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CLWB RYGBI WRECSAM WREXHAM RUGBY CLUB Bryn Estyn Road, Wrexham, North Wales. LL13 9TY |
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CLUB NEWS 09-10
WREXHAM
Wrexham Firsts suffered their 12th defeat of the season when
their tackling let them down and they were beaten by 41-8 at
WREXHAM 2NDS
40
DENBIGH 2NDS 10
Wrexham Seconds ensured that they won’t finish in bottom place in
Division Four by hammering the luckless Denbigh Seconds 40-10 at
Flanker Keir Harding and centre Scott Davies claimed a brace of tries
apiece, lock Ian Sanger and prop Danny Seabrook powered over for a try each and
outside-half Dave Thomas kicked 5 conversions. There was also a fine performance
from lock Jason Parry while credit went to the versatile Dave Thomas for the way
that he has adapted to playing at half-back in recent games.
This game was a league and Second Team Cup semi-final double header
against Denbigh and the result means that Wrexham will now face Ruthin Seconds
in the cup final at a time and place to be decided.
WREXHAM
Wrexham Firsts make several changes for their final Division Three
league game of the season at
Skipper Guy Bingham, lock Jason Reano and wing John Roberts are all away
on the Wrexham Veterans tour to
Josh Francis, an outstanding Youth Team player who made his senior debut
against Welshpool last week, is retained in the centre alongside Richard Hughes
who claimed a personal tally of 18 points last Saturday. There may also be a
place on wing for another Youth Team player Pete Atkin who has been performing
well for the Under 19’s and the Seconds in recent weeks.
Prop David Gard is expected to recover from injury to maintain the power
in Wrexham’s strong front-row, Mike Jones will lock out the second-row and
provide his usual stream of possession from the line-outs, while the hard
tackling Mark Gasson will be a key player on the wing.
Newtown have beaten Wrexham three times this season in cup and league
competition, the last success for them being a 23-12 victory at Bryn Estyn Road
only three weeks ago. Unusually, they then lost by 6-10 at lowly
Winning at
WREXHAM 2NDS V DENBIGH 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds, deprived of a number of their regular players who will
be in
WREXHAM VETERANS TOUR
Wrexham Veterans will round off their season with a 3-day tour to
WREXHAM
WREXHAM ISTS
28
WELSHPOOL
15
Wrexham completed a Division Three double over visitors Welshpool when
they outpointed them by 28-15 in their final home game of the season. ...
more
LLANGOLLEN 42 WREXHAM 2NDS 30
The visitors were marginally the best side in the first-half but were
caught out by a couple of quick tries from their opponents after the break. Wing
Scott Davies led the way for Wrexham with an excellent brace of tries, flanker
Jason Parry and outside-half Dave Thomas notched one apiece and there were 2
penalties and 2 conversions from Thomas to complete their scoring.
Youth Team captain Christian Chalk gave a Man of the Match performance
in the back-row, prop Danny Wolfenden was always prominent in the forward
exchanges and wing Peter Atkin was applauded for a particularly good try saving
tackle.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 17TH
APRIL 2010
WREXHAM 1STS V WELSHPOOL
Wrexham Firsts take on Welshpool in a Division Three match at Bryn Estyn
Road that will give supporters their last chance to see their team in action at
home before the rugby season ends (kick-off at 2.30pm).
Flanker Phil Williams, who rose from the junior and youth ranks to
become a prominent back-row player in the senior side, will make his 80th
appearance for the club. He will be assisted on the other flank by the
industrious Gareth Owen, but their number eight partner Kenny Simms will have to
pass a late fitness after taking a knock in last week’s game against Llanidloes.
Skipper Guy Bingham, who scored a rare try and was delighted with
another improved performance by his side last Saturday, will lead the side from
his place in the front-row. Centre Richard Hughes, outside-half Ben Cheesbrough,
prop David Gard and wing Mark Gasson have all been receiving treatment for
injuries this week but should be fit to face Welshpool.
Wrexham defeated Welshpool at their ground by 21-0 only three weeks ago,
John Roberts claiming two tries on the wing. They didn’t have it all their own
way, however, and had to dig deep in both halves to prevent the mid Walians from
scoring. This time the confidence created in the side by two good team
performances should carry Wrexham through to a decisive victory with just two
more (away) games to go.
Wrexham Seconds visit their close neighbours Llangollen for a Division Four encounter hoping to get back to winning ways. They lost at home to Llangollen by 15-32 in February but then won three games in succession before meeting a brick wall in the shape of league leaders Abergele who thrashed them last week. That setback will be overcome quickly but they still face a difficult task at Dinas Bran where Llangollen have a sound record (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM
WREXHAM 1STS
20
LLANIDLOES
26
Wrexham Firsts delivered another good
performance and pushed Division Three leaders Llanidloes all the way at
The visitors struck first with a 6th minute converted try but Wrexham soon closed the gap with a well-struck penalty by centre Richard Hughes. Then, as the home pack took full charge of the set scrums with David Gard outstanding, number eight Kenny Simms drove over for a try and Hughes kicked a spectacular conversion to put Wrexham 10-7 in front. .... more
WREXHAM YOUTH
57
LLANGOLLEN YOUTH
7
Wrexham Youth defeated plucky visitors Llangollen by 57-7 in the last of
their scheduled North East Wales regional games before they face the cross
region play-offs in a fortnight’s time. Tries came from lock Dafydd Kember (3),
winger for the day Aaron Hughes (2), wing Tom Lea, flanker Owain Jarvis, lock
and captain Christian Chalk and scrum-half Owain Turner who also kicked 6
conversions. Wrexham finished in third place, behind Ruthin and Rhyl, in their
provincial championship.
Wrexham Seconds were crushed 14-69 at home by Division Four leaders
Abergele, despite playing well in parts. Their try came from winger Scott Davies
who was making his comeback, and outside-half Carl Pugh did well to kick three
penalties. Number eight Keir Harding and former Youth Team prop Danny Wolfenden
never stopped trying and worked well together.
WREXHAM REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 3RD
APRIL 2010
WREXHAM 1STS 12 NEWTOWN 23
Wrexham Firsts, well beaten by Newtown in both legs of a cup competition last November, gave a much better account of themselves against the same outfit at Bryn Estyn Road on Saturday, but still ended up as 12-23 losers of a well contested Division Three encounter. ... more
They could have won if they had been able to capitalise on several good
scoring opportunities, but they lacked the pace and awareness needed to make the
final few metres across Newtown’s try line. In contrast, a bulky visiting side
started slowly but grew in strength in the second-half of the game and then had
the skill and confidence to convert their chances with three tries.
WREXHAM PREVIEWS FOR SATURDAY 3RD
APRIL 2010
WREXHAM 1STS V NEWTOWN
Wrexham commence a sequence of three home fixtures when they take on
Newtown at Bryn Estyn Road in a Division Three match (kick-off at 2.30pm).
Richard Hughes, who collected 11 points with his trusty boot in his
first full game for the club last week, retains his place in the centre. Ben
Cheesbrough is expected to be at outside-half with Kieran Morris keeping his
scrum-half berth and John Roberts, a two try scorer against Welshpool last
Saturday, chosen on the wing.
Danny Sissons, the only Wrexham player to have started in every match
this season, will retain the key hooker berth in the front-row, while flanker
Phil Williams is expected to recover from a back strain to rejoin the squad.
