LLANGENNECH 26 LLANDOVERY 73
Last year’s Premiership champions had too many guns up front and particularly behind the scrum for brave but outrun Llangennech writes Tom Hughes.
Following their 40-12 win over Swansea University, the Drovers fielded a far stronger side against the Admiral Premiership outfit and ran in 11 tries, nine of which were converted.
Two thirds of the squad that featured in last season’s Premiership play off against Newport had some game time in this pre-season friendly and the pace they instilled into the game proved too much for the local side.
Llangennech will play in the same new Premiership league as Pontypridd, Neath and Merthyr and will do well to hold their own against such powerful clubs who were playing last year in the Indigo Premiership.
Llandovery will feature in the new semi-pro Super Rygbi Cymru competition starting off with Pontypool on Thursday September 12 but before then, meet Merthyr in a friendly at The Wern on August 31.
The speed and craft of the like of the Warren brothers – Adam and Aaron, Rhodri Jones and Harri Doel, the youthful enthusiasm of a number of promising players and the general line speed both in attack and defence was something that Llangennech could not cope with.
Coach Euros Evans, however, back on his old Bank Road stomping ground was not entirely satisfied with the performance.
“We were pleased with our clinical execution in attack and how we capitalised on our opportunities to run in so many tries. “
“But, there’s some disappointment in conceding four tries, something that rarely happened last year and we’ll have to tighten up in that important area.”
“Merthyr will be a far tougher challenge with a lot more players with semi pro experience in their ranks.”
“It should be excellent preparation for the SRC opener against Pontypool, in front of the TV cameras.”
Both young fly halves Steff Jac Jones and Sam Potter and scrum half George MacDonald showed flashes of class with MacDonald, son of former Narberth, Swansea and Llanelli scrum half Chris MacDonald, quick and alert enough to grab a try in each half.
Fellow Narberth product centre Ilan Phillips caught the eye in midfield and helped himself to a brace of tries in the second half.
Another young recruit in ex-Christ College lock Harri Holden, from Lampeter, also rounded off a good night’s shift with the last try of the game.
Potter and Steff Jac Jones kicked nine conversions between them and scored a try apiece, the former ending with 15 match points, the latter 13 points.
Llangennech were neat, tidy and well organised whenever the pace of the game slowed and got their reward with a first half try from wing Louis Tees and further efforts from centre Joe Hutchings, prominent flanker Rhys Morgan and wing Harrison Button.
Former Drover fly half Steff Marshall – 20 appearances 2014-2016 – added three conversions against his one time club.
*** Llandovery travel to Merthyr on Saturday in a full dress rehearsal for the opening game of the SRC v Pontypool on Thursday September 12
Llangennech
Tries: L Tees, J Hutchings, R Morgan, H Button
Cons: S Marshall (3)
Llandovery
Tries: G MacDonald (2), Ilan Phillips (2), S Jones, T Phillips, Aaron Warren, H Doel, S Potter, Adam Warren, H Holden
Cons: S Potter (5), S Jones (4),