Principality Premiership

Llandovery 13 Ebbw Vale 22

Llandovery were desperate to say goodbye to departing coach Lyndon Lewis with a home win but were second to Ebbw Vale in all departments, writes Huw S Thomas.

Lewis – an ex-Aberavon skipper - leaves to take up the role of assistant coach with the Wizards after 11 years of service to the Towy Valley club and hands over the reins to his assistant Euros Evans.

After the terrific 46-10 win over Carmarthen Quins the previous week, the Drovers had high hopes of another stylish performance but could not cope with the hard-nosed aggression and abrasiveness of the Ebbw pack, led by lock Damien Hudd.

Hopes of a top half finish were clinically sunk and the best the Drovers can hope for now is to finish seventh in the Premiership if they can beat Newport and Llanelli away in their remaining games.

The Ebbw back row of Rhys Clarke, Harrison Keddie and Ronny Kynes dominated the loose and made sure that Llandovery’s dangerous backs had to attack off the back foot.

Ebbw Vale scored three tries in the first half through wing Tom James (two) and barnstorming flanker Kynes and, with fly-half Ian Smerdon adding two conversions, led 19-3 at the break.

The Drovers rallied after the break under the inspiration of darting and dodging scrum-half Lee Rees and the ball-carrying of flanker Richie Rees who has the potential to be an important part of future Llandovery plans.

A lone penalty from young fly-half Steffan Marshall was all that Llandovery could muster but they rallied when scrum-half Rees took a pass from wing Rhys Williams to make it 19-8 after 54 minutes.

The Steelmen had to buckle down to some real hard defence in the face of the rally and did so under the leadership of Hudd.

A Smerdon penalty was illegally charged down by the Drovers but No 8 Richard Brooks was yellow carded two minutes later to let the fly-half kick a simple penalty.

Ebbw’s ex-Llandovery College wing James knocked on to deny himself a hat-trick of tries before Lee Rees got a fine solo try.

A kick, chase and swift follow up let Rees race away from the cover but replacement fly-half James Garland – another on his way to Aberavon – failed with the conversion that would have at least secured a losing bonus point.

The Drovers travel to bottom side Newport on Thursday night and will finish their league programme on April 25 against Llanelli at Parc Y Scarlets.