The Ospreys U18s women kicked off their season with a convincing win over the Dragons U18s Women on Sunday afternoon
- Jodie Bates, Lowri Davies, Olivia Evans, Melissa Gnojek and a brace from Jaya White brought the try count to six for the U18s women, with Kelsey Powell booting the extras to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
- The young side defended valiantly to deny their hosts any score in the second half and kept on the pressure to come away with the win.
- Next up for the side is the Cardiff Blues U18s Women at Sardis Road, K.O 2:30pm.
After receiving a bye in round 1, the Ospreys U18s women ran out for their first game of the season against the Dragons U18s at the Centre of sporting excellence, Ystrad Mynach.
The young side made a positive start after sending a Dragons drive into touch in their own 22. The Dragons then tried to replicate their visitors defence by driving the Ospreys into touch, but a call for the throw in not being straight handed Ospreys back the possession.
A solid scrum from the pack saw number 8 Jaya White pick up and smash her way through the Dragons defence. Backed up with strong support from the backs took play closer to the halfway line before a knock on in the centre gifted Dragons the scrum.
A quick break from the hosts scrum-half left the Ospreys scrambling their defences as the Dragons raced into the Ospreys half and a quick break from Hannah Powell opened the scores. Chelsea Jones with the conversion took the Dragons 7-0 ahead.
Ospreys struck back quickly and moved the ball quickly down the blindside to reach the Dragons 22. Stacking up the phases the visitors first try looked evident before a knock on over the line handed Dragons the advantage to clear back upfield.
But the Ospreys kept the pressure on the Dragons. Securing their own lineout, another powerful drive from the pack sent the Dragons into reverse, with the Ospreys capitalising to ground their opening try of the game through Jodie Bates. The conversion just skimming the wrong side of the posts kept the Dragons tails ahead 7-5.
With the side’s confidence building as the game grew, the Ospreys did well to keep play deep in the Dragons half. Solid carries from both Rosie and Katie Carr kept the Ospreys edging deeper up field and closer to the whitewash. Emma Tinsley drew in three players to narrow the oppositions defence, and a couple of quick offloads eventually saw Lowri Davies race her way through to score the try. Kelsey Powell with the conversion took the Ospreys 7-12 ahead at the half time whistle.
HALF-TIME Dragons U18s Women – 7 – 12 Ospreys U18s Women
Coming out for the second half, the Ospreys kept spoiling the Dragons party and didn’t allow them much enjoyment out of their own half and kept them on the back foot from the off.
Yvette Evans ran a stormer of a line for the break to bring her team into the Dragons 22. Quick work from the pack set the squad up nicely for Jaya White to ground the side’s well-worked try under the posts. Powell having no issue with the conversion put the scores at 7-19.
The Ospreys were relentless in attack and took it quickly to race back up field once again. Protecting the ball well, another team try saw Olivia Evans ground their fourth try of the game in the corner. The difficult conversion just short kept the scores at 7-24.
Momentum firmly in the hands of the Ospreys, the visitors did well to keep their hosts in their own half. Dominating the possession, the young side recycled the ball well and a lovely spot from Powell saw the fly-half chip the ball over the top to reach the 22. The Dragons fullback struggled to gather and an unlucky bounce for the hosts saw Lowri Davies with the pickup, and a quick offload to White saw the number 8 score her second try of the game. The conversion just skimming the wrong side of the posts put the scores at 7-29.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, the Ospreys weren’t ready to take their feet off the gas. Running the ball from inside their own half, the young side looked to set up camp on the Dragons 22, before Melissa Gnojek cut inside her marker to make the break and run clear of the Dragons defence for the Ospreys sixth try. Powell adding the extras brought the final score to a superb 7-36 win for the U18s.