Newtown were in dominant form against Wrexham in the North Wales
Intermediate Cup last November. They beat them by 29-3 at home in the first leg
and then went up a gear to record a 30-0 success at Bryn Estyn Road in the
second-leg. Surprisingly, they didn’t do so well in their regional league, being
whitewashed twice by a good Llanidloes outfit.
Wrexham’s 21-0 victory at Welshpool last week will have boosted their
confidence enormously and should provide them with the incentive to turn the
tables on Newtown. Due to the disruption
in matches caused by the severe winter and the Six Nations Championship, this is
the first game that Wrexham will play at home since January, and this should
spur them on in front of their home supporters.
FLINT V WREXHAM 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds hope to continue their winning streak when they visit
Flint for a Division Four contest (k.o.2.30pm).
Following two successive victories, their confidence will be further
boosted by the presence of number eight Iwan Roberts who is their top scorer
this season. Flint won at Wrexham by 24-5 just before Christmas, but the Seconds
came away with a 23-15 victory on their last visit to Castle Grounds and can
repeat that success if they maintain their current good form.
WREXHAM REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 27TH
MARCH 2010
WELSHPOOL 1STS 0 WREXHAM 1STS 21
Two tries from John Roberts, a star in the North Wales flagship side
Northern Counties at the turn of the Millennium, broke Wrexham’s four month long
scoring duck after he switched from scrum-half to his old place on the wing and
helped them to a well-earned 21-0 success at Welshpool.
....
more
WREXHAM 2NDS 31 LLANGEFNI 2NDS 0
Wrexham Seconds, whose jubilation knew no bounds when they won their
first league match of the season a fortnight ago, celebrated again when they
claimed the full points in beating visitors Llangefni Seconds by 31-0 in a
Division Four contest.
Their tries came from flanker Gareth Noon, lock Jason Parry, replacement flanker Wayne Roberts, number eight Iwan Roberts and wing Christian Chalk, while centre Dave Thomas kicked 3 conversions. Prop Danny Seabrook, who was skipper for the day, led from the front and, while a great team performance won the day for Wrexham, Youth Team winger Pete Atkin made a major contribution to their success.
Danny Hughes and Chris Phillips played half a game each for the depleted
visitors and made sure that the game went ahead.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 27TH
MARCH 2010
WELSHPOOL 1STS V WREXHAM
Wrexham Firsts visit Welshpool with high hopes of securing their first victory in the recently introduced North Wales Division Three league competition (kick-off at 2.30pm).
Skipper Guy Bingham has recovered from a back strain and will take his
regular in the front-row of the scrum, while Rhodri Ifans is set to make his 90th
senior appearance for the club packing down behind Bingham in the second-row.
The industrious Gareth Owen, who impressed in the team’s last outing at
Llanidloes a fortnight ago, is a popular inclusion in the back-row.
Richard Hughes, who tore a shoulder muscle soon after he made his debut
for the club against Llanidloes, is fit again and will command an important
place at outside-half. Flankers Kenny Simms and Phil Williams are still injured,
but the presence of number eight Mike Jones in the side should ensure a steady
stream of possessions for the visitors.
Wrexham completed the double over Welshpool last season when they won at
home by 43-17 and then produced a hard-earned 12-0 victory in mid
WREXHAM YOUTH V LLANGOLLEN YOUTH
Wrexham Youth take on Llangollen Youth at
WREXHAM 2NDS V LLANGEFNI 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds, buoyant after claiming their first league win of the
season against Mold Seconds a fortnight ago, entertain Llangefni Seconds in a
Division Four contest. Wrexham were beaten by 36-8 at Llangefni last November,
but their form has been gradually improving since then and their recent win will
have added the confidence that has been absent for much of the season
(k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM
WREXHAM YOUTH 8
MOLD YOUTH
12
An uncharacteristic blunder, only seven minutes from the end of their
keenly contested North Wales Youth Cup quarter-final game against visitors Mold,
resulted in Wrexham Youth losing to their close rivals by 8-12.
Mold had opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the game
with a well worked unconverted try, but Wrexham gradually built up some momentum
and levelled the scores with a captain’s try by lock Christian Chalk.
The score remained at 5-5 until half-time and then Wrexham rapidly
turned the screw on the visitors until they conceded a penalty that full-back
Owain Turner converted. The Wrexham forwards, inspired by a fine performance
from Chalk, then controlled the game until the final quarter when Mold came back
strongly.
WREXHAM VETS
12 RUTHIN VETS 22
WREXHAM RUGBY REPORT FOR SATURDAY 13TH
MARCH 2010
WREXHAM REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 6TH
MARCH 2010
The home side then kicked deep into Wrexham’s half from their 22, won a
ruck and scored an unconverted try to increase their lead. A torn biceps muscle
forced Hughes to leave the field after 20 minutes and the visitors had to
reorganise their team again when number eight Kenny Simms suffered a dislocated
thumb injury and had to be replaced.
WREXHAM 2NDS
13
CAERNARFON 2NDS
15
Wrexham Seconds nearly broke their Division Four duck when they
dominated visitors Caernarfon Seconds, but they couldn’t score enough points and
eventually fell to a 13-15 home defeat.
They had to contend with an unfortunate early injury to their
inspirational lock Jason Griffiths who suffered a broken leg in a tackle and had
to be hospitalised. Regrouping, however, they scored a try through scrum-half
Dan Bowen and a penalty from full-back Sion Lloyd-Jones before Caernarfon
overtook them at half-time with a converted try and a penalty.
With props Danny Wolfenden and Danny Hughes in charge in the scrums,
Wrexham started well after the break but were stunned by a controversial try
from the visitors after everyone but the match official had witnessed a blatant
knock-on offence by the scorer. The home side came storming back with a try from
lock Brendan O’Malley only to see outside-half Carl Pugh’s conversion attempt
thwarted by a crossbar.
Wrexham had to settle for second-best again but could take come comfort from the fact that the losers bonus point that they earned for their close finish had lifted them off the bottom of the table. All of the team wish Jason Griffiths a comfortable and speedy recovery from his broken leg.
WREXHAM PREVIEWS FOR SATURDAY 6TH
MARCH 2010
LLANIDLOES V WREXHAM
Wrexham travel to Llanidloes for the opening game of the newly created
Division Three North Championship which also includes Newtown, Welshpool, Rhos
and Bangor (kick-off at 2.30pm).
There are doubts over the fitness of skipper Guy Bingham who
was due to make his 90th senior appearance for his club but suffered
a knee injury in last week’s defeat at Bala and will have to undergo a late
fitness test. Hooker Danny Sissons, however, has recovered from injury and will
strengthen the pack while John Gormley will provide the last line of defence at
full-back.
Wrexham last played Llanidloes five years ago when they travelled to mid
Wales and were beaten by 3-0, a single penalty settling the issue. In the
previous season they hammered Llanidloes at home by 55-19 but then slipped to a
narrow 17-19 reverse in the return game.
Although the north Walians have improved their standard of play under
coach Stuart Milne in their last two matches, they still have a problem in
converting possession into points. They have failed to score any points in three
of their last four games and it is therefore vital that they capitalise on any
opportunities that may arise at Llanidloes to reverse that trend.
DENBIGH YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth visit Denbigh Youth in the penultimate game of their North
East Wales regional campaign before they contest the full North Wales Youth
Championship play-offs (k.o.2.30pm).
They expect to be served at scrum-half by Tom Lea with Aaron Hughes a
strong performer in the front-row and Peter Atkins in top form on the wing.
