Clwb Rygbi 2nd XV 38 Barry 2nd XV 27

Tries: Knapman, J Williams, D Williams and Thomas

Cons: J Williams and Lee

Pens: Lee

BARRY 2nd XV finally returned to action following disruptions due to opposition dropping out, inclement weather and Six Nations Tournament, with their visitors Clwb Rygbi.

Coach Rhidian Scott and manager Ken Chow handed a debut to Neil Bragg for his first game of rugby in his career.

There were also recalls for Josh Flynn, Adam Lee and Kyle Case, with Tom Poole in the unfamiliar role of scrum half.

The disruptions to the team were reflected in the early exchanges as Barry struggled to have any fluency in attack.

It was only some superb defending, led by captain Lee Jones and his back row partner John Miles, that prevented the away side from opening the scoring.

Instead, it was Barry who troubled the scorers first, as Lee intercepted a Clwb Rygbi move, before running the full length of the pitch to be stopped just short of the line.

His timely offload, however, found the supporting Rhys Knapman who touched down for the try; Lee failed to add the extras.

The visitors replied with more sustained pressure and responded with an unconverted try to level the scores and seemed to have the upper hand in open play.

Barry, however, had complete domination at scrum time and frequently disrupted the CRCC feed.

This allowed the home-side to retrieve possession and gain some territory, and from a quick-tap penalty, the opportunistic Joel Williams broke through to score under the posts, Williams’ conversion was a formality.

Lee further increased the home lead with a well-struck penalty and just before half-time, Dave Williams’s scavenged possession in his own half, then outpacing the visiting defence to score in the corner. Lee failed to add the extras to make the half-time score 20-5.

The second interval, however, was a completely different story. With the elements to their advantage, and the home players visibly wilting in the sun due to lack of match fitness, CRCC piled on the pressure and scored two quick tries to bring themselves back within three points of Barry.

The green-and-whites had no answer to the away side’s onslaught as tackles were missed and defensive shape broken. Another away try meant that the visitors were now in the lead 24-20.

Barry struck back late on, as a quickly taken penalty in a rare foray into the opposition’s 22 saw the ball spread to Jason Thomas, who crashed over under the posts. Lee’s conversion made it 27-24.

Barry were unable to hold out in the dying minutes.

A comedy of errors in handling a long, hopeful kick saw CRCC regain the lead, before a well-worked move ended up with another converted try to take the game beyond the hosts.

The management will hope that this game will have given some much needed match fitness to a number of players who have not donned the jersey for the past few weeks, and the second XV will have to be at their best as they face a side assembled by the television programme “School of Hard Knocks” on Tuesday, March 24. Kick-off is at 7pm at Cardiff Arms Park, with Rhiwbina their next visitors in the league four days after.

Team: Lee; Knapman, D Williams, Evans, Bragg; J Williams, Poole; Thomas, Turnbull, Corne; Flynn, Dutton; Jones (C), Miles, Rolfe

Replacements: Ring, Westall, Case, Evans and Provis

Man of the match: Bragg