Llandovery pick up where they left off
Premiership round-up
CHAMPIONS Llandovery hammered out an eight try warning to their Premiership rivals that they are in no mood to relinquish their title as they went to Carmarthen Quins and won 54-31.
If there was a sting in the tale from the home side, who picked up two late tries to turn a 36 point deficit at 54-17 into a 23 point defeat in the end, it was small consolation for going under to their bitterest rivals.
That late rally was enough for them to pick up a bonus-point, but in truth they were outclassed from start to finish. The Drovers had secured their bonus-point before the break with tries from centre Rhodri Jones, skipper and scrum half Lee Rees and back row men Joe Powell and Osian Davies.
The perfect conditions meant full-back Jack Maynard was able to get into a rhythm with his goal kicking and he converted the first five tries. Ioan Hughes then took over and improved two more.
It was 28-10 to Euros Evans’ champions at the break and the lead grew to 37 points after the restart as Guto Llwyd Jones crashed over and Harri Doel chipped in with a brace. The Quins got one back before new recruit Nathan Hart scored on his competitive debut to complete the try-fest.
Macauley Cook and Garyn Smith turned back the clock as they re-appeared in the colours of Pontypridd they last wore as youngsters at Sardis Road as they helped the re-vamped home team to draw 19-19 with last season’s runners-up, Cardiff.
Cook contemplated hanging up his boots after leading Jersey to the English Championship title last season, while Smith came ‘home’ from Cornish Pirates. Both topped 100 appearances for Cardiff Blues earlier in their careers and are now acting as catalysts to help revive Ponty’s flagging fortunes.
Cardiff would surely have done had they not received three yellow cards. Flanker Nathan Hudd, prop Freddie Barnes and replacement hooker Joey Tomlinson all went to the bin for breakdown offences and the first two left their side playing with 13 men for a crucial period.
Josh Phillips gave the home side an early six point lead with two penalties, one from a metre inside his own half, but Cardiff led 13-9 by the break. Scrum-half Tom Habberfield picked out Dewi Cross with a delightful inside pass to allow last season’s leading league scorer to sprint to the line and then inspirational skipper Morgan Allen played skittles with the home defenders to score with a bullocking 15 metre burst.
Harrison James added a penalty and Phillips kicked his third on the verge of half-time. With the visitors reduced to 13men, Smith rounded off a free-flowing move to score in the right corner to cut the gap to two points.
James landed a penalty to stretch the lead to five points, but back down to 14 men again for the final play of the game, the Blue & Blacks conceded a try to Will Keep from a driving lineout into the left corner.
There was last minute heartbreak at St Helen’s as Swansea first thought they had won after Joe Thomas crashed over for a try and Rhys Jones added the extras. That made it 27-25, yet there was still time for Luke Price to land his seventh penalty to give Bridgend a 28-27 victory.
Price also converted Stuart Floyd Ellis’ try at the start of the second half to make it a 23 point contribution. Had the Ravens kept 15 players on the field for the whole game they may have found things a bit easier. But flanker Alfie Llewellyn, younger brother of new Wales and Gloucester centre Max, Reuben Ticker and Harry Olding, all saw yellow. The Whites only lost one player, skipper Callum Bowden who joined Olding in missing the final, crazy 10 minutes.
Price kicked three first half penalties to Jones’ two, but Swansea held the lead 13-9 at the break thanks to a try from Harry James that Jones converted. After improving that Floyd-Ellis try, Price added two more penalties to steer his side into a nine point lead going into the final 10 minutes.
Wing Gareth Rees then raced over for a try that Jones converted to cut the gap to two points before Price made it 25-20 with his sixth penalty. The home side must have thought they had won when Thomas crossed and Jones’ boot made it 27-25.
But one more infringement gave Price the chance to shoot for glory. He kept his cool, hit the mark and the Ravens march on to their home clash with Aberavon next week with their tails up.
Frankie Jones grabbed two tries for Aberavon in their 27-14 win over Neath in the late game. Jones opened the scoring in the first minute and the lead was quickly stretched to 12-0 with a penalty try. Neath hit back to make it 15-14 at half-time but the Wizards grabbed two more from Rowan Jenkins and Jones to seal victory.