Wrexham are in second place, behind leaders Ruthin, in the table while Denbigh
are down in 5th place. Matches between the two sides have always been
close, however, and another close contest is forecast
Wrexham Seconds entertain Caernarfon Seconds in a Division Four contest with high hopes of at last achieving their first league victory of the season. The Cofis have won four of the 12 matches that they have played this season but have a poor defensive record compared to others in the league. With a big team effort, an improving Wrexham side can overcome the visitors and move off the bottom of the league table (k.o.2.30pm).
RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY 2010
BALA
19
WREXHAM 0
Wrexham succumbed to a 19-0 defeat at Bala, but were left feeling with a
sense of frustration that this was a game that they could have won if they had
turned their possession superiority into points.
LLANIDLOES YOUTH
0
WREXHAM YOUTH
24
Wrexham Youth secured an emphatic 24-0 victory over highflying
Llanidloes in a North Wales Youth Cup first round game in Mid Wales. They will
meet their local rivals Mold at Wrexham in the quarter-finals of the
competition, the date to be agreed by the clubs.
The visitors were in almost complete control in the opening quarter and
raced into a 14-0 lead with tries by prop Aaron Hughes and wing Pete Atkin, plus
two conversions from full-back Owain Turner. Indiscipline then let the home side
back into the game until half-time, but Wrexham picked it up again with tries
from prop John Morton and wing Jordan Davies as they dominated the final quarter
of the game.
Scrum-half Tom Lea stood out for providing an excellent service to his
threequarters, while Luke Hammond came on as a back-row replacement and made a
telling contribution by winning a stream of possession in the line-outs.
Outside-half Dave Thomas kicked Wrexham into an early lead with a
well-struck penalty but the visitors countered with a converted try. Thomas then
put the home side back in the lead with a try that he converted, only for Llan
to reply with another converted try that gave them a 14-10 advantage at the
break.
With Mark Gasson performing well at hooker, and Jason Parry foraging on the flank, Wrexham worked hard to get back on terms after the break. Unfortunately, Llangollen took full advantage by scoring a couple of tries when Thomas was sent to the sin-bin for a technical infringement and, although centre Mike McLeod nicked a second try for the home side, the visitors had the last word with a breakaway score.
WREXHAM PREVIEWS FOR SATURDAY 27TH
FEBRUARY 2010
Wrexham are hoping that the adverse weather conditions that have forced the postponement of their North Wales Division Two league fixture at Bala no less than three times, have finally relented. They travel to Bala for this final divisional game before they enter the late season play-offs (kick-off 2.30pm).
New recruit Richard Hughes, who gave a very promising display for the
Second XV when coming on as an outside-half replacement last week, has been
included in the squad. Wrexham have lacked a regular fly-half since their top
scorer Roger Chadwick became unavailable due to work commitments last October
and are keen to appoint a replacement.
Utility forward Ian Sanger is still sidelined through injury, and his strength in the pack will be missed, but flanker Danny Sissons has made a good recovery from an accidental collision with an opponent in Wrexham’s last game and will add pace to the back-row. Hooker Nick Perrin, a regular front-row campaigner against Bala over recent years, is looking forward to making his 80th senior appearance for his club.
Bala has for long been a difficult place for Wrexham to come away with a
victory as the town possesses a proud side with a competitive pack and enough
skill in their threequarter line to capitalise on opponents’ mistakes. A couple
of errors consigned Wrexham to a 10-14 defeat in the corresponding fixture at
Bryn Estyn Road last September and cannot be afforded if the visitors are to
have any chance of pulling off a long awaited success this time.
LLANIDLOES YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth travel to mid
The visitors have enjoyed a good record in the cup competition in recent years, although they were narrowly beaten by Mold at the quarter-final stage last term, having reached the final against winners Nant Conwy in the previous season. A very close game is anticipated at Llanidloes and Wrexham will have to be at their best to progress to the next round (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM 2NDS V LLANGOLLEN
Wrexham Seconds entertain their local rivals Llangollen in a Division
Four match that was originally postponed due to frozen ground conditions at
Christmas (k.o.2.30pm).
Llangollen completed a notable double over the Seconds last season, but Wrexham showed better form despite losing to Harlech by 19-26 at the same venue last week and should maintain that improvement. The return to the side of lock Jason Griffiths will add power and experience to the pack.
WREXHAM RUGBY REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 20TH
FEBRUARY 2010
WREXHAM 2NDS
19
HARLECH
26
Wrexham Seconds and Harlech overcame wintry conditions to produce a thrilling Division Four contest at Bryn Estyn Road, the verdict eventually going to the visitors who won by 26-19.
Harlech hit back strongly with a brace of tries and a penalty after the break to lead by 26-12, but Wrexham had the last word when centre Ben Cheesbrough went over for a late try and Ross Roberts slotted a conversion. That close finish earned the hosts a loser’s bonus point that lifted them from the bottom of the table and boosted their confidence for their remaining games.
Number eight Iwan Roberts was another top performer in this match and there was a very promising display from newcomer Richard Hughes who was a second-half replacement at outside-half.
Week Ending 19th February 2010
WREXHAM PREVIEWS FOR SATURDAY 20TH
FEBRUARY 2010
Wrexham visit Bala for a North Wales Division Two league fixture that has twice been postponed due to icy conditions in mid Wales but now looks firmly set to go ahead as planned (kick-off 2.30pm).
Hooker Nick Perrin, a regular front-row campaigner against Bala over
recent years, is looking forward to making his 80th senior appearance
for his club. Centre Simon Williams is unavailable and it is expected that his
place will go to Ashley Wrathall who made a good impression in the threequarters
against
Despite having endured a string of poor results against the better sides
in the league this season, Wrexham performed well against a belligerent
Bala has for long been a difficult place for Wrexham to come away with a
victory as the town possesses a proud side with a competitive pack and enough
skill in their threequarter line to capitalise on opponents’ mistakes. A couple
of errors consigned Wrexham to a 10-14 defeat in the corresponding fixture at
Bryn Estyn Road last September and cannot be afforded if the visitors are to
have any chance of pulling off a long awaited success this time.
LLANIDLOES YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth, boosted by their last gasp victory in the league over
local rivals Mold a fortnight ago, travel to mid
The visitors have enjoyed a good record in the cup competition in recent
years, although they were narrowly beaten by Mold at the quarter-final stage
last term, having reached the final against winners Nant Conwy in the previous
season. A very close game is anticipated at Llanidloes and Wrexham will have to
be at their best to progress to the next round (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM 2NDS V HARLECH
Wrexham Seconds, who haven’t played at their
Although Wrexham lost the corresponding encounter at Harlech by 8-38 last October, they will take heart from the fact that they triumphed by 24-15 over the Gwynedd side at home last season. Centre Dave Thomas returns to strengthen the side following a short break (k.o.2.30pm).
Week Ending 12th February 2010
MOLD YOUTH 15 WREXHAM YOUTH 17
A neat drop goal by outside-half Nathan Jones, deep in the final quarter, delivered Wrexham Youth a 17-15 victory over their Mold counterparts and broke their Chester Road hoodoo that had existed for four long decades.
In an absorbing game in which the lead changed hands no less than four
times, Wrexham claimed an early lead when scrum-half Tom Lea crossed for a try
that was converted by full-back Owain Turner. Mold responded with a penalty and
then went into the lead in the 30th minute when they created a try
that they converted to give them a 10-7 half-time lead.
The visitors were fastest out of their blocks after the break and dominated the next 20 minutes with some incisive running. When centre Josh Francis picked up the ball from broken play near the half-way line in the 52nd minute, he accelerated through the home defence and evaded all cover to score a brilliant try under the posts. Turner again added the extra points with his conversion.
