It was another fast start from the Gogs who were determined to bounce back from a heavy reverse at Llandovery in their previous outing. They seized the initiative thanks to tries from Pedr Jones, Delwyn Jones and then, with Aberavon’s Joe Tomalin-Reeves in the sin bin, Ethan Fackrell.
Sam Earl-Jones converted the second and third tries before Pedr Jones was then shown a yellow card just before the break. Aberavon reduced the deficit through Cam Lewis’ try, converted by James Davies.
Stef Andrews pulled Aberavon closer after the re-start and they took the lead for the first time shortly afterwards when RGC Afon Bagshaw was shown a yellow card and Luke Davies scored from a driving maul, again converted.
Delwyn Jones was then over for his second try of the match, which was converted, but back came Aberavon again through a Rhys Thomas try converted by Davies and into the lead 28-26.
With the game on a knife edge, Bagshaw made amends as he stole yards before Matt Buchanan finished off with Earl-Jones again converting. That earned Ceri Jones’ side a second straight win at home.
“RGC is about developing players and we are doing that. It was a tight game – but we found a way to win – and credit to them for doing that,” said head coach, Jones.
Llandovery hit bottom side Neath for six at Church Bank on their way to a 38-7 win that took them back to the summit in the Indigo Premiership. The Drovers were 21-0 up by the break thanks to tries by Jordan Evans, Berian Watkins and Joe Powell.
Jack Maynard improved Evans and Powell’s tries before Ryan Evans replied for Neath in the second half with a try that was converted by Steff Williams, but that was as good as it got for the Welsh All Blacks.
Llandovery soon secured maximum points through Macs Page’ try, with Maynard again adding the extras. Evans grabbed his second before Gabe McDonald added some more gloss to the scoreline.
A sixth win from seven takes Llandovery back above Ebbw Vale who, despite making it six on the bounce, were made to work hard for their narrow 18-16 win over Bridgend. With no bonus-point, they lost their grip on the top spot.
Skipper Rhys Francis got the Steelmen off to a good start with a try – it was the hooker’s sixth of the season so far. Luke Price and Evan Lloyd swapped penalties but two more Price efforts from the tee had the Ravens with their noses in front by a point at the turnaround.
That lead extended to 16-8 shortly after the re-start when good work from Jack Pope put Jordan Collier over for a try which Price improved. It meant Ebbw were in danger of losing at home for the first time this campaign, but they dug in and, after Lloyd had kicked his second penalty, they snatched four points thanks to a late penalty try.
Newport made it three wins in a row with another bonus-point win as Ty Morris’ side saw off Merthyr 29-21 at Newport Stadium. It’s also now five wins from six for the fourth placed Black and Ambers who sit well placed three points off the summit with a game in hand on all of the top three.
They were ahead through captain Ben Roach’s try in the second minute which was followed by a try for Chay Foster-Smith. Lloyd Lewis also scored in the first half for Newport – his sixth of the campaign – with two Jac Lloyd penalties seeing them 21-14 ahead at the break.
A penalty try and Ben Jones, converted by Josh Lewis, replied for Merthyr. Wade Langley bagged Newport their bonus point fourth try on 63 minutes and, although the visitors came back at them through a Travis Hawkins try which Lewis converted to move Merthyr back to within touching distance, Carwyn Penny came off the bench to kick a late penalty as Newport held on.
Elsewhere, tries from Harri Houston, Joe Thomas, Brandon Wood and Lloyd Evans set Swansea on their way to a 25-18 win at Carmarthen Quins. Rhys Jones kicked five points.
Sion Jones and Sam O’Connor scored the Quins’ tries. Jac Wilson, having kicked two first half penalties, converted O’Connor’s try.
