BARRY RFC YOUTH 22 ST JOSEPH'S 5

BARRY Youth captain Luke O’Sullivan chose to play uphill against visitors St Joseph’s. The conditions weren’t good and it was best to get the disadvantage out of the way.

Within minutes surges by the Barry forwards saw the ball released to the captain and he ran in for the first score from 30m. The home side did well against the large St Joseph's pack in the scrum, one of the few occasions this year where they dominated in this set piece, and lineout ploys also went well.

The backs started to move the ball neatly and some direct running from Brad White put the visitors' tackling to the test.

It was all one-way for Barry, and the next score was also from the home side with a neat all-hands move out to winger Tom Adams who stretched his legs and went around his opposite number, cut in and placed the ball under the posts for an easy conversion. Under pressure St Joe’s managed to counter and they also scored out wide after finding themselves with an overlap which they did not squander.

The next score came from a attacking Barry lineout. The ball was palmed down old-time style which did not please the scrum-half Mepham, but he cleverly picked up and darted through the wall under tackles, and raced through to be tackled on the line but managing to touch down as he was grounded.

An overlap and open field went begging when the referee deemed an opposition player receiving treatment from the trainer as an obstacle to safety, and blew to bring Adams back from a certain try, and there was no further action before the halftime whistle.

Hoping to make use of the slope and the elements to top up the score after the break did not come to fruition until later in the half. From a 5m scrum the number eight O’Sullivan drove to the line and touched down, taking tacklers with him - however the ref deemed him held up and awarded another scrum.

This ball was taken through three quick phases and passed through hands to Oaten who went over to make the final score 22-5.

BARRY: B Wall, J Legg, J Flynn, R Mepham. J Adams, L. O’Sullivan, J Miles, S Vidal, M Howells-Davies, C Prosser, N Harris, K Davies, T Adams, J Taylor, E Byrne, A Williamson, B White, D. Evans, J Oaten, L Davies, R Burnett, Mitchell Scott, M O’Sullivan.

* Next weekend Barry Youth are away to Rhiwbina in the League.