27 tries scored in two games as hundreds entertained by East v West U14 and U16 Origin matches

Twenty-seven tries in two games as Junior Origin matches thrill large crowd

Over 800 people came through the gates to witness 27 tries in two games in a very successful Junior Origin Day in Ystrad Mynach on Saturday.

East Wales took on West Wales at U14 and U16 level, which was a culmination of three months’ worth of hard work in two different camps, run by Wales Rugby League in association with Coleg y Cymoedd and Salford Red Devils.

The U14s were up first with East Wales running out 30-26 winners in a match that was halted five minutes’ early due to a head injury to East’s Finlay Walker. The half-back, who kicked three conversions, was taken to hospital, and all is well.

Easts dominated the early part of the game with Jake Harries scoring out wide after nine minutes and Charlie Bennett following him over in similar fashion after 18.

Walker couldn’t land those two kicks but didn’t waste the easier opportunity after Paddy Bateman ran through from kick-off.

That made it 14-0 and it was soon 18, when Tom Howe added a fourth try, which went unconverted.

West’s comeback started five minutes before the break with a Leo Bonham try to put the score at 18-4, but within five minutes, they’d pulled it back to 18-14.

Hudson Nevin was first over, jinking through from dummy half, before a 60 metre run from kick-off by Ben Coomer put the score onto 18-12 with Juris Kesans converting for the first time.

Kaven Phillips extended East’s lead two minutes after that, with Walker adding the goal, before Kesans scored the first of his brace of tries.

A Bailey Cutts try in the corner pulled the score back to 24-22 with Kesans unable to level the scores, but after West were penalised from kick-off, Tobie Cribb scored what ended up to be the winning try, with Walker converting.

Kesans had the last say with a try that he couldn’t improve, before Walker’s injury put an slightly premature end to an exciting game. 

The U16 sides played a full 80 minutes, albeit split into quarters, with West’s Troy Shearan landing the winning try and conversion with just three minutes remaining for a 36-34 victory.

Ethan Stebbings struck first for East Wales after just two minutes, scoring in the corner but Shearan slid in for the first of his four tries a few minutes later to level things.

Jake Nottingham then broke away, after a fabulous passing move, to give Wests the lead after nine minutes. Again the kick was missed and West were 8-4 up.

East regained possession from kick-off, resulting in a well worked set and Dan Bartlett scored under the sticks. Mason Apsee converted, then Oliver Ford extended the lead in the next set. East were 14-8 up on 17 minutes in a game that was already turning into a thriller.

But, from the next set, Nottingham took advantage of a loose ball and ran over 50 metres for his second try of the game.

West took advantage and scored again on the next set, this one by Charlie Stoddart, who couldn’t land the extras but his side were back in the lead.

However East soon regained the lead with Dan Bartlett and Daf Morgan each scoring out wide to put the score onto 22-16.

But the score was brought back to 22-20 on the dot of half-time thanks to an unconverted Tom West effort.

Like in the 14s game, West scored quickly after the break, with Shearan going over and Leon Caviel converting. Shearan clinched his hat-trick ten minutes later to give his side an eight-point lead.

East weren’t finished yet. Bartlett forced his way under the sticks with Henry Parker converting to bring the score back to 30-28 to West on 57 minutes.

The hosts looked like they had it won when Carter Pritchard, grandson of former Wales international Gordon, scored on 71 minutes and Apsee converted, but they didn’t count on the heroics of player of the match Shearan.

The second row forward scored out in the corner with four minutes remaining, then calmly landed a touchline conversion to give his side a dramatic 36-34 victory. 

Wales Rugby League’s development manager, Mark Jones said: “Today’s successful event highlights the huge interest currently in rugby league at the moment in Wales. The regional programme is about developing players and them pushing on through the WRL pathways, I am hoping many of these players now go on to represent Wales and sign for the Academy based in Coleg y Cymoedd.”

