-Credit: (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)
Pontypridd Schools secured their seventh Dewar Shield title, and their first at U16 level, as they held off a late comeback from Cardiff Central to win 34-28.
Captain Owen Lewis, son of former Pontypridd, Cardiff and Wales back-row Geraint, led his side to victory at the Principality Stadium on Tuesday as Pontypridd dominated much of the match.
Cardiff had opened the scoring through No. 8 Ali Al Jassem, before Ponty found their footing in the game thanks to the tactical kicking of fly-half Isaac Manning-Burke.
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No. 8 Will Watkins scored from a driving maul, before Ponty added three more tries before half-time to open up a convincing lead.
Centre Harrison Richards scored in the left corner, prop Brooklyn Baldwin crossed from another driving line-out, and in the last move of the half, flanker Ashton Gill went over to open up a 17-point lead.
The second half started poorly for Cardiff, as they conceded another penalty and had a player sent to the sin-bin. Manning-Burke capitalised on this with a simple penalty, followed by a successful corner kick.
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Despite Cardiff’s defence holding strong initially, they eventually gave away a penalty that allowed prop Samson Phillpot to score from a tap penalty move. This extended the gap to 27 points, leaving Cardiff in a difficult position.
They did manage to take advantage of Ponty being reduced to 14 and then 13 players due to two yellow cards, scoring three tries in the final quarter.
However, despite two tries from captain and second row Will Thomas, son of former Wales hooker T Rhys, as well as a score for replacement Alex Mynett, it wasn’t enough for Cardiff in the end.
In the Welsh Schools U18 ‘Champion of Champions’ Cup final, Tomos Lewis was once again the hero as Bro Myrddin edged past Cwm Rhymni in a nail-biting 35-34 victory.
The lead changed four times in a thrilling encounter, with Lewis – who was last year’s man of the match in the Welsh Schools U18 Vase final – scoring the decisive try and conversion in the game’s final moments.
Lewis finished the game with 15 points, outperforming Cwm Rhymni’s hat-trick hero Rhydian Jones in a match-winning outing.