The Drovers’ season simply keeps on getting better and better as three days after beating Pontypridd in the Cup semi-finals they stayed hot on the heels of the reigning Premiership champions with a bonus-point triumph at Carmarthen Park.
Ponty kept their noses in front with a 38-20 home win over Newport and only need to win at home to Bedwas on Saturday to guarantee another home tie in the Premiership final. However, if they slip up against the side that pushed them to virtual breaking point in the recent Foster’s Challenge Cup final in Bridgend it will leave the door open for Llandovery.
They have to travel to Cardiff at the weekend and need to overtake Ponty’s points tally – they are one point behind the champions – to finish on top of the table. The top team gets an automatic entry into the Premiership final, and has home advantage, while the second placed team entertains whoever finishes third.
There are still four clubs chasing third place, although Sunday’s lash at Eugene Cross Park between second-placed Ebbw Vale, last season’s runners-up, and third-placed Aberavon could well determine who travels to either Sardis Road or Church Bank.
It was 16-16 at half-time in a hotly contested Scarlets regional derby in Carmarthen, but tries from wing Aaron Warren, Wales Under 20 hooker Dafydd Hughes, lock Jake Baker and skipper and No 8 Richard Brooks earned Llandovery the double over their Cup final rivals. Outside half Jack Maynard chipped in with 10 points.
There were encouraging signs for the Quins, though, who scored three tries of their own. Centre John Williams crossed in the 23rd minute and then wing Morgan Griffiths crossed on the stroke of half-time. Both were converted by Wales Under 20 outside half Dan Jones to level the scores going into the second half.
Three minutes into the second half Kieran Jones added a third try and Jones added a third conversion. They then lost replacement back row man Will Boyde to a yellow card 17 minutes before the end and Llandovery went on to take the spoils with their two second half scores.
Pontypridd won 38-20 to hold onto the top spot i and put a dent in Newport’s hopes of reaching the play-offs. It was a fourth successive defeat for the Black & Ambers, who are now to rely on other results going their way and securing a big home win over Llanelli at the weekend to stand any chance of finishing third.
Wales Under 20 centre Harri Millard crossed for the first of the game’s tries after only two minutes and the reigning champions ran in four more to ensure they left with a bonus point. Rhys Shellard, Ceri Sweeney, Chris Clayton and Dafi Davies all crossed and Sweeney added four conversions to erase the memories of their SSE Swalec Cup semi-final defeat three days earlier.
Flanker Rhodri Jones crossed for a try which Arwel Robson converted superbly off the touchline to keep Newport in touch at 16-8 at the break. Robson picked up a yellow card in the second half and two consolation tries after Ponty had secured their bonus point, from Aeron Bidgood and centre Owen Williams, made little difference to the outcome.
Aberavon beat Cross Keys 30-16 to make it a miserable double at the Talbot Athletic Ground for Keys. Having been beaten by a point in their SSE Swalec Cup semi-final by Carmarthen Quins on Saturday, they returned to lose again three days later.
Aberavon were well in command by the break, leading 22-8, and added a further try in the second half. Keys lost lock Danny Hodge to a yellow card in the 10th minute and had a try from wing Nathan Trowbridge, converted by Ethan Davies, to their credit in the first-half.
After the break they added a try from full back Leon Andrews, which Davies once again converted. The Wizards scored first with a try from wing Stef Andrews in the seventh minute and then scrum half David Pritchard poached another midway through the first-half.
Jay Baker then struck on the stroke of half-time and Cameron Clement’s second conversion of the half extended the home lead to 14 points. Keys cut the gap with Andrews’ try, but skipper and No 8 Chris Davies put a lid on their comeback by crossing four minutes from time for the bonus-point try which James Garland converted.
The win keeps the Wizards in the hunt for a top-three finish, although they will have to go to Eugene Cross Park on Sunday and win against third-placed Ebbw Vale to potentially bag an away trip to either Pontypridd or Llandovery.
