The Drovers continued their winning ways with this defeat of North Walian visitors RGC writes Huw S Thomas

It was their fifth consecutive victory in the Premiership to confirm one of their best league starts since 2012 when they reeled off six straight wins to lead the table.

With Cardiff not in action over the week end, Llandovery climb into second place in the league table, behind high flying Aberavon.

Winning coach Euros Evans was delighted by the first half performance.

“RGC are a very good side – make no bones about that – so to score four tries against them in the first half was a great result for us.”

“Backs and forwards combined well to score tries of a high order in our best 40 minutes of the season so far.”

“They came back strongly after the break to show their class and we had to be on top of our game to defend our advantage.”

“It will put us in good heart for the Cup tie at Merthyr on Saturday. They gave league leaders Aberavon a real scare in their last game before going down 39-32 so we know that they will provide very tough opposition at The Wern”

RGC ran Cardiff close in their last fixture but were run off their feet in the first half by the high tempo rugby of the Drovers.

They came back well after the break in a far tighter second half but had too much leeway to make up to have any realistic chance of catching up.

Particularly outstanding amongst a number of outstanding Llandovery players were flanker Lloyd Pike, prop Jamie Hughes and hooker Dafydd Hughes up front whilst behind the scrum wing Aaron Warren and full back Jack Maynard caught the eye throughout.

It took just two minutes for Llandovery to take the lead when a close range line out ended with hooker Dafydd Hughes burrowing through for a try converted by full back Jack Maynard.

It soon became 12-0 when scrum half Lee Rees took a pass from centre Rhodri Jones to dive over wide out in a pile of bodies.

The swift pace of the game continued and RGC left wing Dafydd Williams looked clear only to be denied by a last gasp ankle tap tackle from Rhodri Jones.

A break out of defence by the Drovers in which Maynard was the key player eventually ended with prop Jamie Hughes bashing his way through, the full back converting for a 19-0 lead.

A behind the back pass from the bubbling Rees put wing Aaron Warren in under the posts for a fourth home try and bonus point.

Maynard’s conversion made it 26-0 inside the half hour before RGC had a short spell of possession which came to nothing in the face of good home tackling.

With the wind in their favour, RGC made a better fist of it after the break and they got their first try when wing Williams flashed over following a strong run from prop Billy McQueeney.

RGC competed hard at the breakdown but they went further behind when lock Joe Powell shrugged off three tackles to barge over wide out.

Back came the visitors with a nice try from centre Harri Evans, converted by full back Dion Jones before Dafydd Hughes finished off a forward surge with his second try.

*** Attention switches to the Indigo Premiership Cup this Saturday when Llandovery travel to Merthyr (KO 2 30 pm)

Llandovery

Tries: D Hughes (2), L Rees, J Hughes, Aaron Warren, J Powell

Cons: J Maynard (3)

RGC

Tries: D Williams, H Evans

Con: D Jones

                    

 

Llandovery: J Maynard;  C Dodd, R Wall, R Jones, Aaron Warren; I Hughes, L Rees; J Hughes, D Hughes, B Watkins, J Jones (capt), J Powell, L Pike, I Rees, S Worrall

Replacements:W Caron-Lewis, C Thomas, L Green, M Dallavalle, J Evans, Adam Warren, K Abraham, D Land

 

RGC: Dion Jones; S Earl-Jones, H Evans, Delwyn Jones, D Williams: S Rogers, E Jones; J Williams, R King, P Nelson, B Jones, O Evans, S Williams (capt), J Jones, E Fackrell

Replacements: A Williams, C Hone, J Scott, I Evans, B McQueeney, H Maitland-Davies, S Hughes