Then Wrexham flanker Gruffudd Jones suffered a dislocated kneecap in a
challenge and there was a long delay while an ambulance was summoned to take him
to hospital. When play did resume, Mold took the initiative and soon reclaimed
the lead at 15-14 with an unconverted try wide out.
Although Wrexham tried hard to regain the lead in the closing minutes, it looked as though it was all over for them until Nathan Jones decided to have a rare drop-kick at goal. To the great delight of his teammates, the kick succeeded and they then managed to hold on for the last few minutes to claim a very rare victory at this venue.
For the winners, number eight Geraint Jones made a massive contribution to their success with his strong presence and Jordan Davies, who started on the wing before moving to centre in the second-half, deserved praise for his ball carrying skills and covering back when needed.
Wrexham Firsts will not be in action again until Saturday 20th
February when they visit Bala to play the last of their Division Two (North)
matches before they enter the league play-offs. When they do take the field at
Bala, they will be under the guidance of former assistant coach Stuart Milne who
has replaced Club Coach Marc Roberts in a major change at the club.
Milne, who hails from Dundee in the
He has coached since August at Wrexham Rugby Club in his spare time. He
agreed to step up to the top coaching post at Bryn Estyn Road when Marc Roberts,
the North Wales Performance and Development Manager for the WRU, was relocated
from Wrexham to Colwyn Bay to manage the new North Wales Rugby Academy.
Roberts made a major contribution in his short period as Head Coach at
the club, involving more younger players in the development of the top two teams
playing in Division Two and Division Four in
In his playing days, Milne operated as a back-row player for the famed
Kelso club in the Scottish Borders until injuries curtailed his career and he
turned to coaching instead. He is a qualified top-level coach and specialises in
skills training and conditioning, qualities that are already showing through as
Wrexham Firsts aim to finish a difficult season on a high note.
MOLD YOUTH V
WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth visit Mold Youth for a North East Wales Youth league game
that will kick-off at the early time of 1.30pm to enable the players of both
clubs to watch the eagerly awaited
Wrexham just managed to gain the upper hand in the league match between
the two sides at
WREXHAM OVER 30’S V UNDER 30’
A mixture of players from Wrexham’s First, Second and Veterans Teams
will play an Over 30’s versus Under 30’s match at
WREXHAM RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 30TH
JANUARY 2010
WREXHAM
10
COLWYN BAY YOUTH
0
WREXHAM YOUTH
26
Wrexham Youth bounced back to winning ways and completed their first
double of the season when they defeated Colwyn Bay Youth at their
Although mistakes littered their play, the visitors still managed to
score four tries through wing Peter Atkin, centre Jordan Davies, number eight
Geraint Jones and replacement number eight Matthew Evans. Full-back Owain Turner
kicked three conversions and there was a very competitive performance from prop
Aaron Hughes to add to the exciting running skills of try scorer Atkin.
NANT CONWY 2NDS
56
WREXHAM 2NDS
0
Wrexham Seconds played well in parts against Nant Conwy Seconds in a
Division Four game at Llanrwst but, with only 15 players in their party, they
were hammered by 56-0 after their hosts fielded their full complement of
replacements.
Flanker Mark Gasson tackled well on his welcome return to the side, lock Tom Williams stood out in the pack and veteran outside-half Ross Roberts and number eight Mark Lloyd added experience to a hard working Wrexham side.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY 2010
WREXHAM V
Wrexham take on Division Two (North) leaders
Last week,
Wrexham Youth Team visit
Since then, Colwyn Bay have won only one of the six games that they have
played and are now second from bottom in the table. Despite last week’s lack
lustre performance when they were defeated at home by unbeaten league leaders
Ruthin, Wrexham are still in second place in the table but cannot afford to slip
up at the Bay if they are to force their way into the top club play-offs in
April (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 23RD
JANUARY 2010
Wrexham Firsts, still waiting for the
chance to play their first game of 2010, have a blank fixture date, but are
hoping that the regional fixture pool can provide them with a suitable match.
WREXHAM YOUTH V RUTHIN YOUTH
Wrexham Youth and unbeaten Ruthin Youth meet at Bryn Estyn Road in a top
of the table contest (k.o.2.30pm). Ruthin came out on top by 22-7 when the two
sides met at Cae Ddol last October, but Wrexham have lost haven’t lost a league
game since then and will be keen to make amends on home ground.
WREXHAM 2NDS V DENBIGH 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds entertain Denbigh Seconds and will be hoping to gain revenge for the 7-20 defeat that they suffered at Denbigh last September. They were able to train this week on their Bryn Estyn Road ground for the first time this year and will be aiming for an improved performance on last week (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM RUGBY REPORT FOR SATURDAY 16TH JANUARY 2010
MENAI BRIDGE
45
WREXHAM 2NDS
Fielding a makeshift side in their first game since early December, Wrexham Seconds failed to stem a wave of early attacks from a good Menai Bridge outfit and suffered a 45-0 whitewash in this Division Four contest.
The ground conditions at Menai Bridge were surprisingly good and the
home side quickly stormed in front with a brace of tries. Wrexham’s lack of
training during the recent severe weather left them a trifle rusty and they
failed to create any momentum in the first-half, despite the good work in the
pack of prop Guy Bingham.
The home side continued to add more points to their total and were in a
comfortable lead of 33-0 by half-time. They started off in the same form after
the break, but Wrexham soon started to assert themselves when Mark Lloyd came on
as a replacement flanker and Peter Blakemore switched from hooker to the wing.
The visitors created some good phases of play that looked promising until they were ruined by some elementary mistakes. They just couldn’t find a way through to gain the consolation score that they were desperately looking for, and Menai Bridge then took advantage of some tired legs to wrap up their victory with two further tries.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 2ND
JANUARY 2010
LLANIDLOES YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth visit Llanidloes for a North East Wales Cup round one game
that should prove to be a very close contest. The visitors haven’t lost since
late October and are in second place in the North East Wales table while
Llanidloes Youth have lost only once in their Mid Wales table and also occupy a
second place position.
Wrexham have enjoyed a good record in the cup competition in recent years, although they were narrowly beaten by Mold at the quarter-final stage last term and will want to progress further this season. It will be the first meeting between the clubs at this level and Llanidloes will enjoy the advantage of having plenty of vocal support from their followers (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM 2NDS V MOLD 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds take on their local rivals Mold Seconds in a Division
Four encounter at
Week Ending 18th December 2009
WREXHAM
PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 19TH DECEMBER
2009
Wrexham visit North Wales Division Two joint leaders Bala for what promises to be their toughest game of the season (kick-off 2.15pm).
The return of utility forward Mike Jones from suspension will
undoubtedly bolster their power in the scrum and will also give them an extra
option in the line-outs. Danny Seabrook is set for a recall to the front-row,
Richard Platt continues in the second-row and winger Will Gauntlett has rejoined
the squad following impressive performances in training.
Wrexham performed well against Bala when the clubs met at
Since then, however, Bala have gone from strength and showed how highly
competitive they are by hammering Tregaron 41-8 in a Swalec cup game in
WREXHAM 2NDS V LLANGOLLEN
Wrexham Seconds hope to celebrate Christmas by winning their first
league game of the season when they meet local rivals Llangollen at
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 12TH
DECEMBER 2009
WREXHAM FIRSTS
No game
WREXHAM YOUTH V MOLD YOUTH
Wrexham Youth face their Mold counterparts
in a non-league contest at Bryn Estyn Road on Saturday (k.o.2.30pm).
