BASSALEG upset the odds to win the Urdd Schools 7s at Coleg Sir Gar thanks to a mixture of team spirit and dominant defence.

The Newport youngsters beat Lewis School Pengam, Bishops Gore, Neath Port Talbot College and Ysgol Gyfun Garth Olwg in their group.

They progressed to the quarter-finals when a last-gasp score by Oly Phillips pipped Stanwell School of Penarth.

Pembrokeshire College were next up, a side packed with players from the Scarlets academy.

It was another nail-biter with the score at 20-14 to the west Walians when captain Aaron Wainwright went under the sticks with Jacob Proctor, who was superb with the boot all day, slotting the conversion for a 21-20 upset.

That set up a meeting with the hosts, who have won the tournament a number of times, and it was another see-saw encounter.

The lead changed hands four times but the boot of Proctor – and some excellent defence – helped Bassaleg to a 14-12 success.

"Our defence was excellent all day and the boys stuck to the task," said Bassaleg rugby hub officer Gwesyn Price-Jones.

"To pull off a win like that was superb and a turn up for the books because a lot of the sides we beat have links to regional academies in some guise.

"It's great for a state school to win such a competition and it was down to the boys' hard work – everyone played their part.

"They went a couple of scores down in some games but didn't panic and they worked as a squad, so deserve great credit."

Bassaleg squad: Aaron Wainwright (captain), Ed Saunders, Oly Phillips, Miles Harding, James Roberts, Jacob Proctor, Sam Proctor, Kieran Marsden, Morgan Davies, Jack Mineur, Tom Stanley.