challenging everything, but in the thick of battle prop Jones, quite untypically, was harshly judged to have placed his size 12's somewhere near the opposition team, and was binned for 10 minutes. With New Panteg one man down, Whiteheads took full advantage sending a long kick to the corner and from the ensuing ruck their full back went over near the posts.
It was, however, still end-to-end rugby, and New Panteg held out well until Jones returned, whereupon outside half Bradbury spiralled a beautiful free-kick to within 5 yards of the Whiteheads line. In a well-rehearsed line-out move, gigantic second row Francis leapt high to collect and hand down to No 6 McKenna who muscled his way over at the corner flag. Bradbury converted magnificently from the touchline to put New Panteg 12 - 7 in front.
Although New Panteg were winning more than their share of the ball, the Whiteheads backs were dangerous on the break and as the home team's concentration dropped for the last 10 minutes of the half, Whiteheads crossed close to the posts several times to go into the break 12 - 28 in front.
However, New Panteg's pack started the second half briskly with the wind at their backs and Cleverley leading his men well. Blake, who had replaced the injured Gibbs in the centre, soon chased a long kick downfield, and his pressure released the ball on New Panteg's side. Although the referee judged the home side to have knocked on, New Panteg's front five, as they had done for most of the match, put huge pressure on the resultant scrum and Tudgay took his third strike against the head, allowing No 8 Clark to pick up and feed scrum half Jeffries who ran strongly through several tackles to score. Bradbury converted, to close the scoreline to 19 - 28 and the home side looked strong.
Unluckily however, the rest of the match became scrappy, as outside half Bradbury was tackled very late clearing from his own line, and was helped from the pitch. His long kicking game was missed, and things didn't improve when firstly Dawkins and then Clark were also injured, leaving the field mid way through the half. With so many injuries (and without a full reserve team to help) it still looked likely that New Panteg would win the second half, but a breakaway try by Whiteheads at the final whistle evened up the scoring.
A very resilient display in the circumstances, which will give the lads plenty of hope for the league campaign.
Saturday 29 October 2011
TREDEGAR Youth 5 NEW PANTEG Youth 18
Tredegar is an interesting place to take an umbrella, even one of those big golfing umbrellas you think will cover everything. You quickly learn the rain goes horizontally and often upwards, and you end up wondering why you bothered trying to protect yourself at all.
New Panteg were facing that driving rain for the first half, and although Tredegar took an early lead through a jinking run by their fly half, New Panteg valiantly stuck it out with stout defence for the rest of the half and almost equalised when speedy No 8 Clark pounced on a loose ball and sprinted 50 yards, to a chorus of Panteg supporters chanting 'you'll never catch him now Tredegar' Unfortunately he was caught with 10 yards to go, but it set the tone for recovery. Panteg turned round at the interval only 5 points adrift and Tredegar were in for a long second half with the wind and rain in their faces.
Captain Jeffries and fly half Bradbury quickly made inroads with terrific punts upfield that fell beautifully short of their opponents try line. The forwards were now starting to take charge with loosehead prop Jones showing up well at scrum time and forming an effective unit with forceful hooker Tudgay and Dragons prop Jeffries. And plenty of scrums there were, as the ball was like a bar of soap in the conditions. Cleverley, Baker and Francis were putting big pressure on the opposition line-outs and new flanker McKenna revelled in the loose ball that resulted, having an outstanding game on the floor.
Soon after the restart, and following desperate attempted clearance kicking by Tredegar's rear guard, prop Jeffries picked up a loose ball on their 10 yd line and bulldozed his way through, sending would-be tacklers flying in all directions. Bradley converted magnificently from the touchline.
New Panteg then started to take full control with strong runs from Liam Gibbs in the centre and Dawkins at full back. Bradbury added 2 penalties mid way through the half before Dawkins, fielding another wayward Tredegar clearance on the half way line, weaved and jinked his way through most of the Tredegar team to touch down for an outstanding solo effort.
Further tries were beckoning but the slippery ball let things down at the last minute, though Thomas on the wing, centre Scott Bradbury and stalwart Luffman showed up well. Tom Richards made a good second half deputy on the wing, in his first appearance for the club.
An excellent win in the conditions, but a large bill for the dry cleaners
COMING SHORTLY
- further match reports
- players pen pictures
- staff profiles
- the Tour details 2012