If there was a sting in the tale from the home side, who picked up two late tries to turn a 36-point deficit at 54-17 into a 23-point defeat in the end, it was small consolation for going under to their bitterest rivals.
That late rally was enough for them to pick up a bonus-point, but in truth they were outclassed from start to finish. The Drovers had secured their bonus-point before the break with tries from centre Rhodri Jones, skipper and scrum half Lee Rees and back row men Joe Powell and Osian Davies.
The perfect conditions meant full back Jack Maynard was able to get into a rhythm with his goal kicking and he converted the first five tries. Ioan Hughes then took over and improved tries No 7 and 8.
It was 28-10 to Euros Evans’ champions at the break and the lead grew to 37 points after the re-start as Guto Llwyd Jones crashed over and Harri Doel chipped in with a brace. The Quins got one back via Corum Nott before new recruit Nathan Hart scored on his competitive debut to complete the try-fest.
Corum Nott goes over in the corner for Carmarthen Quins
Merthyr got their season off to a winning start with a 24-17 home win against Ebbw Vale. The Ironmen were cruising at the break have scored three tries without reply to lead 21-7.
Curtis Gregory, Ethan Phillips and Rhys Francis scored the tries for the visitors and Evan Lloyd added a conversion. Thompson added a penalty for Merthyr.
There was last minute heartbreak at St Helen’s as Swansea first thought they’d won after Joe Thomas crashed over for a try and Rhys Jones added the extras in the Indigo Premiership opener.
That made it 27-25, yet there was still time for Luke Price to step up to land his seventh penalty to give the Ravens a 28-27 victory. Price also converted Stuart Floyd Ellis’ try at the start of the second half to make it a 23 point contribution.
Had Bridgend kept 15 players on the field for the whole game they may have found things a bit easier. But flanker Alfie Llewellyn, younger brother of new Wales and Gloucester centre Max, Reuben Ticker and Harry Olding all saw yellow.
The Whites only lost one player, skipper Callum Bowden who joined Olding in missing the final, crazy 10 minutes.
Price kicked three first half penalties to Jones’ two, but Swansea held the lead 13-9 at the break thanks to a try from Harry James that Jones converted. After improving that Floyd-Ellis try, Price added two more penalties to steer his side into a nine point lead going into the final 10 minutes.
Wing Gareth Rees then raced over for a try that Jones converted to cut the gap to two points before Price made it 25-20 with his sixth penalty. The home side must have thought they had won when Thomas crossed and Jones’ boot made it 27-25.
But one more infringement gave Price the chance to shoot for glory. He kept his cool, hit the mark and the Ravens march on to their home clash with Aberavon next weekend with their tails up.
Aberavon got their season off to a winning start with a 27-14 home win over Neath in the first league meeting between the two clubs since 2019. The Wizards scored in the opening minute when wing Frankie Jones sped over for the first of his brace of tries.
Seven minutes later the home forwards piled over for a penalty try and Neath found themselves down to 14 men. James Davies then added a penalty to make it 15-0 in 24 minutes.
Neath found it difficult to live with the Aberavon forwards in the opening quarter as they adjusted to life back in the Premiership after earning promotion last season. It also didn’t help their cause that outside half Kris Jones twice hit the upright with penalties, one in each half.
Yet, having conceded 15 points early doors, Neath hit back to trail by only a point at the break. Their forwards rumbled over for an opening try that Jones improved and three minutes later former Wales wing Dafydd Howells crossed for a second score that Jones again converted.
The Wizards conjured up the two tries they needed to bag the bonus-point in the second half as loose head prop Rowan Jenkins crossed near the hour mark before Frankie Jones grabbed his second. Davies added the extras to the latter.
Neath suffered a second yellow card midway through the second half and weren’t able to add to their tally.
