Jay Baker scored twice while Luke Joseph and Joe Tomalin-Reeves also crossed to claim a bonus-point win at the Talbot Athletic Ground.
David Langdon scored a try amid 12 points but that could not save the Steelmen from a fourth league defeat of the season. It looked to be a different story when fly-half Langdon finished some powerful work from the Ebbw Vale forwards, who dominated the scrums, from close range.
Aberavon responded in-kind as Rheon James and Rowan Jenkins both went close to the line before flanker Joseph finally found a way over on 21 minutes
The Wizards then took the lead just moments later from the re-start when wing Baker pounced on a careless touch, kicking forward and easily winning the foot-race to score. Garland converted and traded penalties with Langdon for a 17-10 lead at half-time.
Garland nudged the Wizards further ahead with a second penalty before Baker sprung off his wing and straight through the Ebbw Vale defence to put the hosts in control.
Tomalin-Reeves then finished a barnstorming break from No8 Chris Davies for the bonus before the Ebbw Vale scrum yielded a late penalty try.
Five tries in a 30 minute blitz either side of half-time at Church Bank carried Merthyr to a 41-17, bonus-point win over Llandovery.
Former record breaking Aberavon wing Richard Carter made his debut for the Ironmen after a recent dispute with the Wizards, while Llandovery’s Rhodri Jones was able to celebrate his 100th appearance for the Drovers with a 67th minute try.
But by then the home side were well beaten and had already conceded five of the six tries conjured up by the rampant visitors. Merthyr’s Matt Jarvis and Jack Maynard swapped early penalties before the visitors built up a 22-3 interval lead with tries from fit-again skipper Craig Howe and half-backs Dean Gunter and Rhys Downes.
That lead quickly grew to 33 points with two more converted tries as Merthyr guaranteed themselves a bonus-point before Davies stemmed the flow with his smartly taken effort. James Davies added the conversion and also improved an 80th minute try from Jack Parkinson.
That came shortly after had registered their sixth and final try to move to within a point of Premiership leaders Aberavon with a home game against bottom-of-the-table Swansea to come this week.
RGC 1404 kept in touch with the Principality Premiership leaders with a convincing 35-10 home win over Cardiff.
It may have been close enough at the break, with Tiaan Loots try adding to two Jacob Botica penalties to give the Gogs an 11-3 interval lead, but there was no disputing the top team in the second half as the home side made light of the difficult conditions.
One again Kiwi outside half Botica was a key man as he kicked 16 points and always kept his side moving forward. Opposite number Diggy Bird tried to do the same for the visitors, but he could only manage a penalty on the stroke of half-time and a conversion of wing Cameron Gibbon’s 66th minute corner try.
Both RGC wings, Aron Evans and Rhys Williams, got on the scoresheet in the second half as the home side got their game flowing and replacement centre Josh Leech ensured the bonus point was bagged when he ran in at the post on 58 minutes.
The week after their home win over Bargoed, this was a harsh dose of reality for the Blue & Blacks, who currently sit one place, and one point, outside the top half of the table.
Carmarthen Quins shocked Sardis Road to claim a 32-26 triumph over Pontypridd.
It looked as if it could be an easy day for the hosts after they got off to a perfect start after two minutes. Outside-half Lewis Williams darted through the defensive line to score before converting his own try for a 7-0 lead.
But his opposite number Steffan Marshall chipped away at the lead with a penalty, before former Wales sevens star Lee Williams raced home to put the West Walians ahead. Marshall converted and notched three more penalties to make it 19-7 before Ponty hit-back through Cameron Lewis.
The Wales under-18 back broke clear in midfield and saw-off the attentions of the covering defence to scramble over for a converted try to cut the gap to five points. But Quins fly-half Marshall, who had landed a fifth penalty, was in support after Kieran Jones broke clear to put Carmarthen back in control.
Ponty skipper Dafydd Lockyer crashed over to lead a late fightback, but replacement Shaun Jones muscled in for the decisive third try to make it 32-19. And by the time Alex Webber had raced home for a bonus-point try for the home side, it was too little, too late.
