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Llanelli coast into Premiership final

Llanelli coast into Premiership final

Nick Reynolds raced over for a hat trick to guide Llanelli to a Principality Premiership final showdown with Pontypridd, after Neath were downed 5-46 at the Gnoll in the Play-off semi final.

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The home side were overwhelmed by Llanelli who scored their first try in the opening minute and led 27-5 at halftime. With fly half Steve Shingler amassing 21 points Neath simply had a night they would rather forget.

Pontypridd coaching duo Paul John and Dale McIntosh would have been interested onlookers after the Parc y Scarlets outfit threw the ball with carefree relish to totally demoralise Neath with great running angles and a razor sharp cutting edge.
Llanelli had the perfect start when Nic Reynolds waltzed over in the first minute after prop Phil John made a telling break, brushing would-be tacklers aside. Shingler added the extras to puy Llanelli 7-0 in front.

Neath had a chance to reduce the arrears but fly half David Langdon missed a relatively straight forward shot at goal. Shingler had no such problems minutes later with a well struck shot to put the visitors further ahead.

Shingler was edging the battle of the fly halves when he charged down a Langdon clearance kick and strolled over to convert his own try to put Llanelli in command 17-0 after just 11 minutes.

Llanelli lost skipper Craig Hawkins to the sin bin after the Welsh All Blacks hammered away at the try line. From the next scrum, Neath made the extra man count to send winger Chris Morgans over in the corner.

Reynolds scored his second try after left wing Lee Williams stabbed a grubber kick through. The Llanelli centre showed patience to toe the ball over the line to pounce.

Llanelli then lost their second man to the bin when No8 Matt Gilbert received a yellow card at a ruck on the stroke of half time but it mattered little as Shingler finished the opening stanza with a regulatory penalty to put the visiting side in the driving seat at 27-5.

Llanelli continued to apply the pressure after the break with Hawkins burrowing his way over before Reynolds danced his way over through some woeful Neath defence to record his hat trick. Full back Dan Newton completed the rout.


Scorers: Neath – Try – Morgans
Lllanelli: Tries – Reynolds (3), Shingler, Hawkins, Newton; Cons – Shingler (5); Pen – Shingler (2)
 

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