Page 7 - LRFC_news_summer_2016

07
LLANDOVERY RFC
U16s CARRY ALL BEFORE THEM
The Under 16s finished a successful season with silverware and with a celebration evening in which we reflected, as the team moves into the Youth age group, on the ten seasons they have enjoyed playing together. We are proud that our squad contains so many players from in and around Llandovery, including a number whose fathers distinguished themselves for the club in the 1990s.
The pre-season training started well with a number of new players joining to strengthen the squad, together with an assistant forwards coach, Robert Williams, to help Hugh Evans and I to steer the boys. In the first week of September we entered a 7s tournament in Pontyberem which went well, with the new and old boys gelling well. Winning all our pool games we reached the final to play Crymych in an enthralling game. It was the old cliché of a game of two halves, with Crymych scoring two tries in the first half and the Drovers two tries in the second half and very much on top. But then the final whistle blew, with the rules for this particular tournament being that, in a draw, the first to score wins!!!
We played the usual local clubs and then decided to challenge ourselves further afield to some Swansea sides such as Neath Athletic and Mumbles. This proved helpful and successful, especially against Neath Athletic as they had not been beaten for some two years. We were also very fortunate to play at home against three touring teams during the season - two Irish sides and an English team, Bletchley U16s. We managed to win all three, a great experience for the boys to meet sides from different nations.
In a number of our games the team had to dig deep, and it was a great pleasure to see
Pictured: above: Llandovery U16 Harri Doel in his Welsh Kit after winning his Welsh Schools' cap.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS...
R
Official Image partners to The Drovers since 2000
Tel | 07733 376136 rileysportsphotography@btinternet.com www.rileysportsphoto.com
Pictured inset, left to right: Dylan Jones, Harri Doel, Garan Williams, Dafydd Land, Rhodri Bullock.
the way in which they were willing to knuckle down when the going got tough, to work together, and to have the confidence to play an exciting style of expansive rugby.
The second part of the season proved to be more difficult, mainly due to the problem of obtaining fixtures as the regional games took over and of course, the RAIN!!!! We were very fortunate to have six Drovers - Rhodri Bullock, Harri Doel, Dylan Jones, Dafydd Land, Dyfrig Poulton and Garan Williams - feature in the Scarlets East and Scarlets U16 teams.
On completion of the regional games, selection was processed in April from which Harri Doel was capped for Welsh Schools U16 as they beat England 23-22.
As we moved towards our season’s climax we had two hills to climb. In April we won the Carmarthenshire Cup – with the joyous Drovers crowned Carmarthenshire champions at Under 16 as they had been just three years earlier at the Under 13s stage - but in May the second hill was just a step too far as we just missed out on a remarkable double when we were pipped by one point in the Scarlets Region U16 Cup Final by Crymych, a match described by Scarlets Academy Manager Kevin George as "A brilliant game”.
We have again been very grateful for the ever-present support of our players’ family and friends and for the important contribution of our sponsors, ACOUSTIC1 for our playing shirts, PYSGOTWR FARMS for our polo shirts, and John Davies of Llandybie who has taken our squad and match pictures.
Stuart Doel Junior Drovers
SUMMER 2016