Cofis captain hoping success breeds success

CAERNARFON skipper Rhys Evans hopes back-to-back Division One North titles can breed success in the next generation of players coming through the club’s ranks.

The Cofis sealed the One North crown back in March, making it their third league title in five seasons, and were presented with their trophy following last Saturday’s North Wales Senior Cup semi-final defeat at home to local rivals Bro Ffestiniog.

Caernarfon were the first team in the Swalec National League to get their hands on silverware this season after a victory over Bala as rivals Nant Conwy slipped to a surprise loss at Ruthin.

And Evans is hopeful the community club’s success can inspire more young talent to emerge from the juniors and into the senior set-up.

“We are a young club and want to be a part of our community and winning titles really helps that,” said the back-row.

“We have an under-7s section, which has more than 100 kids, and hopefully winning things will mean more kids in the community will want to play the game and join the club after what we have achieved.”

Evans admitted that receiving the league trophy was a big consolation after losing in their North Wales Cup semi-final and missing out on the chance of a double.

The Cofis crashed to an 18-16 home defeat to Bro, losing in the same stage of the North Wales Cup for the second successive year to the same team.

“It’s disappointing to be knocked out of the cup, but Bro are a strong team and finished third in the league,” added Evans. “This doesn’t take away from what we have achieved this season and we are champions for a second year running.

“Ironically, I don’t think we have played as well this season as we did last season. We do have a strong squad and that helps and there is a real bond between all the players. We all go out together and train hard and push each other through the season.

“We have a fitness coach Osian Williams who killed us in pre-season and that has made a real difference to us but also brings the players closer together because you don’t want to waste that work you have put in during the season.”

Evans also paid tribute to a number of senior players, singling out scrum-half Tristan Gwilym in the process.

“Tristan, who is one of our senior players, has been really important for us and he has scored key tries in key games when we have needed it,” said Evans.

“We’ve all bought into the new ideas they have brought in and utilised all we have learnt during the season. We always try to play open attacking running rugby and, I think, that is why the players enjoy being at the club so much.”

Caernarfon won their title by five clear points in the end and lost only three times during the season. They lost only once the previous season and won the title by 20 clear points, scoring 91 tries. They managed 72 this season, but conceded three fewer.

Arch-rivals Nant Conwy, who are themselves celebrating reaching the final of the Swalec Plate and are still in the semi-finals of the North Wales Cup, were runners-up this year in the league as well as last season.

Nant lifted the title in 2010 by a single point from Caernarfon, while in 2009 – in the then named Division Four North – Caernarfon finished level on points with Nant Conwy and Ruthin with 89, yet finished third. Caernafon also lifted the title in 2008.

It means that over the past five seasons the Morfa club has played 98 league fixtures, remarkably winning 85, drawing one and losing just 12.

The club is desperate to acknowledge the work of head coach Ieuan Jones, who has decided to step down, while forward Paul Williams has also elected to retire.