Both clubs will have the opportunity to give starting places to some of
their fringe players but there will still be no lack of passion in this local
derby encounter. Wrexham just managed to gain the upper hand in the league match
between the two sides at the same venue in October, edging home by 29-24, and
Saturday’s game should finish just as close.
Wrexham Seconds will have it all to do when they visit league leaders
Abergele for a Division Four championship match. Wrexham lost by 0-46 when the
clubs met in the corresponding match at Abergele last year, but they have been
gradually improving this term and should push the Seasiders much closer this
time (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM PREVIEW
FOR SATURDAY 5TH DECEMBER 2009
RHYL V WREXHAM
Wrexham Firsts travel to Rhyl for a North Wales Division Two contest and have high hopes of achieving an improved team performance to dispel the woes of recent back-to-back cup defeats against Newtown (k.o.2.30pm).
Skipper Guy Bingham, sorely missed in the front-row when he was
unavailable for last week’s game, returns at prop while Jason Reano continues in
the second-row. Utility forward Mike Jones is still suspended but Wayne Roberts
played well last when on his return from injury and will add strength to
Wrexham’s powerful pack.
Coach Marc Roberts was pleased with the enthusiasm of his players in training this week and their determination to establish a solid team spirit. They will be keen to avenge the 10-20 home defeat that they suffered at the hands of Rhyl last September after they had dominated the game through their forwards for lengthy periods but then let themselves down when under pressure.
The pitch at Rhyl was unplayable last Saturday and still had patches of
water lying on it in midweek. If conditions allow this Saturday’s game to go
ahead as planned, it will no doubt be very heavy underfoot and conditions could
suit Wrexham’s strong pack and help them to claim an overdue win.
WREXHAM YOUTH V RHYL YOUTH
Wrexham Youth take on Rhyl Youth in a top of the table North Wales Youth
League at Bryn Estyn Road (k.o.2.30pm). Wrexham lead the Championship by two
points from unbeaten Rhyl who have played two games less and can take over at
the top if they win at Wrexham.
Rhyl won the corresponding game at Y Waen by 17-7 in September but the
young Wrexham side has matured a lot since then and has adjusted to playing
regular league rugby. Their 53-0 victory over an inexperienced Llangollen side
last week, with no less than nine players featuring on the scoring list, will
have put them in the right frame of mind for this crucial game against the
current league champions.
WREXHAM 2NDS V FLINT
Wrexham Seconds face Flint at Bryn Estyn Road in a North Wales Division
Four contest, still looking for their first win in this season’s competition.
They just failed by 14-15 to overcome the Deesiders at Wrexham last March, but
have a much younger side this season and can record their first league victory
if they can create openings for their talented threequarters (k.o.2.30pm).
LLANGOLLEN YOUTH 0 WREXHAM YOUTH 5
Boosted by a strong team effort, Wrexham’s Under 19’s overpowered an inexperienced Llangollen side that never gave up trying at Dinas Bran on Saturday.
Centre Josh Francis led the way with a fine brace of tries and there
were single scores for flanker Owain Jarvis, number eight Gruffudd Jones, wing
Peter Atkin, prop Aaron Hughes, lock Christian Chalk, wing Jordan Davies and
full-back Ian Elrich. Outside-half Nathan Jones converted four of Wrexham’s nine
tries.
Week Ending 27th November 2009
WREXHAM
0
Wrexham were knocked out of the North Wales Intermediate Cup in a 30-0 whitewash by visitors Newtown last night and will now go into next January’s Plate Competition. .. more
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 28TH
NOVEMBER 2009
FIRSTS AND SECONDS
Wrexham First and Seconds will enjoy a rest
day on Saturday, the Firsts having played and lost against
LLANGOLLEN YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth Team will resume their league programme after a gap of
three weeks with a visit to Llangollen on Saturday (k.o.2.00pm).
Wrexham face the near impossible task of scoring more than 26 points
against visitors Newtown when the clubs meet in the second leg of their North
Wales Intermediate Cup tie at Bryn Estyn Road on Wednesday evening (k.o.7.30pm).
They will miss the services in the front-row of their unavailable
skipper Guy Bingham, but will be boosted in the threequarter line by the return
of Simon Williams who is one of their top scorers. Lock Jason Reano, missing
with a hand injury for the last two matches, will make a welcome return to the
second-row alongside Phil Williams.
Head coach Marc Roberts has his sights set on his team achieving a much
better performance than the one that led to them being hammered by 29-3 in the
first leg at Newtown. A key move towards that improvement could be switching
Rhodri Ifans from lock to number eight where he will link with the young
flankers Danny Sissons and Ashley Ellis to form a dynamic back-row.
Wrexham are very capable of winning this second-leg, particularly now
that they possess a proven try scorer in the form of Simon Williams. Full-back
Andy Clutton also knows his way to the try line and can provide a cutting edge
in attack, but it remains to be seen if Wrexham can score enough points to
overhaul Newtown’s daunting lead from the first leg.
Week Ending 20th November 2009
WREXHAM RUGBY REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2009
NEWTOWN
29
WREXHAM
3
Wrexham came badly unstuck by 29-3 at Newtown in the first leg of their
North Wales Intermediate Cup contest. Having experienced heavy rain and flooding
en route to mid Wales they expected the game to be postponed, but instead found
the ground to be in good condition with a pumped-up home side waiting to take
them on. ....
more
LLANGEFNI 2NDS
36
WREXHAM 2NDS
8
First team calls resulted in Wrexham Seconds travelling to Llangefni
Seconds with only 14 players and, as the home club didn’t offer a player to
balance the numbers, that is how they had to compete throughout their Division
Four contest. Llangefni won by 36-8 but the depleted Wrexham pack performed
magnificently throughout and earned the respect of their rivals.
The home side led by 10-0 at half-time although 14 man Wrexham had
managed to hold them until lock Jason Parry was yellow carded for a technical
offence. Tremendous tackling by second-row and Man of the Match Richard Platt
and full-back Sion Lloyd-Jones also helped to keep the score down until the end
of the half.
In a close opening to the second-half, Lloyd-Jones also grabbed a try
and centre Dave Thomas kicked a penalty to reduce the arrears. Having to play
one man short, however, eventually took its toll late on and Llangefni
capitalised with a late rush of points to clinch a decisive victory. Flanker
Gareth Owen put in a fine performance to inspire his outstanding pack.
Week Ending 13th November 2009
WREXHAM
Wrexham Firsts visit
Evans will add experience to a generally
young pack while former Youth Team player Teejay Wallace will make his senior
debut on the wing after impressing for the second Team and in training. There
will also be a place in the squad for lock Brendan O’Malley who has been
pressing hard for a First Team place and performed well in the recent friendly
at
Newtown are hosting Wrexham in the first
leg of this new cup competition and will then travel to play the second leg at
Bryn Estyn Road on either Wednesday or Thursday 25th or 26th
of November. Wrexham defeated
LLANGEFNI 2NDS V WREXHAM 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds travel to Llangefni for a Division Four game and will be pulling out all the stops in an effort to claim their first victory of the season in this competition (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth have been given a bye in this Saturday’s preliminary round
of the North Wales Youth Cup competition and will rest their injury ravaged team
before resuming league competition in a fortnight’s time.
