NPower Osprey’s Cup Final 29th Aril 2007 – The Gnoll

Tondu faced the Aberavon Green Stars in defence of their title as Ospreys Cup Winners. The Green Stars elected to play with the stiff breeze on this bright spring morning.

Both sides probed each others defences in the early stages and the Stars managed to keep the Junior Waterwheelers from mounting any meaningful attacks.

Play ebbed and flowed with both sides conceding a number of penalties but neither able to capitalise. With loose play near the halfway the Stars managed to engineer a gap in the Tondu defence.  A footrace ensued and the Tondu captain Tom Owen was just unable to prevent a score under the posts. The conversion was successful.

As the half progressed Tondu began to stretch their opponents who seemed uncomfortable with the pace of play. Jordan Matthews gave the Tondu side hope as he was bundled into touch just short.

The Green Stars managed to last the half out with their lead intact but there were ominous signs that the Tondu try machine was finally coming to life.

At the start of the second half Green Stars fumbled their receive to put themselves under pressure but Tondu themselves knocked on to let them off the hook. Play progressed to the halfway and a Tondu scrum. Andrew Waite broke from the base and outpaced the Stars cover defence to put the Waterwheelers back in the game. Gareth Lindenburn converted.

The try boosted the Waterwheelers confidence and they used the breeze to pin the Stars in their own half. Tondu won possession from a lineout on the 22 and rumble forward, Tom Evans finally diving over to score. Gareth Lindenburn made ease of the tricky conversion.

The Stars were not going to give up without a fight and pushed up into the Tondu half but a flurry of alternating penalties broke up the momentum of the game.    

A quick penalty from the Stars was intercepted by prop Tom Evans who sprinted the longest 40m of his life to score under the posts and seal  the victory for the Tondu lads. Josh Tatchell converted.

Final Score:  Aberavon Green Stars 7 Tondu 21        

Photo of NPower Ospreys Cup Winners and South Coast International

Festival of Rugby Cup Winners with sponsors :
Boyd Jones of Designer Sofas Direct
Andrew Evans of Inax Solutions
Nigel James of Acacia Carpentry