Ards U17s went to Civil Service on Saturday for a friendly fixture; with the league season rapidly approaching this was a chance for each coaching team to see how far their respective teams have progressed.

The match kicked off at 12noon and after a bit of tooing and froing the Ards pack started to drive from their own 10 metre line and after 4 or 5 excellent phases found themselves well inside the Service half, at which point the ball was channelled out to the backs and fullback Connor Uprichard came into the line at pace and outstripped the civil defence to score under the posts, duly converted by Alex Gaw. Ards 7 Civil Service 0.

After 15 mins or so the Ards pack were again excellent and had driven the team down to within a couple of metres of the Service line where an astute piece of opportunism by scrum half Adam Carroll saw him go between several defenders to score this time converted by Joel de Pledge. Ards 14 Civil Service 0

The game then went into a period of set pieces, penalties and stops in play as the players of both sides had difficulty interpreting what it was that the referee was looking for at the breakdown, the half ended Ards 14 Civil Service 0.
With team talks delivered and a good crowd expecting more, Service started vigorously and penned the Ards lads in their own half; but this was to no avail as the Ards defence proved too strong and after a mixture of tight play and strong running the Ards boys found themselves close to the Service line where scum half Carroll, with help from the excellent Rhys Hedley crashed over for his second and Ards third try which was duly converted by Joel de Pledge. Ards 21 Civil Service 0

Ards then proceeded to exert mounting pressure on the Service team and it culminated with an excellent score from Craig Malcomson, who took on several defenders to power over, again converted by De Pledge. Ards 28 Civil Service 0
As the match entered into the latter stages Ards turned the ball over in Ards territory and after a sweeping backline move Matthew Warnock powered up the wing evading several defenders to score a superb try this time converted by Alex Gaw. Ards 35 Civil Service 0

With time running out Service chipped over the top and a race developed between the Ards fullback and the Service winger, which, somewhat contentiously, saw the Service winger deemed to have won and a consolation score was given though unconverted.

Full Time: Ards 35 Civil Service 5

This was a useful run out for the Ards team and with a league meeting due in the New Year at the same venue this should prove an interesting prospect.
A big well done to the Ards boys though not the finished article, the coaching team believe there is a definite cause for some optimism for the season ahead.

Ards Rugby Youth training continues on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7pm; new players are always welcome, just come along to Hamilton Park and introduce yourself to the coaches; Ricky Sadler, Greg Loane, Alan McHugh and Ricky Aston.