The Origin 16s programme is a transition for the WRL National Development Academy based at Coleg Y Cymoedd. If you are interested in applying for the full-time course for 2022-23, please go to https://www.cymoedd.ac.uk/course-detail/level-3-sport-rugby-league/?course_id=08F302YB

East Wales U14s
1. Sonny Ledley (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
2. Jack Matheson (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
3. Harvey Leddington-Evans (unattached)
4. Jac Jones (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
5. Alfie Pitman (Rhondda Outlaws)
6. Finlay Walker (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
7. Jake Harries (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
8. Tobie Cribb (Aber Valley Wolves)
9. Paddy Bateman (Aber Valley Wolves)
10. Cai Atkins (unattached)
11. Sam Hallett (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
12. Charlie Bennett (unattached)
13. Tom Howe (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
Subs:
14. Cerrig Day (Aber Valley Wolves)
15. Sam Kemp (Aber Valley Wolves)
16. Alex Wainwright (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
17. Connor McIlwee (unattached)
18. Dylan Shears (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
19. Kavan Phillips (Aber Valley Wolves)
20. Ashley Cleese (Torfaen Tigers)

Tries: Harries (9), Bennett (18), Bateman (20), Howe (23), Phillips (41), Cribb (57)
Goals: Walker 3/6

West Wales U14s
1. Juris Kesans (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
2. Mason Daniels (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
3. Oscar Jones (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
4. Bailey Cutts (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
5. Jay Bramwell (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
6. Ben Coomer (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
7. Josh Gallivan (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
8. Isaac Jones (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
9. Leo Bonham (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
10. Morgan Jenkins (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
11. Tristan Rosser (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
12. Albie Redpath (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
13. Leland Grey (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
Subs:
14. Kalum Stead (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
15. Corey Field (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
16. Isaac Thomas (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
17. Ryan Blyth (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
18. Joe Davies (unattached)
19. Hudson Nevin (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
20. Cellan Allcock (unattached)
21. Osian Thomas (unattached)

Tries: Bonham (29), Nevin (36), Coomer (38), Kesans (43, 59), Cutts (54)
Goals: Kesans (1/6)

East Wales U16s
1. Tal Watkins (Aber Valley Wolves)
2. Fin Northrop (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
3. Ethan Patterson (Aber Valley Wolves)
4. Oli Ford (Aber Valley Wolves)
5. Ethan Stebbings (Aber Valley Wolves)
6. Mason Apsee (Aber Valley Wolves)
7. Henry Parker (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
8. Zak Williams (Aber Valley Wolves)
9. Carter Pritchard (Aber Valley Wolves)
10. Lewis Jones (c) (Aber Valley Wolves)
11. Dan Bartlett (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
12. Kian Godwin (Aber Valley Wolves)
13. Callum Jones (Aber Valley Wolves)
Subs:
14. Harry Jago (Aber Valley Wolves)
15. Kade Woodward (Torfaen Tigers)
16. Daf Morgan (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
17. Rhodri Jones (Aber Valley Wolves)
18. Dylan Scott (Aber Valley Wolves)
19. Hudson Mathias (Aber Valley Wolves)
20. Kai Sengul (Aber Valley Wolves)
21. Evan Morse (Aber Valley Wolves)

Tries: Stebbings (2), Bartlett (12, 29, 57), Ford (16), Morgan (34), Pritchard (71)
Goals: Apsee 2/6, Parker 1/1

West Wales U16s
1. Brandon Richards (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
2. Ellis Butler (Aber Valley Wolves)
3. Jake Nottingham (Swansea Stallions)
4. Ben Morris (c) (Swansea Stallions)
5. Rhys Thomas (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
6. Leon Caviel (Aber Valley Wolves)
7. Charlie Stoddart (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
8. Cory Westermark (Swansea Stallions)
9. George Groves (Torfaen Tigers)
10. Jac Fuller (Swansea Stallions)
11. Reuben Ghatt (Aberavon Fighting Irish)
12. Troy Shearan (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
13. Thomas Richards (Swansea Stallions)
Subs:
14. Peter Richmond (Cynon Valley Cavaliers)
15. Jac Vaughn (Gwendraeth Valley Raiders)
16. Rouge Donagh (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
17. Jayden Grey (Bridgend Blue Bulls)
18. Tomas West (Aber Valley Wolves)
19. Evan Rowlands (Aber Valley Wolves)
20. Brandon Foley (Cardiff Blue Dragons)
21. Tyler Davies (Aber Valley Wolves)
22. Lewi Hartland (Aber Valley Wolves)

Tries: Shearan (6, 42, 53, 76), Nottingham (9, 19), Stoddart (22), West (39), 
Goals: Stoddart 0/3, Shearan 1/3, Caveal 1/2