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Lllantwit Major V Barry u10

In the wake of a gruelling summer of evening training the Barry Bombers travelled to Llantwit Major  for their first contest of the season and what a contest it was. History has shown that Llantwit are a team to test the mettle of any opponents they face. They have always been worthy adversaries and today was no different.

From the peep of the first whistle the Llantwit boys launched an offensive attack that promised to deliver an exciting and aggressive game to a slightly depleted Barry side and it was a promise that they kept in spades. They looked like an impeccably well organised outfit and it was obvious from the outset that Barry were not the only team who had been training hard all summer. However, any attack, no matter how brutal or determined would have been hard to sustain in the face of the watertight defence offered by Barry who were being expertly led by Cody and who's clearly visible team ethic made it very difficult to make those vital last yards. Unfortunately for Barry though their defence was only watertight and not airtight and make them they did.  Llantwit crossed the line and got the first notch on the score board. The first of many from both sides.

Both teams had set their stalls out early and were perhaps equally taken aback by the level of professionalism they faced. I know that I, as a spectator, was thoroughly enthralled by the spectacle and judging by the cheering of the parents and coaches on the touchlines I'd say I wasn't the only one.

It was a fast paced game and neither side showed any signs of flagging. On the contrary, the more that the minutes ticked by the more focussed and determined both sides seemed to become. They found their form, fell into their natural positions and locked horns in a fierce and sometimes ferocious battle for the ball. Points were returned by Barry who displayed a tremendous blend of muscle and agility in the way they utilised their backs and forwards. Every man had his moment and the long anticipated ideology of team-work came to light in all its glory. It may have been just one player who crossed the line but the tries were scored by everyone. All four of them. Llantwit trailed behind with three when the whistle was blown but it was clear that both teams were devastatingly good and equally hungry for the win.

A quick switch of players and the second game saw the boys come out of the gate at a rate of knotts and define their intentions very clearly. Strong lines of defence and great captaincy from Avish ensured that Barry  maintained their lead. Good hands, fast ball and again selfless teamwork led to an impressive four tries to two victory for Barry and a boost in confidence as they entered into the third game.

Perhaps it was a case of too much confidence though, or maybe fatigue on both sides that led to a tighter two tries to two level score-line in the third game. Or maybe the teams had learned to read each other that little bit better. In any event, the third game saw fewer points and was more of an arm wrestle than its predecessors. It was a great game and both sides played their hearts out but in some ways it was something of a pause in action, a deep intake of breath before the finale.

And what a finale it was. Dynamic and forceful, no one could deny that every player gave 100%. There were moments where the forwards ploughed through the opposition in much the same way that a bowling ball ploughs through skittles, in some cases dragging a few skittles up the field with them. There were echoes of Shane Williams in the bouncing, gazelle like agility of the boys on the wing  and there were tackles made that a wrecking ball would have been proud of. All of which culminated in a four nil win for Barry and ensured that the team went home smiling and comprehensively triumphant.

The post match talk from Dave and the coaches was a real boost for the now exhausted squad and the player of the week honours went to Elliot R and Elian. It's probably worth noting that Elliot R in a moment of humility suggested that his trophy should go to Rhydian, who, to be fair had been outstanding and seemed to have been playing several positions with gusto. In fairness though, Elliot and Elian were deserving of the title bestowed upon them but had it been bestowed on any of the other lads it would have been impossible to argue with it. They could have all been players of the week and not one of them weak players.