Fixture

Barry 2^nd XV was hoping that the new year will bring renewed fortunes on the pitch.

In manager Ken Chow’s last game in charge, coach Rhidian Scott was able to field a side featuring no withdrawals, a rarity this season.  He was also able to welcome back experienced centre Dave Provis to partner Luke Bounds in midfield, and also Owain Poole in the back row.

The better preparations off the field were reflected on the field, as Barry took the game to the opponents right from the off.  Dominating possession and territory, with strong runners that the Quins’ defence were struggling to contain, it seemed only a matter of time before Barry would open the scoring.

After a kickable penalty opportunity has been spurned, Barry began to fall foul of the referee’s whistle due to differences in interpretation in the contact area, and the home side began to grow in confidence.

Indeed the Quins scored twelve unanswered points in the period leading up to half-time, with the Barry management bewildered with some of their team’s decision making and poor kicking.

Scott laid into his team at the interval and the result was instantaneous.  From the kick off, the ball was fielded by Deyes, spread out wide by captain Joel Williams, and the combination of Provis with Garth Peake saw Bounds finishing an end-to-end move for the visitor’s first score.  Dylan Robertson added the extras.

With the momentum now firmly behind them Barry put their opponents under immense pressure.  Opting to keep the ball in hand as supposed to kicking aimlessly, the away side were begin to find holes in the home defence as the Quins visibly tired.

After a period of sustained pressure it was down to Jamie Oaten to crash over for a well-deserved try.  The conversion was missed but the scores are now level.

With the home side down to 14 men following their own run-in with the official, Barry sensed that the game was there for the taking and turned the screw.  After a move behind a set scrum came to apparently nothing, the green-and-whites recycled the ball and it was left to Jake Goodfellow to show immense strength to power across the line to score.  Robertson added the extras.

The Quins brought on reinforcements to stem the green and white tide but it was too late.  Another strong, probing run from Provis should have ended up with him scoring, but after he was thwarted by a superb last ditch tackle, Oaten was on hand to cross for his second try of the game.  Robertson’s conversion put Barry 14 points clear.

The home side did respond with an unconverted try late on, but despite a spirited assault on the Barry line, they were denied by some brilliant collective defensive work by the visitors who closed out the game 26-17.

The second half comeback by Barry showed the spirit and class of this group of players, and underlines the necessity of good preparation for positive results on the pitch.

Barry 2^nd XV return to action next weekend at home to Llanrumney in the Mallet Cup.

Team:  Robertson; F Peake, Provis, Bounds, G Peake; J Williams (c), Busuttil; Hall, Evans, Corne; Deyes, M Williams; Poole, Goodfellow, Oaten

Replacements:  Fortt, Ashill, Jones, Gill

Man-of-the-match:  Provis