“We were pleased with our overall performance and Aled Thomas, in particular, deserves a mention for the way in which he ran the game. His goal kicking was also exceptional,” said Aberavon backs coach, Lyndon Lewis.
“We looked dangerous in attack and once again created a number of opportunities. We probably left a couple of tries out there, but the fact Merthyr didn’t score a point in the second half is testimony to an outstanding defensive performance in that time.
“Overall I felt we deserved our win. The strength in depth of our squad means another long selection meeting this week, but it’s a nice place to be in. We have to remember we are only four games into the season, and there are plenty of aspects to work on in our game, but overall our performances are progressing nicely.”
It was a third defeat in four outings for the Ironmen, who will get head coach Dale McIntosh back from World Cup duty with Namibia this week and will be hoping that inspirational skipper Craig Locke is fit to return sooner rather than later.
Sam Jones sped over on the wing for the first home try after only three minutes and when Rhys Jones added the extras to a sniping try from his half-back partner Rhys Downes three minutes later, it looked as though everything was going to go to plan for the champions.
But Aberavon refused to be intimidated and they quickly cut the gap to two points with the first of Aled Thomas’ five penalties and a try from centre Chay Smith that Thomas improved. Even so, a second try from Sam Jones, and a penalty and conversion from Rhys Jones, put the ironmen in the comfortable position of leading 22-10 at the break.
But that was as good as it got for them as wing Aled Rees crossed for a second try for the Wizards and Thomas added the conversion and four more penalties to take his tally to a match-winning 19 points.
The win briefly sent the Wizards to the top of the table, but once Cardiff had finished with Carmarthen Quins later in the day they returned to the No 1. The Blue & Blacks won 34-20 to stay two points clear.
Two tries from replacement flanker Alex Everett ensured the home side bagged another bonus-point and the other Cardiff tries came from Ben Thomas and finally James Thomas. Ben Thomas converted three of them and Gareth Thompson added another and kicked two penalties.
The Quins struck first with a try from scrum half Aaron Hemmings and hooker Torin Myhill got another. Jac Wilson converted them both and also kicked two penalties.
RGC 1404 stayed in touch with the leaders with a hard-fought43-34 win over Llanelli at Parc Y Scarlets. There were 11 tries in a frenzied fixture that saw Llanelli at least claim their first point of the season for scoring five tries.
Former Llanelli player Billy McBryde helped himself to 18 points with a try, penalty and five conversions. There was a furious start to the game with Elis Hopkins being driven over for the home side after only four minutes and then RGC hitting back with a hat-trick of tries form Afon Bagshaw, Rhodri King and Efan Jones to make it 21-8 at the end of the opening quarter.
Llaneli earned a penalty try before the break to leaving them trailing by nine points and they quickly cut that gap with a try from Nathan Hart that Ioan Hughes converted six minutes in to the second half. Five more tries flowed in the second half, three from the visitors, and the win went north.
A hat trick of tries by former Cross Keys favourite Nathan Trowbridge condemned Newport to a 31-28 defeat in a thriller at St Helen’s. Newport got off to a near perfect start with Matt O’Brien kicking three penalty goals.
The home side also lost Gareth Evans to the sin-bin – he picked up a second yellow in the second half to leave permanently – but they hit back with a try in the corner from the former Wales U20 outside half Phil Jones.
Centre Callum Carson sent Trowbridge racing clear for his first try and he replied to a corner effort from O’Brien with his second to make it 19-16 to the Whites at the break. The home side struck again after their powerful scrum won the ball against the head to allow Trowbridge to run onto a Josh Thomas kick ahead.
Newport weren’t finished, though, and a superb break by Harri Griffiths paved the way for Ryan Gardner to crash over for a try in the corner. Garin Price then sent Eliot Frewen over to make it 28-24 to the visitors with nine minutes to go.
But it was not to be for the visitors as the Whites sealed victory five minutes from time when scrum half Chris Morgans scampered over for a converted try.
Llandovery hit back from their defeat at Ebbw Vale last week with a convincing 40-13 win against Bridgend. Owen Howe kicked two early penalties for the Ravens, but they then had to wait until the dying embers of the game for Jack Pope to go over for their only try. Llandovery scored six tries, two of them coming from wing Aaron Warren.
Pontypridd were singing in the rain at Sardis Road as they picked up a much needed bonus-point win, 32-25, to move from the bottom half to the top half of the Premiership table.
The Steelmen never really recovered from an horrendous start. They dropped the kick-off and saw Ponty capitalise with a try for Dale Stuckey after only 86 seconds. Ben Jones added the extras and the former Wales U20 outside half inspired a second try 90 seconds later.
A huge tackle forced Ebbw Vale to turn-over the ball and Jones kicked inch-perfectly for Lloyd Rowlands to regather and send wing Alex Webber flying to the line. Jones’ conversion made it 14 points in four minutes.
Ebbw Vale clawed their way back with a penalty either side of a Dan Haymond try, but with both teams down to 14 men after a double sin-binning for pushing and shoving, Stuckey kicked a penalty to make it 17-11 at the break.
The visitors’ turned the tables on their hosts by working Euan Rosser over for a try within 47 seconds of the re-start. Haymond added the touchline conversion to cut the gap to two points.
Ponty were quick to respond and man of the match Morgan Sieniawski raced 25 metres up the touchline to score in the corner. Scrum half Jamie Hill then scampered over from a five metre scrum to notch the bonus point, before Ashley Sweet salvaged a point for the Steelmen with a last gasp try that Haymond converted.
