Jason Strange believes the lessons learned in Ebbw Vale’s two semi-finals defeats last season could allow them to finally get across the line and win the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup at Llandovery on Thursday night.
The Steelmen were forced to come from behind at Swansea to maintain their unbeaten run in Pool B and join the Drovers in the final. They will have to travel to Church Bank because Llandovery notched one more point than them.
Strange saw his side hit back from a 19-12 interval deficit at St Helen’s before running out 33-19 victors. Llandovery were 40-33 winners at Aberavon to finish on 22 points at the top of Pool A.
“Whenever you lose you take the lessons from it. We were beaten by Newport in the cup semi-final last year and by Llandovery in the Premiership play-off semi,” said Strange.
“Both defeats hurt and were disappointing, but this group of players has grown up together over the past three years and have learned a lot along the way. They’ve played 50-60 games together and you can see how much they have developed.
“We are under no illusions as to how tough the game will be at Llandovery, even though we’ve already beaten them twice this season. They are a very good team with some exceptional players.
“We haven’t won a trophy since 2016 when we won the Premiership, so it would be nice to get back to winning some silverware.”
Ebbw Vale were last in a cup final in 1998 when Strange was at outside half in the WRU Challenge Cup final against Llanelli at Bristol’s Ashton Gate. The Scarlets won that day and now he gets the chance to scratch a 27-year itch against another west Wales club.
Swansea scored three first half tries through Callum Dodd, Harvey James and Joe Rees, two of which Josh Phillips converted, to give them a 19-12 interval lead against The Steelmen. Morgan Richards and Joe Franchi replied and then Franchi went on to complete his hat-trick after the break to complete the revival.
Dylan Barrett then added a fifth before the end and the rest of the points came from the boot of Evan Lloyd.
The Drovers heavy 52-19 defeat at the hands of the Blue & Blacks the previous weekend had ended their 12-match winning streak – and they were behind after just two minutes at the Talbot Athletic Ground.
Brad Roderick’s try put the Wizards into an early lead but the visitors, who came into the match needing just a single point to guarantee a ticket to their safe passage into the final as Pool A winners and that was in the bag for last season’s Premiership league and cup double winners by the break as they hit back to score four first half tries.
Former Wales centre Adam Warren, wings Llien Morgan and Harri Doel crossed the Wizards line and there was also a penalty try. Full back Jack Maynard added a couple of conversions to make it 26-7 at the break.
No 8 Osian Davies added a fifth, again converted by Maynard, four minutes after the re-start to give the Drovers a 26-point advantage. Aberavon were in no mood to simply lie down and they responded with tries from right wing Cori Lewis-Jenkins, hooker Ellis Major and wing Frankie Jones.
Outside half Ed Dunford converted the latter two scores to pull the hosts back within seven points with eight minutes remaining to set up a grandstand finale. A second Warren try a minute from time looked to have finally snatched all six points for Llandovery with their sixth try, converted by Maynard, but they would have to settle for five after Elis Horgan went in for a fifth Aberavon try in added time.
In the other game, Bridgend came out on top against RGC at the Brewery Field in a 13 try thriller as they triumph 49-42. There were also 13 conversions as both kickers hit the mark with every shot.
Sam Williams (2), Pat Nelson, Rhys Tudor, Sam Stoddard and Caio Parry crossed for RGC, while the home side’s magnificent seven tries came from Callaghan Smith, Ryan Wilkins, Zac O’Driscoll, Macauley Rowley, Tom Florence, Jake Thomas and Harvey Nash.
