Principality Premiership

Aberavon 22 Llandovery 8

The Drovers travelled to the Talbot Athletic Ground with high expectations but failed to take their chances in a game far tighter than the scoreline might suggest, writes Tom Hughes.

With a third of the Premiership programme completed, Aberavon leapfrog the Drovers into second on 25 points while Llandovery and Cross Keys are just a point behind on 24.

The week before Llandovery had trailed Bedwas by 14 points at the break but recovered in thrilling style to gain a bonus point win.

Against Aberavon, too, they trailed by 14 points at half-time but this time found the Wizards’ well organised defence a much tougher nut to crack in a scoreless albeit frantic second half.

The visitors had possession and territory in their favour in that final 40 minutes but a combination of rugged home defence and uncharacteristically poor decision-making and finishing left them pointless.

It was a sweet result for former head coach at Llandovery Lyndon Lewis who is now backs coach at Aberavon.

So too former Drover fly-half James Garland who did some very good work in both attack and defence for the Wizards,

Euros Evans who took over the reins from Lewis rued his side’s failure to score in the second half.

“We lacked our usual fluency and crispness but there were almost half a dozen times when we were held up on the line or spilled the ball in sight of the try line” he said.

“Sometimes you have the run of the ball and the rub of the green sometimes you don’t so we’ll move on to Rodney Parade this week determined to tighten up our game against an improving Newport.”

All the points came in the first 40 minutes, Aberavon going 14-0 up with tries from No 8 Rob Dudley-Jones and centre Matthew Jenkins plus a Garland conversion.

Llandovery responded well with a powerful driving maul and try from No 8 Richard Brookes, converted by fly half Jack Maynard only for Aberavon to score a fine long distance try through full back Jon Phillips, Garland again enjoying the conversion against his old club.

Full back Will Thomas, centre Mike Evans and scrum half Rhodri Davies came agonisingly close for the Drovers and hooker Luke Lewis flopped over the line with the referee unsighted.