Llandovery College 41 Sedbergh School 20

In one of the best schoolboy games that one could hope to see, Llandovery College played some exhilarating rugby to outscore English visitors Sedbergh by seven tries to three, writes Huw S Thomas

One watching old timer went as far as to suggest that the sides served up finest example of schoolboy rugby he had witnessed in 60 years of rugby on Tredegar Close

In a match of continuing pace and movement, the Lilywhies produced one of their best performances for many a year to beat a side that came fresh to Llandovery after outstanding wins over the big two of Wellington College and Millfield.

Under the inspired leadership of flanker Stephen Leonard the home pack laid the foundations of victory.

In the set pieces the front row Rhys Fawcett, Jordi Den Hartog and Twm Jones were rock solid in the tight, locks James Ratti amd Colin Markham won their own ball and often pinched the Sedbergh throw and the back row of Morgan Williams, Ross Barnes and Leonard galloped all over the park in a non-stop display of tackling and support work

But it was the speed of the whole eight to the breakdown, their ferocious ball carrying in the loose and their protection of the ball in the contact area that did for the Cumbrians who went down to one of their heaviest defeats for a decade.

The backs too played a full part with scrum half Harry Randall running and passing without error and those outside him swift and direct in attack and selfless in defence in the image of full back Jac Evans,

In front of a crowd just short of 1000, the Colege got the vital opening score when a back row move at a scrum worked in Leonard for try converted by Evans.

Evans then ran through the middle to put wing Josh Davies haring away for a great try and when bustling wing Josh Hudson finished off good approach work with another converted try, Sedbergh were visibly shaken and their large band of supporters silenced.

Sedbergh’s star man and dangerous full back Jonny McPhillips then made a try for wing Nathan Wayman but fly half Lewis Humphreys answered with a nice dummying effort before a McPhillips penalty made it 24-8 at the break.

When wing Harry Halsall got a second Sedbergh try there was a hint of danger to home dominance and with a little more ball the continuing threat of the electric McPhillips served up a severe warning to the Lilywhites.

But all doubt evaporated when Den Hartog showed good footwork to make the line and Hodson grabbed his second try on the overlap.

The pace and commitment of the Lilywhites was relentless and the driving play of the forwards ended with Jones barrelling through tacklers for a seventh try.

The Englishmen lived off scraps and a solo effort try and conversion from the brilliant McPhillips was little consolation before the long drive back to Cumbria.