MINEHEAD Barbarians Under 15s produced a sparkling display to beat their North Petherton counterparts 32-15 away, writes Bryan Stevens.

The Barbarians suffered a setback when they lost forward Tavey Hancock (broken knee) early on, so the players deserve extra credit for the way that they performed after that. North Petherton were fine hosts and the match was played in very committed, but fair spirits, with the home players making a big contribution to an entertaining game.  Minehead scored first from a 5 metre scrum when Number 8 White broke away, and after linking with his backs Henry Browne scored.  North Petherton struck back, storming upfield, using some strong drives by their forwards, a tactic which worked well for them throughout the match.  A scrum in the Minehead 22 gave Petherton an opportunity, and a long pass gave their wing a chance to cross in the corner. The game swung back to Minehead as they built pressure on the home line. A gap appeared, and scrum-half Browne darted over for his second try. North Petherton are a good team, but one of the key differences was the quality of the Barbarian half-backs who kept their team on the front foot. It was a long kick from the fly half, Lewis Clavey, which set up the final try of the half. Good lineout ball saw a forward break, the ball was moved wide and a hard carry by Krawczyk saw him score.  The second half meant Minehead playing up the slope, but they beat this problem by kicking long and also running the ball wide to stretch the defence.  While Minehead gained early territory, their hosts swiftly drove hard back downfield and pressurised the Barbarians, being held up over the line.  Minehead extended their lead when they had an attacking scrum, another break from the base linked with the winger and Reeder forced his way over the line. Now the Barbarians showed their confidence, Lobb made a break from his own 22 and was only stopped just short. From a poor clearance the Barbarians attacked and built phases near the line for Krawczyk to cross again. Clavey stepped up and struck the conversion between the uprights.  Minehead’s final try was an outstanding individual effort by Seb White who broke away from halfway and beat several defenders on his way to the line.  To Petherton’s credit they fought back and scored two more tries before the final whistle to show their strength as a team.  The Barbarian coaches James and Joe were delighted to see that the hard work of their players throughout the season is showing up so well. It also augers well for the future of the club to have such talent.