The Wizards’ 100 percent record looked to be slipping out of their hands after nine minutes when full-back Joe Gage fumbled Geraint Walsh’s kick downfield to allow Ponty flanker Jake Thomas a simple touchdown. Jarrod Evans converted before he cut through the line himself to score, he added the extras again to make it 16-0.
Gage atoned for his earlier error to finish off a smart offloading move for the visitors’ first try, before Ponty captain Dafydd Lockyer crashed through the defensive line and handed the ball to centre partner Adam Thomas to crash over. But there was just enough time for Aberavon number eight Chris Davies to latch on to Joe Thomas’s offload to dive over and close the gap to 24-16 at half-time.
The bonus-point was wrapped up seven minutes into the second-half when last week’s hat-trick hero Owen Jenkins received Evans’ inside pass and raced past three defenders to score. Flanker Thomas grabbed his second try at the back of the rolling maul to make it 40-16 and six out of six for the Premiership champions.
While Newport have managed to successfully climb out of the Principality Premiership basement this season, Bridgend are in the midst of their worst start since returning to the top flight in 2011. Their 48-28 home reverse was their sixth straight defeat this season and you have to go back 15 games for their last Premiership win – against Newport on 7 February.
They were competitive for long periods, but a penalty try from a scrum just before the break broke their hearts. From there on they slipped further and further behind before staging a magnificent late rally to bag their first point of the season with two tries in the final five minutes.
Prop Lloyd Fairbrother bundled over from a five metre scrum to give the visitors the lead after eight minutes, but opposite number Nicky Boyce quickly matched him when he was credited with a driving line out try. Centre Aled
James then crossed for a second try converted by Arwel Robson after the Newport pack had driven to the line, but back came Bridgend with the first of two tries from lock Ashton Evans from a clever cross-kick from Joe Scrivens.
That penalty try gave Newport a 24-12 interval lead and they added three more tries after the break. Hooker Evan Whitson converted another driving line-out, Wales Under 20 centre Barney Nightingale grabbed his fourth of the season and then wing Wes Cunliffe sped over.
Two more conversions made it 48-12 to effectively end the game as a contest, but a late home revival saw Bridgend earn a try bonus point with scores from replacement wing David Evans and Aston Evans’ second.
Cross Keys held on to win after a spirited fightback from hosts Ebbw Vale to steal the spoils in a typically gritty Gwent Derby. The visitors’ 26-24 triumph meant they inflicted a first home defeat of the season on the Steelmen, and head coach Nigel Davies was left scratching his head once again after seeing his side fall 18 points in arrears in the second half just a few weeks after they found themselves leaving Llandovery pointless after conceding 50.
A tight first-half saw Keys go into the break 10-8 ahead, but the game ran away from the home side as the visitors’ scored two tries in a 10 minute purple patch at the start of the second half. Ebbw Vale’s response turned out to be too little, too late to overturn the deficit.
Keys came looking for their fourth win in a row, after two opening defeats, and once again full back Ethan Davies was the key man, scoring 20 of the visitors’ 26 points. With two of his side’s three tries to his name, and eight points with the boot, his contribution ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
Equally influential for the home side was left wing Ryan Gardner, who ran in a brace of tries for Ebbw Vale, including a fantastic run in from long range following a long passage of play shortly before half-time. Wales Under 20 outside half Angus O’Brien, playing at inside centre, was back in the Keys side after doing duty for Dragons last week, but was taken off with a rib injury before the break.
Wales Sevens star Justin James helped himself to a hat-trick of tries in a 50-22 triumph over Neath to make it two home wins in a row for Llanelli after a wretched start to their Premiership campaign. Building on their home triumph over Carmarthen Quins the previous weekend, Llanelli took firm control of the game from the start and no sooner had Billy McBryde skipped away for the first of six home tries after just six minutes the final result looked inevitable.
The home backs enjoyed running in the wide open spaces and they had wrapped up the bonus point within 33 minutes. Where Wales Under 18 outside half McBryde led, so the experienced Jordan Williams and the lively James followed twice before the break.
To their credit, Neath battled hard as they sought their first win of the season under new coach Gareth Llewellyn. Jordan Collier grabbed a try back two minutes after the McBryde opener and Ashley Evans crossed just before the break for a second try for the visitors that helped to cut the gap at the break to 18 points.
Neath lost Aaron Coundley to a yellow card four minutes into the second half, allowing McBryde to pop over a penalty, but then Llanelli lost Christian Long to the sin-bin 10 minutes later. That allowed Ieuan Dobbs to cross for a third Neath try that brought his side back to within 12 points.
But James’ hat-trick try steadied the ship and then Declan Smith rounded off a good afternoon for the home side with the sixth try. McBryde ended the game with six conversions and a penalty for a match tally of 14 points.
Wales prop Scott Andrews may have been wishing he was at Twickenham to play at the World Cup, but instead the Cardiff Blues front row man found himself on the score sheet at Carmarthen Quins as the Blue & Blacks continued their good start to the season with a 30-22 triumph.
The tight head specialist was the first of four try scorers for Cardiff as they continued their massive road trip at the start of the Premiership season with another impressive bonus point victory. With their own Arms Park ground out of action until after the World Cup, this was their sixth successive away game, four of which they have now won.
Andrews burrowed his way over the home line to launch a great first-half for the visitors, who made the most of slow start by the home side. By half-time they had caught the Quins completely cold and raced into a 22-0 interval lead. Will Rees-Hole grabbed the second try for the Blue & Blacks before wing Terri Gee paved the way for Jack Phillips to cross for a third.
James Thomas converted the latter two and then added the extras to the bonus point score from Wales Sevens player Chris Knight near the end of the third quarter. That made it 30-0 to Simon King’s men and it looked to be all over bar the shouting.
But the Quins finally awoke from their slumber in the last quarter and conjured up three tries in the final 10 minutes. Lock Hadyn Pugh got the first and then left wing Gavin Thomas crossed twice, Dale Ford adding two conversions.
Aaron Warren ran in a hat-trick of tries as Llandovery turned around a 14 point half-time deficit to return to winning ways at Church Bank with a 38-32 win over battling Bedwas.
But the visitors will have left wondering what might have been after their ill-discipline cost them what might have been a famous victory in a game that saw them receive four yellow cards. By the end they were reduced to passive scrums which meant putting two backs into the pack to meet the compulsory eight forwards.
That left the home back line with seven men facing five and allowed them to work Jack Maynard over for the match winning try in the dying moments. The Drovers were looking to get their season back on track following last weekend’s defeat at Pontypridd, but they ran into a Bedwas side looking to avenge two Llandovery victories last season.
The visitors started well with a try after just first six minutes by scrum half Tom Rowlands, but a yellow card for hooker Alun Rees allowed Llandovery back into the game. Tries from Rhodri Davies and Warren gave Llandovery a 12-6 lead after 28 minutes.
But when the extra-man advantage was reversed with home prop Berian Watkins sent to the bin, Bedwas scored three tries in the 12 minutes before half-time. That left the Drovers trailing by 14 points..
Watkins returned at the start of the second half, but then Bedwas saw yellow for a second time when prop Brynley Toms departed. Penalties for both teams were followed by a second try for Warren, which left the home side trailing by just six points with 20 minutes to play.
Two more sin-binnings for Bedwas allowed Warren to complete his hat-trick before Maynard took full advantage of superior numbers at the death.
