The Drovers could not match Ebbw Vale intensity, both in tight and loose, and went down to their second successive away defeat of the season writes Huw S Thomas
They slip down the SRC table to eighth position and after three away games, they will be mightily relieved to be at home this week when they re-face Ebbw Vale on the new Church Bank 3 G pitch.
Llandovery lost just two games last season and had walloped the Steelmen in the WRU Cup semi-final but on Saturday they lacked their usual precision, got turned over too many times at the breakdown and found Ebbw’s blitz defence hard to penetrate.
They also missed more tackles than usual and disturbingly fell foul of the referee too many times, allowing fly half Evan Lloyd to punish them with four penalties.
Sides have done their home work on how to slow Llandovery ball down and once again, scrum half Lee Rees rarely had quick ball to play with in his 350th appearance for the Tywi Valley club.
The retirement of lock Jack Jones and the temporary absence of key forwards in No 8 Joe Powell and flanker Stuart Worrall have not helped the cause and the latest defeat will certainly be a wake up call for Euros Evans’s men.
On the evidence of the Super Rygbi Cymru league games,we have seen so far, there would seem to be little to choose between all 10 clubs and it is a hugely open championship to win.
Ebbw Vale will be in the mix as they have added at extra running dimension to their game behind the scrum whilst retaining their abrasive, confrontational approach up front.
It was not all gloom for the Drovers, a late two try burst closing the gap from 35-15 to 35-29 to earn a four try bonus point, showing glimpses of the clinical finishing of yesteryear
But a Lloyd penalty right at the end at the very end for another careless infringement robbed the Drovers of an additional losing bonus point.
There were positives from the play of new boy Evan Sheldon in the back row and from replacement Toby Baldwin who showed a brilliant turn of foot to put skipper Rees in under the posts.
The Warren brothers tried hard behind the scrum and stand in No 8 Osian Davies tried to inject urgency into the game up front but overall, few players showed the form they are capable of.
The first half saw Llandovery miss an easy tackle in midfield, then lose possession on half way to let centre Ethan Phillips and wing Evan Bowden get converted tries.
For 10 minutes, the Drovers put things together better, putting wing Aaron Warren away on the overlap and then working hooker Taylor Davies in from a short range line out
With full back Jack Maynard adding a conversion to an earlier penalty, the Drovers were somehow ahead only to see Lloyd squeeze in a penalty and Bowden force his way over for his second try and give Ebbw a 22-15 interval lead.
Compounding errors in the contact area, Llandovery offered Lloyd another six points from the boot and when veteran scrum half Jonathan Evans caught the visitors napping with a try from a quickly taken tap penalty, the game looked over
But the tireless Sheldon – from close range and Rees from afar – got the score to 35-29 and within sight of an improbable victory.
It was not to be as Lloyd said thanks once again for his chance to kick a final penalty, finish with 18 points and deprive the Drovers of the losing bonus point.
*** The new 3G pitch will be used for the first time on Saturday, a great incentive for the Drovers to refind their form and turn the tables on Ebbw Vale.
Ebbw Vale
Tries: E Bowden (2), E Phillips, J Evans
Cons: E Lloyd (3)
Pens: E Lloyd (4)
Llandovery
Tries: Aaron Warren, T Davies, E Sheldon, L Rees
Cons: J Maynard (3)
Pen: J Maynard
Ebbw Vale: M Jones; H Rees-Weldon, E Phillips, D Franchi, E Bowden; E Lloyd, J Evans; L Garrett, J Franchi (capt), A Court, D Bartlett, C Gregory, E McIntyre, L Young, S Parry
Replacements: M Davies, I Morris, A Williams, J Pope, B Main, R Harries, J Malson, C Davies,
Llandovery: J Maynard; I Phillips, Adam Warren, R Jones, Aaron Warren; I Hughes, L Rees (capt); J Hughes, T Davies, B Watkins, C Long, M Jones, E Sheldon, O Davies, J Evans,
Replacements: D Dallavalle, H Thomas, G Jones, W Evans, N Hart, T Baldwin, SJ Jones, B Thomas