Back-rower Richard Brooks marked his 100th appearance for the Drovers with two tries and Jack Maynard kicked eight points to add gloss to a comprehensive win. It was an unhappy afternoon for the Blue and Blacks h saw their American World Cup star Cam Dolan sent to the sin-bin after 25 minutes.
The Drovers wasted no time in going ahead, Maynard kicking a penalty after four minutes before Brooks powered through for his first try five minutes later – which Maynard duly converted. A penalty try stretched the lead to 18-0, with Dolan shown his yellow card.
Brooks then added another on 27 minutes and Maynard booted the extras. The game was finished as a contest by the 31st minute when wing Aaron Warren scored his ninth try of the season.
It was an agonising day for the Cardiff coaching staff. They could only look on with dismay, as Mike Evans completed the Llandovery rout on 76 minutes. This latest win for the Drovers saw them stay within a point of
Cross Keys at the top of the Premiership.
Bottom of the table Neath were unable to build on their opening win of the season in the Foster’s Challenge Cup last weekend at a rain-soaked Pandy Park, going down to a 26-6 defeat against the new Premiership leaders, Cross Keys.
Keys used a combination of strong forward play and tactical kicking in the opening exchanges to keep the Welsh All Blacks pinned deep in their half. Outside half Geraint Rhys Jones kicked Keys 2-0 ahead after 10 minutes as a stop-start first half was blighted by handling errors and infringements.
Finally Keys turned their dominance into tries. A five-metre scrum finally held together long enough for number eight Adam Powell to dive over from the base, as Keys led 8-0 at the break.
Neither the rain nor the Keys forwards faltered after the break. Ill-discipline led to another Jones penalty, as the Keys pack continued to dictate the scrum. Neath paid the price for consecutive penalties from scrums and Keys were given a penalty try after 64 minutes.
The Welsh All Blacks then got their first real sight of the try-line and immediately capitalised. Wing Ian Ellis dived on a slippery grubber kick to make it 18-6 on 70 minutes. But Keys’ Adam Powell ensured the hosts took all the points, as Neath’s winless run goes on.
Ebbw Vale returned to winning ways against Aberavon in adverse conditions at the Talbot Athletic Ground, as young back-rower Harrison Keddie inspired them to a 20-14 victory.
A David Langdon penalty gave the visitors an early lead after two minutes but neither team were able to grasp control of the game in the early stages – the wet ball meant there were handling errors on both sides.
The first try came in the 18th minute after the visitors took advantage of a yellow card for Wizards lock Sam Williams, with Chris Thomas touching down in the corner. Kiddie swiftly followed suit for Vale, before the visitors received a yellow card of their own, when Rob Dudley Jones was sent to the bin.
David Langdon scored a drop-goal in the final play of the half, meaning Nigel Davies’ Steelmen went in 18-0 up at the break. The second half started brightly for Aberavon, with Stef Andrews scoring in the corner for his fifth try of the season after some fine build-up play, but Langdon responded with a penalty on the hour mark.
The hosts were encouraged after a late penalty try but never did enough to trouble the impressive Vale. The visitors leapfrog Cardiff into sixth place with this triumph.
Pontypridd fell further behind in the race to retain their Premiership crown as they slipped to a third successive league defeat. Last season’s champions went down to three first-half Bedwas tries in teaming rain at The Bridge Field, finally losing 22-8.
The home side adapted better to the conditions and soon surged ahead. Andrew Waite crossed after a powerful Bedwas scrum and Richard Powell added the extras.
Ponty were never at the races and former Wales outside half Ceri Sweeney, in his 100th appearance for his first club, struggled to orchestrate his backline and was outplayed by opposite number Powell.
Bedwas continuted their dominance, running in two tries late in the half. Aled Brew dived over in the corner after bulldozing the Ponty defence and, just minutes later, Bedwas were awarded a penalty try after another solid scrum under the posts.
That meant the home side took a 22-0 lead in to the second half. The waterlogged pitch continued to hamper both teams, who turned out in fresh kits upon resumption.
Ponty were awarded a penalty try soon after the break to reduce the deficit, with Bedwas’ Matthew John seeing yellow. Bedwas then turned their attention to keeping Ponty at bay and in the end the beleaguered visitors posed no real threat to the home try line.
The power of the Carmarthen Quins pack fought off a valiant Bridgend side in a bruising encounter in west Wales that ended 20-10 in favour of the home side
The Quins forwards proved the difference between two closely-matched teams in a game that could have gone either way. Quins’ centre Dylan Morgan broke away to secure a precious victory and clinch the win for the home side.
Quins opened the scoring when prop Gethin Robinson crashed over from a driving maul in the only try of a quiet first period. Ravens’ outside half Joseph Scivens kicked a penalty to get the visitors back into contention after the break as they tried to make it four wins in a row in the Premiership.
Dan Jones replied with two points of his own for Quins, before former Cardiff University No 8 Ashton hit back. Scrivens added the extras to bring the sides levels at 10-10 and set up a grandstand finish.
Jones kicked another two points to edge Quins in front, as the hosts benefitted from an impressive display in the scrum and from the line-out. Morgan then put the icing on the cake with a last-gasp try, breaking away to score.
It was just the fourth triumph of the campaign for Quins, who move past Bridgend into 10th after this basement battle.
