Having beaten the Gogs 36-12 at Church Bank, Euros Evans’ side ran into a team determined to make amends and they got very close to turning the tables. For home coach Ceri Jones it was a case of one of those games that just got away from his team.
“We lacked urgency in the opening 40 minutes, and you could see that from the five turn overs they got. We were sloppy and lacked speed going into contact,” said a frustrated Jones.
With the Wizards losing at Merthyr on Thursday night, although picking up two points, the Drovers are now four points clear of their closest rivals for the second home semi-final play-off place and also have a game in hand over them. No wonder, then, that Evans described the victory in Colwyn Bay as “vital for our play off prospects” .
With the wind behind them, they had a good start when leading scorer Jack Maynard kicked a penalty. Although RGC had plenty of possession, it was the visitors who went further ahead when wide attacks ended with No 8 Osian Davies crossing.
Centre Adam Warren then finished off another sharp move to get a try, converted by full back Maynard before a penalty by home fly half Sam Rogers made it 15-3 at the break.
Fly half Ioan Hughes slipped through for a third Llandovery try – improved upon by Maynard – before home wing Rhys Tudor nearly scored from a clever chip ahead.
Skipper Afon Bagshaw brought RGC hope with a converted try, only for a Maynard penalty to make it 25-10 It suddenly became 25-24 when – in the space of three minutes – replacement scrum half Efan Jones slipped over from a maul and then set up replacement back Harri Evans
Llandovery – with forwards Stuart Worrall and Joe Powell outstanding – managed to survive a frenetic finale.
Scorers: RGC: Tries: A Bagshaw, E Jones, H Evans; Cons: S Rogers 2, M Bagshaw; Pen: S Rogers. Llandovery: Tries: O Davies, A Warren, J Hughes; Cons: J Maynard 2; Pens: J Maynard 2
PONTYPRIDD 20 – 23 CARMARTHEN QUINS
A last-minute penalty from Jac Wilson secured a third successive away victory for Carmarthen Quins to enable the west Walians to leapfrog Pontypridd in the table.
For the home side it was definitely a case of this being a game that got away from them, in similar fashion to the one-point defeat they suffered at home to Llanelli earlier in the season, and it came after a couple of encouraging performances.
“After the win at Aberavon maybe there was a little bit of complacency crept into the squad. We weren’t switched on at the start and they scored,” said Ponty No 8 Joe Miles.
“In the last five minutes we got the penalty and then they kicked off and we dropped the ball, and they kicked a penalty. Our backs we against the wall for the last five minutes and we had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.
“Now we’ve got to get ready to go to Merthyr for a huge game on Friday night. We’ve been performing well, but we’ve not been winning games and we’re still towards the bottom of the table.
“We dropped points today and we can’t afford to drop anymore because we are near the bottom of the table. I can’t remember a time in my life when Ponty have been bottom, and we don’t want to be record breakers for the wrong reasons.”
Quins winger Corum Nott scored twice, while Wilson kicked 13 points off the tee. It was a Wilson cross kick that paved the way for Nott to score his first try before both sides were reduced to 14 following yellow cards to Quins centre Ryan Davies and Ponty second row James Little.
The hosts picked up their first points of the game with scrum-half Joel Raikes sniping to the blindside from a rolling maul for a try. His half-back partner Joe Scrivens added the conversion to level the scores before he and Wilson traded penalties to make it 10-10 at the break.
Wilson kicked his second penalty each before Pontypridd scored a second try of the afternoon with replacement Garyn Daniel crossing the whitewash.
Scrivens kicked a second penalty although Quins winger Nott scored his second with a devastating fend on, a conversion by Wilson left the scores level in the final few minutes.
Quins were the side applying the pressure in the set piece and won a scrum penalty, in which Wilson nailed to sealed victory.
Scorers: Pontypridd: Tries: J Raikes, G Daniel; Cons: J Scrivens 2; Pens: J Scrivens 2. Carmarthen Quins: Tries: C Nott 2; Cons: J Wilson 2; Pens: J Wilson 3.
NEWPORT 33 – 24 SWANSEA
Walker Price made sure Newport got back to winning ways with a bonus-point victory over Swansea.
The Dragons academy wing raced clear for his first Black & Ambers try in the final seconds of an entertaining clash at Newport Stadium.
Swansea, also without a win in their previous three games, had hit back with 14 men to set up a nail-biting climax.
Despite the loss of prop Cameron Jones to a yellow card, wing Osian Knott flew over for his second try of the match to cut the hosts’ lead to 28-24 with just minutes of the game remaining.
But Price, who has been on the verge of breaking into the Dragons regional set-up, showed a clean pair of heels to touch down in the corner and secure the win. The try condemned Swansea to a fourth straight defeat and meant they left Gwent empty-handed despite scoring three tries of their own.
That will be bitterly disappointing given they made a blistering start through another young wing. A flowing move featuring off-loads and clever running ended with 19-year-old Cori Lewis-Jenkins scoring after just five minutes.
That was cancelled out by Elliot Frewen, who would be sin binned in the second half, before Newport’s pack took charge with driving tries for hooker Henry Palmer and prop Nathan Evans either side of half-time before Knott’s two tries set up an exciting finish.
Scorers: Newport: Tries: E Frewen, H Palmer, N Evans, W Price, Pen Try; Cons: M O’Brien 3. Swansea: Tries: O Knott 2, C Lewis-Jenkins; Cons: J Davies 3; Pen: J Davies
EBBW VALE 30 – 27 BRIDGEND
It’s never over until its’ over – just ask Kieran Meek! With Bridged seemingly on course for a big win at Eugene Cross Park, Meek went into the picket and dropped the match-winning goal almost the last kick of the game
With the scores locked at 27-27 and the clock ticking towards 80 minutes, Meek held his nerve to slot home the winning kick.
It was tough on the resurgent Ravens who arrived in Gwent on the back of three successive wins. And despite The Steelmen’s impressive home form – with just one defeat all season – the visitors were only behind for 10 minutes of the entire game, until that late kick.
It was a second win in a row for Jason Strange’s side, who maintain their challenge for a top four place, and a slice of revenge for their narrow 29-27 defeat to Bridgend early in the season.
It was also a nice moment for former Wales Under-18 scrum-half Dylan Davies who made his Ebbw Vale debut after joining from Bridgend. Though they got off to a shaky start when they trailed 14-3 to two early tries from Edd Howley and Mike Powell.
However, the home pack ensured they got back on level terms by half-time with prop Luke Garrett following flanker Joe Thomas over the line. Morgan Richards galloped clear with an 80-yard run from an interception to give Ebbw the lead on 55 minutes.
That was cancelled out by Bridgend wing Caine Woolerton in the corner and Luke Price’s conversion levelled matters before that late kick.
Scorers: Ebbw Vale: Tries: J Thomas, L Garrett, M Richards; Cons: E Lloyd 3; DG: K Meek; Pens: E Lloyd 2. Bridgend: Tries: E Howley, M Powell, C Woolerton; Cons: P Short 2, L Price; Pens: P Short 2