WREXHAM
WREXHAM YOUTH
10
DENBIGH YOUTH
7
Wrexham survived a late onslaught from visitors Denbigh to keep their North Wales Youth Championship hopes alive with a 10-7 victory over their Vale of Clwyd rivals.
The floodlit Friday evening game was held
up because the appointed referee failed to appear and spectator Pete Simms, a
junior referee, volunteered to take charge. In a bright opening to the match,
Denbigh looked the slicker side but were unable to penetrate a solid home
defence that was well served by the tackling of prop Aaron Hughes and centre
Josh Francis
Wrexham gradually worked their way into the Denbigh half and threatened through the determined running of centres George Cheesbrough and Josh Francis coupled with a great foraging effort from flanker Declan Simms. Twice Wrexham players crossed the Denbigh try lines but both touchdowns were disallowed as the referee was unsighted.
Just before the break, however, big lock Christian Burgoyne crashed over near the right corner from a ruck and this time the try was awarded. Outside-half Nathan Jones was just short with his difficult touchline conversion attempt and was off target again 6 minutes after the restart when he was presented with the chance to kick a penalty.
That seemed to encourage Denbigh and they were quickly awarded a penalty, only for centre Steffan Morris to slot it wide from a narrow angle. The game lost its zest for a while but warmed up in the final ten minutes when Wrexham dominated the scrums through the strength and skill of prop Gruffudd Jones and his powerful pack.
A 35 metre drive to the Denbigh line by the Wrexham pack led to a well worked move that resulted in George Cheesbrough touching down an unconverted try. Denbigh’s response was swift and clinical, outside-half Harri Williams finishing off a fast threequarter movement by scoring under the posts with only four minutes to go.
Steffan Morris kicked the conversion and tried to launch a speedy attack upfield again. However, Wrexham were in no mood to be denied their victory and wisely contained Denbigh in their own half until the final whistle blew.
RUTHIN VETERANS 7 WREXHAM VETERANS 0
In a keenly contested floodlit veterans match at Cae Ddol, Ruthin survived a battering from Wrexham’s power pack, and two claims for pushover scores, to win the game with a breakaway try in the second-half.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR FRIDAY 6TH
NOVEMBER 2009
With many players and supporters travelling to
Denbigh are struggling to gain momentum this season, having lost to
Ruthin, Rhyl and Mold and won only one league game, their home contest against
bottom club Llangollen. Wrexham’s young side have beaten Mold and Colwyn Bay but
lost have narrowly to Rhyl and Ruthin.
Their last floodlit game was against Bishop Heber in September and that
proved to be a very popular game with many supporters enjoying the evening match
atmosphere. Wrexham will be keen to bounce back from their 57-10 drubbing in the
Webb Ellis Cup competition by Newport HSOB in
WREXHAM VETS v RUTHIN VETS
Other Vets news is that it is likely that the Vets will take a
short tour to Cheltenham on the weekend of the 23-25th April 2010. A fixture vs
Stroud Vets has been arranged. Those interested please contact
darrell.hughes69@gmail.com
WREXHAM
RUGBY REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 31ST
OCTOBER 2009
NEWPORT HSOB YOUTH 57 WREXHAM YOUTH 10
Perhaps the long journey affected the visitors because they failed to
cope with Newport’s fast running backs in the opening quarter and fell behind to
a flurry of early tries. Led by their forwards, however, Wrexham matched the
home side in the second quarter with Josh Francis posing a few problems for the
South Walians from his key position in the centre
Trailing by 0-34 at the break, but being the more dominant side in the
forward exchanges, Wrexham had high hopes of reducing the deficit in the
second-half. It was Josh Francis who initiated their comeback when he
intercepted a pass in his own half and sprinted 60 metres with defenders in hot
pursuit to score under the posts.
Unfortunately, outside-half Nathan Jones sliced his attempted conversion kick, but Wrexham soon came back for more with backs and threequarters linking well to pressurise Newport deep in their 22. A quickly released ball was whipped out to Christian Burgoyne on the charge, and the big lock made no mistake as he crashed over for a try under the uprights.
Although Wrexham changed their goal kicker, the conversion was again
missed and the visitors faced an increasingly uphill struggle as time started to
run out. Newport HSOB raised their game again deep in the final quarter and ran
out very convincing winners of a keenly fought cup contest by adding another
flurry of scores.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 31ST
OCTOBER 2009
Wrexham will take a 30 man squad to play a friendly at
Utility forward Phil Williams demonstrated in training on Tuesday
evening that he has recovered from long term injury, and he will be given an
opportunity to play at least part of a game at Colwyn Bay. Lock Jason Reano is
still doubtful with a hand injury and centre Simon Williams is still recovering
from a hamstring pull but skipper Guy Bingham will return at prop to strengthen
the pack.
Kieran Morris, who has made a big difference to the pace of the side
since claiming the scrum-half position a couple of weeks ago, will retain the
goal kicking duties in which he has been in excellent form. It is a fact that
the ten penalty goals kicked in seven games this term has already overtaken
Wrexham’s total for the whole of last season, an indicator of the pressure that
the current team is exerting on opponents.
Colwyn Bay are currently lying second from bottom in North Wales
Division One with only one win to their credit, but are playing a higher level
of rugby than that encountered by Wrexham in Division Two. The two clubs have
always had a healthy respect for each other and should put on a display of open
running rugby, free from the pressures of league competition.
NEWPORT HSOB YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth will make the long journey to Newport HSOB as one of the
three leading youth teams in North Wales to represent the Region in the Webb
Ellis Cup competition (k.o.2.30pm). They expect to take a full coach load of
players and supporters on this rare visit to South Wales and should, if they
play well, be capable of reaching the second round with the possibility of a
welcome home tie.
Newport HSOB play in the Blues Region against clubs like Penarth,
Llantwit Major and Dinas Powys. They have struggled to make any headway this
season, being whitewashed by 50-0 at Llantwit Major last Saturday while Wrexham
were defeating Welshpool by 46-0 in mid Wales.
WREXHAM
WREXHAM
14
Wrexham kept up the pressure on the leading group in North Wales
Division Two with a hard-earned 14-0 home victory over bottom club
WELSHPOOL YOUTH
0
WREXHAM YOUTH 46
Following their shock defeat at Ruthin last week, Wrexham bounced back with an emphatic win in a friendly fixture at Welshpool. They led by 34-0 at the break, having overwhelmed the home side with a flurry of tries in the opening quarter. Progress was slower after fielding five substitutes at half-time, but they finished strongly and well prepared for their visit to Newport HSOB Youth in the first round of the Webb Ellis Cup competition next Saturday.
Centre George Cheesbrough grabbed a hat-trick of tries while wing Peter Atkin, centre Josh Francis flanker Owain Jarvis and hooker John Morton claimed a try apiece. Morton, who has named Man of the Match by opponents Welshpool, also kicked a conversion to add to three conversions and a penalty landed by outside-half Nathan Jones. Another top performer was flanker Luke Hammond who usually packs down in the second-row but had to adjust to the back-row for this match.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR
SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2009
WREXHAM V
Wrexham Firsts will be looking for a bonus point victory over visitor’s
They will miss their dynamic young flanker Troy Roberts who gave a Man
of the Match performance in last week’s success against Rhos before leaving to
join the Army. There are also doubts over the fitness of lock Jason Reano who
has dislocated a finger and may decide to rest for the
Forward Wayne Roberts, however, is expected to make his 50th
senior appearance in the front row and Nick Perrin will take the field for his 75th
First Team game in the front-row of the pack. Although Wrexham defeated
WELSHPOOL
YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth, strangely subdued when they lost by 7-22 at Ruthin last
week, will be looking for a much improved performance when they visit Welshpool
for a non-league contest (k.o.2.30pm). They will no doubt reshuffle their side
and try out a few of their fringe players as they prepare for a big Webb Ellis
Cup match at
WREXHAM
2NDS V CAERNARFON 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds, still looking for their first league win of the season
and now bottom of the Division Four table, take on Caernarfon Seconds at
WREXHAM RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 17TH
OCTOBER 2009
Wrexham came out on top of their local derby against Rhos in North East
Wales Division Two, thanks to a determined second-half comeback at
RUTHIN YOUTH
22
WREXHAM YOUTH
7
As a result of a lack lustre performance at Ruthin, Wrexham Youth were defeated 7-22 by a keener home side. Geraint Jones scored Wrexham’s try and Nathan Jones added the conversion but nobody really stood out and it was just one of those days when the team didn’t click.
