Euro Evans’s side ran in fvie tries as they turned the screw in the second half to turn their slender 13-7 interval lead into a dominant triumph that included 26 points without reply after the break.
It weas a bitterly disappointing night for the visitors, who had already completed the double over their hosts in the SRC league programme. In their first cup final since 1998 they simply couldn’t get their hands on the ball enough in the second half.
The Drovers had first use of a stiff breeze that blew up out of nowhere before kick-off and looked likeliest to score first after getting down into the Ebbw Vale 22. But a combination of great defence and poor line-out work stopped them making the most of their early chances.
It took them until the 18th minute before they finally got their set-piece act together. The forwards won a five metre line out, drive on a few metres and the eyes of skipper Lee Rees lit up as he saw the line only a few metres away and his pace did the rest to notch the opening score,
Ioan Hughes added the extras, and the home side were on their way to another piece of silverware. Last season Llandovery completed the Indigo Premiership league and cup double having won the Premiership the previous season.
Now they are back on track to possibly complete another double, although Jason Strange’s Steelmen will have something to say about that when they get back to league action.
Ebbw got on level terms with a trademark driving maul try from skipper and hooker Joe Franchi in the 24th minute and Evan Lloyd’s conversion made it 7-7. Two downwind penalties from Hughes in the final seven minutes of the half then gave the Drovers a slight advantage at the interval.
It seemed perfectly set-up for another tense half, but with Ebbw having the advantage of the wind. The wind dropped, Llandovery started fast and hard and within a quarter-of-an-hour the game was as good as in the bag for the home side.
Returning to the field with a confident spring in their step, and no doubt some choice words from head coach Euros Evans still ringing in their ears, they conjured up a try for hooker Taylor Davies from a five metres line-out and then squeezed Harri Doel over in the left corner.
It was a disastrous period for Ebbw as they saw scrum half Jonathan Evans limp off after only nine minutes having come on as a half-time replacement and flanker Jack Pope pick up a yellow card. With another Hughes conversion to add to the total the Drovers went into a 25-7 lead.
From there on there was only one team in it and it mattered little that Nathan Hart and Rees had tries disallowed because a chip and chase score from Kian Abraham and a scamper to the line from back row man Osian Davies turned it into a rout.
Scorers: Llandovery: Tries: Lee Rees, Taylor Davies, Harri Doel, Kian Abraham, Osian Davies; Cons: Ioan Hughes 3, Jack Maynard; Pens: Ioan Hughes 2. Ebbw Vale: Try: Joe Franchi; Con: Evan Lloyd
