UNDER-18 TEST MATCH

A spirited Welsh performance was unable to stem the tide as two outstanding ten minute periods of rugby league from the visitors saw the Australian Schoolboys ease to a 56-4 win at Caerphilly RFC.

Wales got off to the perfect start, at the five minute mark, as Australia turned the ball over at the half way line; Wales moved up field and on the last tackle a high bomb from Captain Daf Carter was fumbled in the air by the Australians.  Mike Channing capitalised by picking up the lose ball and dived over in the corner to give Wales 4-0 lead.

The next seven minutes saw some almost flawless rugby from the Australians as they scored three back to back tries.  On each occasion they made good yardage up field from the kick off and while the defence were on the back foot some slick passing near the Welsh line created gaps which the visitors took full advantage of. The first touchdown came from Harry Siejka who dived over on the right, followed by an almost exact replica by Chad Redman up the middle and finally Captain Paul Carter got his name on the score sheet.  Two conversions from Siejka gave the Australians a 4-16 lead.

Wales began to claw their way back into the game and had a five minute period of pressure on the Australian line but were unable to capitalise.  A loose Welsh pass was picked up and punished by Harry Siejka who ran from the halfway line to score in the corner for the visitors giving them a 4-20 lead at the beak.

The second half started more tentatively as both sides were penalised for a series of forward passes and it took until the tenth minute for the Australians to get on the scoreboard. Good position on the back of a penalty allowed the visitors to swing the ball out to the right for Tautau Moga to touchdown.  Siejka converted to make the lead twenty two.

Five minutes later the visitors turned on the style again with another display of top drawer football scoring four back to back tries in a ten minute spell effectively killing off the game. Scores came from Chris Grevshmuhl with Carter and Redman picking up their second and the pick of the bunch by Jacob Gagan who picked up an offload after a great twenty metre break from Carter to touch down in the corner.  Two further conversions from Siejka and one from Gadd made the score reach 4-52.

Wales managed to generate some pressure on the Australian line near the end of the game only for the visitors to pick up the ball and run the full length of the pitch.  The Welsh "never say die" attitude gave the home fans something to cheer about as the defence tracked back tackling the winger into touch five yards out from the try line. 

The Australians however had the last word as after another period of Welsh pressure they worked their way up field and Jacob Gagan ghosted through the tiring Welsh defence, at the whistle, to wrap up the score at 4-56.

Photo credit: www.ianlovell.com

WALES U18
Jacob Morgan, Dan Godwin, Mike Channing, Rhys Fenton, James Griffiths, Daf Carter (captain), Courtney Davies, Chris Davies, Dale Evans, Ian Crimmins, Matt McGovern, Matt Crane, Rhodri Lloyd. Subs: Kyle Blackmore, Mike Griffiths, Matt Meek, Jean Baptiste Bruzhulier.

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS
Henare Wells, Jacob Gagan, Tautau Moga, Trent Jennings, James Tedesco, Jack Wighton, Harry Siejka, Matthew Grant, Chad Redman, David Klemmer, Chris Grevshmuhl, Lachlan Burr, Paul Carter (captain). Subs: Gerrard McCallum, Anthony Gadd, Matthew Eisenhuth, Francis Veukiso