HARLECH 38 WREXHAM 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds sank to the bottom of the Division Four table with their
sixth straight defeat in this competition. They managed a try by former youth
team player Teejay Wallace and a penalty by Dave Thomas but will have to improve
rapidly if they are to avoid relegation to Division Five.
WREXHAM
WREXHAM V RHOS
Wrexham Firsts take
on their close neighbours Rhos in a North East Wales Division Two game at
Flanker Troy Roberts, who
has contributed enormously to Wrexham’s attacking style of play since the
beginning of the season, plays his last game for the side before he joins the
Army. He will be assisted in the pack by utility forwards Ian Sanger and Wayne
Roberts who have returned to training this week and will add bags of power in
the scrums and mauls.
Wrexham defeated
tomorrow’s opponents by 24-14 on the opening day of the season at Rhos, with
centre Simon Williams and full-back Andy Clutton sharing the three tries that
they scored. Hopefully, the backs will rise to the occasion again and reward
their hard working forwards with another success.
RUTHIN YOUTH V
WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth visit
close rivals Ruthin for what is expected to be a close North East Wales Youth
Championship contest (k.o.2.30pm). The result of last season’s game at Cae Ddol
went in Wrexham’s favour by 18-15, but the visitors will have to be at their
best on this occasion to better Ruthin who have a good home record.
HARLECH V WREXHAM
2NDS
Wrexham Seconds
travel to Harlech still looking for their first victory in Division Four. They
were whitewashed by 41-0 at the seaside ground last season, but are a much
younger side this term and should give a much better account of themselves
(k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 10TH
OCTOBER 2009
WREXHAM
YOUTH
29
MOLD YOUTH 24
Wrexham Youth staged a late rally to defeat visitors Mold by 29-24 in the
first match of the season between these two top
Slick handling and sheer
pace produced tries for Wrexham wing George Cheesbrough and centres Jonathon
Davies and Josh Francis in a scintillating first-half. Outside-half Nathan Jones
added two conversions and there were other impressive performances from prop
Aaron Hughes and flanker Dafydd Kember playing in his first game of the season
on the flank.
Mold countered with
two tries, one of them converted, to trail by only 12-19 at half-time.
Struggling to cope with the sin-binning of one of their forwards, Wrexham
stuttered at the start of the second-half and conceded a try and a conversion
that squared the match in the 44th
minute.
The home side
created chances to regain the lead but the Mold defence held firm and it was
they who celebrated when a lucky bounce enabled a centre to score what looked
like the decisive try with only five minutes to go. Wrexham regrouped, however,
and stormed back to level things with a jinking try from former Mold centre Josh
Francis before George Cheesbrough added his second try to clinch the match.
WREXHAM
2NDS
34
WREXHAM VETERANS
5
With both of their
scheduled opponents pulling out of games on Friday evening, Wrexham Seconds and
Wrexham Veterans met in an internal tussle between age and experience at
The Second Team scores
came from tries by winger Will Gauntlett (2), number eight Ian Sanger, winger
Mark Gasson and scrum-half Kieran Morris with three conversions and a penalty
from outside-half Shaun Carr.
The veterans played well
in the first-half and kept in touch with a try by full-back Darrell Hughes, but
some great work by Kieran Morris in his first game of the season and flanker
Gareth Owen put the issue beyond doubt after the break.
WREXHAM PREVIEW FOR SATURDAY 10TH OCTOBER
2009
Wrexham Firsts have a rest day on Saturday before
they commence the second phase of their North Wales Division Two campaign with a home game
against local rivals Rhos on 17th October. With three home and two away games
scheduled before Christmas, coach Marc Roberts has been stepping up the pace in training
this week. He is keen to maintain the recent improvement in performances shown by the
senior side and aims to make up ground on the league leaders,
WREXHAM YOUTH V MOLD YOUTH
Wrexham Youth take on their close rivals Mold Youth
in a North East Wales Championship game at
RHYL VETERANS V WREXHAM VETERANS
Wrexham Veterans will play their second game of the
season when they travel to Rhyl to take on a mixture of their Seconds and veteran players
(k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM SECONDS V LLANDUDNO SECONDS
Wrexham Seconds were due to take on Llandudno
Seconds at
WREXHAM REPORTS FOR SATURDAY 3RD
OCTOBER 2009
Wrexham continued to improve and stretched Division
Two East leaders
WREXHAM YOUTH
14 COLWYN
BAY YOUTH 5
Wrexham Youth emerged as victors of a highly charged
North East Wales championship encounter against visitors
With flanker Declan Simms playing impressively after
his return from sickness and prop Ben Harrison proving very strong in the scrums, Wrexham
went further ahead mid-way through the second-half when Francis scored again. This time he
broke several tackles in midfield and linked with his forwards before touching down a fine
try.
Nathan Jones added the extra points with a
well-struck conversion before
WREXHAM 2NDS
12 NANT
CONWY 2NDS 27
Wrexham lent Nant Conwy two players to make up a
full fifteen and then suffered the blow of being beaten by them at home in this Division
Four contest. Trailing by 0-15 at half-time, Wrexham made a real game of it after the
break and reduced the arrears with a thundering try from number eight Iwan Roberts,
converted by outside-half Dave Thomas.
The introduction of substitute Mike Ward on the
flank made a big difference as did an outstanding performance from Man of the Match
Bernard OMalley. The big lock had a try disallowed before he set up full-back Gareth
Bostock for a sparkling try in the corner.
Driven on by other good performances from scrum-half
Dan Bowers, flanker Peter Blakemore and lock Jason Parry, Wrexham tried hard to overcome
high flying Nant Conwy, but the visitors struck back with two tries and a conversion that
sealed the game in their favour.
WREXHAM
Injuries and
unavailability will force Wrexham to reshuffle their First Team squad for their visit to
North Wales Division Two North league leaders
The pack will
lose flanker Keir Harding until he recovers from a bout of sickness while the backline
will lose their unavailable outside-half Roger Chadwick, and ankle injury victim Peter
Doogan who has been playing on the left wing. Winger Ashley Ellis will also have to
undergo a late fitness check on a sprained ankle sustained in last weeks game
against Bala.
Comforting to
club coach Marc Roberts is the fact that most of the members of his pack are available for
the
Wrexham havent beaten the quarrymen since December 2006 when they
triumphed at home by 24-17.
Wrexham have lost two games after winning their opening two, but their
defence showed a marked improvement last week and, if they can improve their passing in
attack, they can get back on the winning trail again.
