Principality Premiership Swansea 21, Llandovery 37 THE Drovers added Swansea to their ever-growing number of Osprey scalps with this bonus point win over the All Whites at St Helen’s, writes Tom Hughes.
After beating Aberavon, Neath and Bridgend, this win over Swansea confirmedthat Llandovery will beworthy participants in next year’s Super Ten league.
It was their fifth win in eight league games and takes them into fifth place in the Principality Premiership behind Neath, Pontypridd, Aberavon and Cross Keys.
For Swansea schoolmaster and Llandovery coach Lyndon Lewis it was a hugely satisfying win.
He said: “We threw the game away theweekbefore atBedwasbutwewere right on the mark at St Helen’s, enjoyed playing on a surface made for running rugby and put together some exciting attacks which brought a bonus point.”
“To get 25 league points after just eight games and stick with the big boys at the top of the table shows our improvement this season and everyone is enjoying their rugby.”
Solid at the scrumwhere props Owen Evans – son of former Wales prop Ricky Evans – and Peter Edwards were towers of strength, safe at the line out and lively in the loose where back rowers Lloyd Phillips and Shaun Miles were impresssive, the Drovers were full value for their win.
Despite falling behind to a penalty from fly half Sam Davies – son of Scarlets coach Nigel Davies – Llandovery got the first try of the day when a quickly taken penalty from the fastimproving Miles sent lock Shaun Jones running in with great determination.
Fly half Cerith Rees converted and added a penalty before inform centre Matthew Jacobs made a clear opening for 18-yearold wing Jake Randall to take a difficult passandscore a tryconverted by Rees.
A Davies penalty pulled it back to 17-6 at the break but Rees popped over a penalty and drop goal early in the second half to stretch the lead even further.
And when the invaluable Jacobs swept through the middle for another converted try to make it 30-6 the result was no longer in doubt.
The All Whites never gave up and lock Ben Davies and wing Lewis Harry grabbed tries before the irrepressible Phillips picked up from a scrum to slip tackles and crash over for the bonus point converted try.
Swansea got a very late consolation through wing Jackson Szabo to give some respectability to proceedings.
Llandovery travel to Newport this Saturday to take on a Black and Ambers side who beat Tonmawr 34-21 last week.
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