Barry's under 16s scored a memorable 36-5 friendly win over their London Welsh counterparts.
Despite a 7am start, the young Bombers' trip to London for a match at Old Deer Park proved a successful day out, with a comfortable victory on a ground steeped in rugby tradition.
The fixture came about as a result of the friendship of one of Barry’s under-16s parents with a member of the board at London Welsh.
“They put the wheels in motion, and we thought it would be a good opportunity to play somebody a bit different,” said Barry’s head coach Peter O’Sullivan.
“We’ve played a few English clubs over the past couple of years and been pretty successful, but we’d only played English clubs on tour. It was good to have a game against different opposition, especially at a place with such a good tradition.”
A 43-strong party made the trip - including 19 players - and the game took place on the London Welsh first team pitch, with Barry running in six tries against their hosts after surviving early pressure.
Following a vital turnover by Max O’Sullivan, Barry put together a few phases before Tom Halliday scored against the run of play, with Cam Hughes converting. London Welsh replied soon after, getting the try their early dominance deserved.
With Barry making the most of the wide pitch, Kai Charles raced over from 25 metres out with Hughes adding the extras. With Barry now settled and growing in confidence, Ollie Roberts barged over for a 19-5 half-time lead.
The second half belonged to Barry with Jensen Wilding scoring after a lineout drive. Roberts grabbed his second try soon after, and Lloyd Beer went over for the sixth. Hughes, chosen by London Welsh as Barry’s player of the match, added one conversion after the break.
After the match, the team, coaches and parents were hosted in the John Dawes lounge where club ties were exchanged. Barry hope to make this enjoyable and successful trip an annual event.
Barry RFU players presented with their Vale Schools under-16’s caps the day after their match at London Welsh. From left: Lloyd Beer, George Thomas, Riley Hawkins, Jensen Wilding, George Strong and Max O’Sullivan
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