Lloyds Tsb Divison 1 Review

Next Saturday’s clash between the top two Division clubs – Pontypool and Aberavon – at the Talbot Athletic Ground, promises to be the biggest game of the season outside the Premiership.
Both clubs won again last Saturday with Pontypool thrashing Tredegar by a staggering 87-8, scoring 13 tries and converting 11 of them, while Aberavon had a far harder task to win at Llandovery.
The Wizards were down and out at 24-8, but fought back to 24-22 when Jamie Davies dropped a goal and flanker Andrew Thomas scored a try near the end.
Byron Hayward spearheaded Pontypool’s cause with eight conversions and provided such a good link, that 11 tries came from his back division. It took Pontypool to 93 tries in 19 matches, but Aberavon are six points behind with two matches in hand and have scored 84 tries.
Llandovery stay in third place while the fourth and fifth clubs – Newbridge and Carmarthen Quins – did not play. The bottom five clubs all lost as Narberth jumped up a place following their 53-22 mauling of Treorchy with fly half Simon Daniel notching 23 points and scrum half Adrian Killa scoring a try hat-trick.
Cross Keys hold sixth place after replacement flanker Ben Watkins gained an injury-time try to defeat Bonymaen 18-14. It was an eventful day for Watkins, who broke down on the M4, and arrived at the interval for a match he was due to start in.
Llanharan raced to 60 points for the second week in succession with 10 tries coming from their beating of Rumney, but the other three matches provided closer encounters.
Blackwood were expected to win at Beddau, and did so by 23-13 as the Jenkins brothers – Gareg and Blaidd – scored for the first time for the home side.
Bedwas had another good away win as prop John Tilley went over the Tondu line twice in a 26-18 win, but the shock came at the Memorial Ground as Glamorgan Wanderers fell to a 17-10 home loss from Whitland, for whom fly haf Daniel Griffiths scored 12 points.
As with last season it is Pontypool and Aberavon leading the way in tries and points with Aberavon’s ground record up for grabs, as is their run of 12 successive wins, while Pontypool have lost at both Glamorgan Wanderers and Newbridge, yet won their last six league matches, scoring almost 49 points per match.