While the senior squad are in Belgium this week, the Ospreys U18s kicked off their pre-season with a narrow win over the Scarlets at Llandarcy on Monday evening.
In a game played in three periods, the Eyasses trailed 19-5 but showed great character to overhaul their local rivals and secure a hard fought victory, scoring four tries in the process.
The Scarlets took an early lead with an early converted try after a spell of concerted pressure, but the Young Ospreys were able to hit back through Garin Lloyd from a driving line out, Josh Thomas missing the conversion.
Despite that, the Scarlets were still on top in the early exchanges and it came as no surprise when then extended their lead at the end of the first period, a good sniping try from their scrum half at close range.
A converted try 10 minutes into the second period meant the Scarlets now led by 14 but the Ospreys didn’t give up and at the end of the period, scrum half Tom Ham pounced on a fumble at the back of the scrum to score, Cai Evans with the extras to bring the Eyasses back to within seven.
Into the third period now and it was another scrum half, Harri Morgan, with an individual score, converted by Evans, to level the scores, before winger Dewi Cross went over in the corner after good interplay between backs and forwards to win it, another Evans kick rounding things off as the Ospreys won 26-19.
Period 1
1 Jordan Walters
2 Rhys Davies
3 Charlie Milnes
4 Rhys Laughne
5 Owen Morgan
6 Garin Lloyd
7 Joe Grabham
8 Ben Asprea
9 Harri Morgan ©
10 Josh Thomas
11 Joe Patterson
12 Tian T Wheeler
13 Frankie Jones
14 Dewi Cross
15 Caine Woolerton
Period 2
1 Rhys Williams
2 Cameron lewis
3 Rhys Henry ©
4 Brandon Heale
5 Owen Morgan
6 Dewi lake
7 Evan Budge
8 Ben Asprea
9 Tom Ham
10 Cai Evans
11 Ben Cambriani
12 Callum Carson
13 Ben Atkins
14 Joe Patterson
15 Iwan Richards
Period 3
1 Jordan Walters/Rhys Williams
2 Connor Edwards
3 Dewi Parish
4 Rhys Laughne
5 Owen Morgan
6 Evan Budge
7 Joe Grabham
8 Brandon Heale
9 Harri Morgan/Tom Ham
10 Josh Thomas/Cai Evans
11 Frankie Jones/Ben Atkins
12 Callum Carson
13 Ben Cambriani ©
14 Caine Woolerton/Iwan Richards
15 Dewi Cross
On Wednesday 31st August, Llandarcy Academy of Sport will be the venue for a one-off round robin event featuring the Eyasses, Bridgend College, Gower College Swansea and Neath Port Talbot College.
