Adam Thomas scored a dramatic try at the death to seal a win that allowed Ponty to leapfrog their title chasing rivals from West Wales, who looked to have won it thanks to tries from Richard Brooks and Will Thomas.
The fixture proved feisty from the off, as opposing back-rowers Rhys Shellard and Matthew Harbut were sent to the sin-bin following an early fracas. The deadlock was broken after 13 minutes when Ceri Sweeney kicked a penalty over the posts from right in-front.
The visitors continued to flex their muscles but were repelled by the Drovers, until centre Dafydd Lockyer crashed through to score. Sweeney converted for a 10-0 lead, but the home side came out fighting.
Ponty full-back Geraint Walsh was sin-binned before Llandovery No 8 Brooks went over for an unconverted try for the home side. And it got even better for the home support when full-back Thomas cut through wide out to score what looked like the match-winning try.
But the reigning club kings lived to fight another day when Thomas barged his way over to break Llandovery hearts. Sweeney converted to complete an 18-12 triumph.
Newport avenged their two point defeat at the Talbot Athletic Ground by stopping Aberavon from returning to the top of the table with a 26-8 win over the Wizards at Rodney Parade.
Back row man Rhys Jenkins got the Black & Ambers moving with a breakaway try midway through the first-half that Matt O’Brien converted. The visitors, who had dominated the opening exchanges, hit back through wing Morgan Williams, whose try was converted by James Garland to level the scores.
A captain’s try from lock Adam Brown, who was at the heart of a driving line-out, gave Newport the lead again on the stroke of half-time and O’Brien’s conversion made it 16-8 at the break. There was a third home try 15 minutes into the second half when replacement back rower Brendan Lampitt pounced on a Wizards’ error as they tried to play from deep.
O’Brien landed a superb touchline conversion and then added a penalty to make the game safe and move Newport into fifth. Only four points now separate the top five teams.
There was drama on and off the pitch at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park where a hat-trick of tries from Ronnie Kynes earned Ebbw Vale a bonus point win with a 34-14 victory that briefly took them to the top of the table.
While back row man Kynes was feasting on a highly effective Ebbw Vale driving maul – the best chariot driver since Ben Hur! – the Cardiff stewards and medical team were demonstrating their expertise as they attended to a visiting supporter who was taken ill during the game.
Thankfully, the Ebbw Vale club was able to report that their fan was back at home and feeling much, much better after a brief trip to hospital. On the pitch there was no such tender care for the home side as Kynes turned into a one man wrecking ball.
He converted three driving mauls into tries for himself and helped the Steelmen grab two penalty tries as they opted to kick all their penalties into the corners and use the power of their pack as a very effective weapon.
The visitors lost wing David Williams to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle on Joe Gaughan and Cardiff made their numerical advantage count by conjuring up a try for their own wing, Ceri Young, which James Thomas converted.
The Steelmen led 18-8 at the break and extended their lead with their first penalty try, from a 51st minute scrum. Cardiff briefly enjoyed some respite when lock Ben Thomas touched down, but another penalty try late on to put the wraps on a convincing win.
Bedwas scored a remarkable 34 unanswered points to deny Neath a long-awaited first win of the Premiership season after they had raced into a 20 point lead at The Gnoll.
Neath drew first blood when forward Cameron Morris swept past a static Bedwas defence to cross for a try. Rhodri Cole failed to convert but a vastly improved display from the Welsh All Blacks pack set the platform.
And they thought they had broken the visitors’ resistance when wing Josh Jones darted over twice before half-time to open a commanding 20-0 lead.
Yet Bedwas claimed a crucial score just before the break when George Gasson finished a sweeping attack in the corner. Head coach Steve Law took matters into his own hands by making four changes just five minutes into the second half.
That galvanised his team and Adam Williams exploited a gap to cross for a try before further changes proved effective. Richard Powell’s kick earned a scrums five metres out from which Alun Rees was driven over for a try.
Powell was having an off-day with the boot as a third conversion went wide but Mathew John helped make amends when he ran through to score to put Bedwas ahead for the first time mid-way through the second-half.
John then skipped past a tiring defence three minutes from time to cap a sensational comeback and a bonus-point victory for Bedwas and yet more agony for Neath.
Outside half Josh Lewis contributed a 22-point haul as Llanelli made it six straight wins in all competitions as they beat local rivals Carmarthen Quins 40-14.
Lewis scored two tries and slotted five conversions for the visitors as they continued their climb up the Principality Premiership table in a game that also counted towards the Fosters Challenge Cup.
The home side made the perfect start when outside half Craig Evans picked a path through the Llanelli defence to dot down and convert for an 8-0 lead. However, Llanelli did not take long to respond with prop Rhys Thomas ploughing over and Lewis adding the extras to tie the scores.
The visitors took a decisive stranglehold on the game with two more tries in three minutes at the end of the first quarter. Wing Ashley Evans, signed from Neath, marked his debut with a sharp finish after some sharp handling, before Lewis crossed for the first of his brace and added both conversions for a 16-point half-time lead.
The impressive Lewis again picked the lock of the Quins defence shortly after the break for his second score and, following a consolation score for replacement Jonathan Gardiner, Llanelli No 8 Nathan Hart rounded off a handsome bonus-point win.