Nathan Trowbridge broke Llanelli hearts as he snatched a 19-16 triumph at the death for Cross Keys.
The flying wing raced over with two minutes remaining after back-rower Nathan Hart had put the West Walians in control at Parc Y Scarlets. But Keys outside-half Josh Presser kept the Gwent side in-touch with four penalties, before Trowbridge struck to claim their third win in-a-row.
Llanelli have only one win from their last seven Principality Premiership matches and sit 13th in the table. But the hosts got off to a dream start after three minutes when man-of-the-match Hart broke though the defensive line and ran in at the posts. Ioan Hughes converted to give Llanelli an early 7-0 advantage.
Prosser punished some indiscipline to narrow the gap to a single point with a pair of penalties.
Dion Jones edged the Scarlets four points ahead, but Prosser was on-target again to make it 10-9 at the break.
The kicking battle continued after half-time as they traded penalties again, before a long-range Jones effort looked to have sealed the victory with 15 minutes remaining. But Trowbridge used space out-wide to snatch the triumph, with James Thomas landing the conversion for a 16-19 victory.
Neath ended Bridgend’s good run of a form with a 23-14 win over their Principality Premiership rivals.
Bridgend came into the game on a run of five wins from six and took the lead through Joseph Scrivens’ penalty. But, Neath were soon level after Ed Howley’s long-range strike from 48 metres.
And the Blacks were in front when winger Aaron Grabham, the Principality’s top scorer, bagged his 12th try of the campaign.
Howley’s conversion made it 10-3, but a second Scrivens penalty gave Neath renewed hope.
Bridgend took a 10-11 lead into half-time after Ryan Giffiths scored his third try in three matches after some poor Neath defending. But, Neath came out firing in the second-half when a trip by Bridgend’s centre Jamie Murphy allowed Howley to successfully kick his second penalty of the game.
Referee Dai Cambourne awarded Neath a penalty try after Bridgend had conceded five consecutive penalties on their try-line. Howley’s conversation made it 20-11, but Scrivens’ third penalty of the game made it a nervy ending.
And with Bridgend going all out on the attack, Neath’s last-minute penalty, converted by Howley, ended the contest.
Bargoed failed to build on Ross Coombs’ early try as James Dixon kicked Bedwas to a narrow victory.
No8 Coombs touched down from a pushover try as Bargoed’s scrum flexed its muscles as early as the 19th minute. But what should have paved the way for a much-needed win ended up as the hosts only points as mistakes gifted fourth-placed Bedwas all four points.
Errors not only cost Bargoed chances but allowed Dixon to kick his side into a slender one-point lead at 6-5, by half-time. Again Bargoed started the second half on the front foot but, as in previous weeks, they could not turn either possession or a dominant display from the forwards into points. Dixon kicked a third penalty on 62 minutes but with five minutes remaining, the game remained in the balance at 9-5.
But a fourth penalty for the outside-half opened a seven point that would still have earned Bargoed a precious losing point.
That was until Dixon’s speculative kick to the corner saw Pat Lewis out-jump James Hallett for the ball and touch down for a try in the final seconds that left the hosts empty-handed.
Swansea’s woes worsened after missing the chance to haul themselves off the bottom of the Premiership. Rory Gallagher crossed in the second-half for the hosts who also claimed a penalty try but the All Whites are still propping up the table after a ninth league loss.
Rejuvenated Newport clinched their fifth victory in six games in all competitions after tries from Jon Morris, Geraint O’Driscoll and Matt O’Brien, who added four kicks on his 50th appearance for the club.
Swansea were hoping to close the gap on the group of teams ahead of them but were ten points down after half an hour. O’Brien kicked the opening penalty and was swiftly adding a conversion to the opening try from wing Morris who darting over in the left-hand corner.
Swansea landed the first blow of the second half when No8 Gallagher drove over in the right corner to half Newport’s led but Rory Garrett, off-target on the stroke of half-time, fired wide once again.
A solo score from full-back O’Driscoll re-established Newport’s lead before O’Brien darted between the posts four minutes from time to wrap up the win despite Swansea’s late penalty try after Owen Davies’ rash challenge on Dai Watts.