WREXHAM YOUTH V COLWYN BAY YOUTH
Wrexham Youth take on Colwyn Bay Youth at
WREXHAM 2NDS V NANT CONWY 2NDS
Wrexham Seconds, still looking for their first win after having competed in
four Division Four league games this season, entertain the powerful Nant Conwy Seconds at
WREXHAM RESULTS FOR SATURDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 2009
WREXHAM
10 BALA 14
Wrexham suffered a second successive home defeat when they lost to Bala by
10-14, but a late fightback which forced the visitors to hold on desperately at the end at
least ensured that they gained a losing bonus point and finished the match with some pride
..... more
DENBIGH 2NDS 20 WREXHAM
2NDS
7
Wrexham Seconds fell to their fourth successive defeat in Division Four when
they were beaten 20-7 on their travels by a strengthened Denbigh Second Team. Hooker Paul
Allan claimed a try for the visitors and skipper Dave Thomas added the conversion, while
Man of the Match winger Will Gauntlett and flanker Gareth Owen were praised for their
determined play.
Many thanks to
everyone who supported last night's event.
Special thanks to
our compares for the night, Derek Carter and Richard Williams, U7 coaches, supported by
their helper Rhys Davies. Their unique talents enhanced the fun of the evening and
the sum of £215.20 was raised.
Thank you for
supporting your club - every penny is appreciated and it all helps
Deborah Parry-
Edwards (Chair Development/PR and Fundraising)
Please look
at the notice board for forthcoming events and ask your coaches.
Week Ending 25th September 2009
WREXHAM
WREXHAM 1STS V BALA
Wrexham entertain Bala, who were
relegated from the top flight of
The selectors intend to maintain faith with Wrexhams backline which includes the developing partnership of Ben Cheesbrough and Simon Williams at centre. They will be reinforced by the introduction of Butjilani Hanyane, a former Youth Team utility back who forces his way into the squad following good performances in the Second XV.
Wrexham last played Bala in a North Wales cup game at Bryn Estyn Road almost two years ago. The home side triumphed by 19-9 with a number of players who feature in this seasons squad, including flanker Keir Harding who grabbed a try against Bala on that occasion.
BALA YOUTH V WREXHAM YOUTH
Wrexham Youth visit Bala for a non league
game, giving the team coaches an opportunity to introduce some of their fringe players who
have been working hard to claim a regular place in the starting XV. Bala won a similar
friendly at
DENBIGH 2NDS V WREXHAM 2NDS
The Seconds travel to Denbigh Seconds for a lower table Division Four contest, aiming to record their first victory of the season and make up for last seasons narrow 20-26 defeat at Denbigh in a Worthington Cup match (k.o.2.30pm).
WREXHAM
WREXHAM 10 RHYL 20
Wrexham suffered their first defeat of the season when they were beaten 20-10 at home by Rhyl in a North Wales Division Two contest. ... more
WREXHAM 2NDS 0 MENAI BRIDGE 16
Wrexhams young Second Team played
their hearts out against an experienced
WREXHAM VETERANS 12
Although they were beaten 21-12 by
visitors Ellesmere Port Seconds, Wrexham Veterans were able to celebrate the launch of a
brand new team at
Wrexhams tries came from outside-half Richard Lloyd and centre Anthony Lang while Lloyd also managed one conversion. Wing Richard Weston was acclaimed for an outstanding performance against a much younger Wirral based side. Following this successful launch, Team Manager Darrell Hughes is planning more games for the Veterans over the next few months. ..... more
Week Ending 18th September 2009
It is a very busy weekend at the club. All the Senior squads have matches at the club this weekend.
The first match of the weekend is the Youth v Bishop Heber on Friday evening, kick-off will be confirmed on the web but I believe it is 7.00 p.m. Please encourage your teams to come. The majority of these young men started their careers at the club in the mini section and have played for our club for many years.
1st, 2nds and Vets all see action this weekend. The 1st XV with two successive wins under their belt will undergo a much more strenuous test as they encounter Rhyl in their first home match. The 2nd XV entertain Menai Bridge in a League Division 4 game while the Vets take on Elesmere Port Vets in a friendly.
The Saturday matches kick-off at 2.30 p.m.Please check the website for full details.
On Sunday Wrexham Under 7's, 8's and 9's play Mold. The Under 10's, 14,s and 16's travel to Llanidloes to take part in their annual tournament while the Under 13's and 15's play Rhyl.
DIARY DATES
Friday 25th September - Family Bingo Night, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Admission £1 per person. Bingo game tickets to be purchased separately. - All welcome. - Please support your club. 7.00 p.m
Week Ending 4th September 2009
Wrexham 1st
XV will begin the new season with an away fixture against local rivals RHOS while the 2nd
XV will open their league campaign against Ruthin 2nds at
Ex youth player Daniel Sissons will
captain the side in the absence of CLUB captain Guy Bingham who has wedding commitments.
Former youth players Joss Stott,
Troy Roberts and Tim Roberts will also feature in a new look Wrexham side
which also welcomes the return of both Ben Cheesbrough and Simon Williams after being
unavailable throughout last season.
Youngsters Ashley Ellis, Tom
Williams, Gaz Griffiths and Richard Platt secure places in the 2nd XV while stalwarts Ross
Roberts, Matt Arnold, Nick Stott, Paul Allen and Reg Parry add the experience to what
is otherwise a young squad of players
Head Coach Marc Roberts commented
With Guy being away on Saturday it has allowed the coaching group to make a bold
decision and invest in the future by making Dan Sissons (18 years of age) captain for the
game. The 1st team and 2nd team squads reflect the selection policy of promoting young
players and playing the players who have shown the commitment over the summer.
Wrexham 1st XV will play in the first half of the season in the NEWLY formed Division 2 NORTH which will consist of 6 teams playing HOME and AWAY. At the same time a parallel league will play in Mid Wales as Division 2 SOUTH. When both leagues are completed the TOP three clubs in each league will play each other HOME and AWAY in a revised Division 2. The bottom three clubs will form a NEW Division 3 and again play HOME and AWAY fixtures to complete the league.
Winners of Division 2 will be automatically promoted to Division 1.
Week Ending 28th August 2009
A training squad of about 35 players will play a 'PRACTICE' game against Colwyn Bay on Thursday 27th KO 7.30 pm
Wrexham Youth will also entertain Mold Youth on the same evening KO 7.00 pm.
Marc Roberts, who
fulfils a key full-time role for the Welsh Rugby Union as Regional Performance Manager for
Club Chairman Barry Williams, who has been working
hard with the Wrexham Rugby Board to make the new appointment, said at the weekend.
We are delighted that someone of Marcs calibre is taking on the role and are
confident that the future development of players and playing standards is in very safe
hands.
Roberts is no stranger to Wrexham Rugby Club, having
played for the clubs Under 19 Youth Team before he left to study at University. In
the Nineties he was employed by Wrexham Borough Council in conjunction the WRU as a Rugby
Development Officer for the Wrexham area, and then he had his first taste of regular
coaching when he took charge of Wrexham Seconds at the beginning of the new Millennium.
In 2003, Marc Roberts played a handful of games for
Wrexham Firsts when they were in the top division of
Looking forward to his new challenge, Roberts said,
I have spent a lot of time at Wrexham and have no illusion of what lies in front of
us. The future looks bright with a successful youth side producing players who will play a
key role in the creation of a good new senior side. Ive already spoken to a number
of players and am very excited at the prospects for the new season.
Its clear to me that we have to
prioritize the creation of a stimulating, vibrant and challenging senior environment that
puts players first. Once that is in place we can start to formulate some
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