Backing up their home win over the Welsh All Blacks, they ended the game at The Gnoll with only 12 men on the field yet still had enough to clinch a 16-13 triumph.
The hero for the visitors was full back Owen Howe, who kicked the match winning penalty in the second half after the Quins had clawed their way back into the game to level at 13-13.
Howe, the former Bridgend full back, swapped penalties with Steff Williams early doors before Williams’ second strike made it 6-3 to the home side. Then full back Luke Griffiths crossed for a try that Williams improved.
Just before the break Howe cut the gap to seven points with his second penalty and at 13-6 it was still anyone’s game in the second half. The Quins then conjured up a great try from wing Ryan Lovett and Howe’s conversion leveled the scores before he won it with his third penalty.
As Neath used driving line-out after driving line-out to try to get back in front, so the Quins fell foul of the referee and lost three forwards to yellow cards. It took an incredible defensive effort to hold out, aided by two wayward line-out throws from the home hooker, but they somehow managed to do it.
The mighty Quins now have 13 points from a hat-trick of wins in Pool C and can’t be caught at the top with one game to play. It is a similar situation in Pool A for Bargoed, who completed the double over Cross Keys.
They followed up their 33-13 win at Pandy Park with an even more convincing 35-7 victory on home soil. They outscored Keys by five tries to one, with James Locke and Wade Langley among the scorers for the home side.
It was a case of many happy returns to the Lloyd Lewis ground for Narberth as they made up for lost time with a 70-19 win over Ystalyfera in Pool D of the WRU Championship Cup. The new look Otters gave home debuts to Ifan James, Josh Hamer, Guto Davies, Tom Clarke, Will Hughes, George McDonald and Ryan Scourfield in what was their first game at their own ground in 19 months.
Hughes and McDonald stepped up to get among the try scorers as the home side plundered 10 tries, all of which were converted by the excellent Nick Gale. Gale also scored one of the tries to end with a match haul of 25 points.
Other tries came from Guto Davies (2), Ashley Sutton (2), Jake Jenkins, Declan Smith and Dafydd Pritchard. The game between Beddau and Cardiff Met in Pool B was postponed.
WRU Championship Cup
Pool A: Bargoed 35-12 Cross Keys
Pool B: Beddau v Cardiff Met (Postponed)
Pool C: Neath 13-16 Maesteg Quins
Pool D: Narberth 70-19 Ystalyfera
Aberavon and Newport shared 73 points and 11 tries as the visitors triumphed 40-33 in a pre-season friendly at the Talbot Athletic Ground.
It was another blow to the Wizards, who heard before the match that their skipper Joe Tomalin-Reeves will miss the start of the Indigo Group Premiership campaign because of ankle surgery.
Nothing stopped the Newport skipper, Matt O’Brien, during his hour long stint on the field as he inspired the black and ambers, who will this week announce they are moving to play at Spytty Park after more than 140 years at Rodney Parade,
O’Brien led his side into a 19-12 interval lead thanks to tries from former Pontypridd and Merthyr scrum half Rhys Downes, Harry Griffiths and Will Griffiths. Harry Griffiths got a second after the break, while Henry Palmer and Will Reed also scored.
Aled Thomas helped to steer Aberavon into a 33-26 lead in the second half, their tries coming from Thomas himself, Stef Andrews, Iwan Temblett, Johnny Phillips and Chris Banfield, but Newport had just enough in the locker to steal it at the death.
Carmarthen Quins took the honours in the Towy Valley derby at Church Bank as they beat Llandovery 33-14 on the day that Drovers flanker Shaun Miles made his 200th appearance for the home team. The Quins scored five tries as they made it a hat-trick of pre-season friendly triumphs after victories over Aberystwyth and Chinnor..
