Last season’s WRU Premiership Cup runners-up got their Group B campaign off to a winning start and the 37-year-old Thomas would love nothing more than another shot at a big day out at Principality Stadium.
“We are playing well but we aren’t going to get ahead of ourselves. It is only October and no prizes are handed out before Christmas,” said Thomas.
“We’re enjoying how we are playing and there is a lot of belief in the squad. Bridgend made it hard for us in the first half and those three tries around the interval were key for us.
“We finished with some good tries, but we won’t be betting carried away. There are some big games to come.”
Three tries in that 10 minute period around half-time enabled Aberavon to extend their unbeaten record this season. Currently eight points clear at the top of the Indigo Premiership table with a perfect six bonus-point wins from six games, the Wizards found themselves trailing for the majority of a first-half that was bossed in the main by the home side.
Bridgend had already beaten Pontypridd 30-26 in their opening game in Group B and knew that a second win would put them on course for the knock-out stages. They started with a bang and fashioned a try for right wing Cameron Ellis within five minutes.
From a strong scrum five metres out, the back line functioned well and a long cut out pass to Ellis enabled him to run in unopposed in the corner. Six minutes later, Luke Price landed a penalty and everything was going well for the Ravens.
Aled Thomas got the visitors on the board with a good strike from a 35 metre penalty on the half-hour mark, but Price was quick to respond to keep Bridgend clear. Then came a complete turn-around in fortunes as a tight tussle became a much easier ride for the Wizards.
As time began to slip into the red at the end of the first-half, Aberavon centres Joe Gage and Joe Thomas combined to send Frankie Jones in for a try at the left corner. Then a burst up the middle into home 22 by Thomas earned his side a penalty try as his pass to an unmarked supporting player was knocked down by hooker Evan Yardley.
The referee ran to the posts to award the penalty try and then issued a yellow card to Yardley. All of a suddenly the scoreline had gone from being 11-3 in the home side’s favour to 15-11 to Aberavon at the break.
Four minutes into the second half Jay Baker scored the first of his two tries and his second came shortly after Price landed another penalty for the Ravens. This one was the try of the match as it started in the Aberavon 22 and featured a deft kick into space from hooker Ieuan Davies for Baker to chase and convert into a try.
Davies then crossed in the left corner and Lloyd Evans and Steff Andrews, twice, provided a final flourish to make it eight tries in all and 34 points in a rampant second half.
Scorers: Bridgend: Try: C Ellis; Pens: L Price 3. Aberavon: Tries: J Baker 2, S Andrews 2, F Jones, Pen Try, I Davies, L Evans; Cons: A Thomas 2; Pen: A Thomas
