LLANDOVERY 12 CARMARTHEN QUINS 22
The Quins won this Boxing Day rematch to do a rare but well deserved holiday double over their old Tywi Valley rivals – their first since the 2012-2013 season – writes Huw S Thomas.
They were the better side on the day, as they had been the week before, and had the better of Llandovery in the vital contact area.
Solid at scrum and line out, they were also that bit sharper in the loose where the back row of Iestyn Richards, Lywis Millin and skipper Shaun Evans were again leading lights.
Possession was shared but the vital difference between the two sides was the more accurate use of the ball by the Quins, allied to their outstanding tackling.
It is rare to see Llandovery get no points at all for their endeavours but they have little cause to complain, such was the physical and tactical edge enjoyed by of the visitors.
Life will get no easier for the Drovers in the New Year as runaway leaders Ebbw Vale visit Church Bank on January 3.
The pack is fast closing behind Llandovery with the Quins, Cardiff and Newport all seriously threatening for a place in the advantageous top four.
It looked a special day for 33 year old Llandovery centre Rhodri Jones in his 300th game for Llandovery when he finished off a forward drive but neither he nor his fellow backs found it easy to penetrate a first rate Carmarthen defence.
A holiday crowd – double if not treble more than at the game in Carmarthen – were silenced by the ferocity of the visitors’ commitment and although Llandovery were much improved after the break. they never had the accuracy under pressure to convert territory into points.
Both sides made a few changes for the return match, the Quins intriguingly bringing in the much touted Carwyn Leggatt-Jones – the current Llandovery College captain – at fly half.
He had the company of six Old Llandoverians on the match day sheet- four in the home squad and two in the Quins squad – to give even more local spice to the all Carmarthenshire mixture.
After full back Steff Evans and home wing Tomi Lewis had both been yellow carded for deliberate knock-ons,Quins led 14-7 at the break, Jones’s try sandwiching a close range effort from hooker Lewis Morgan and a very fine one from centre Gabe McDonald.
The highlight was a flat pass from Quins scrum half Rhodri Lewis to send centre McDonald arrowing in between defenders on an unstoppable run.
The margin could have been greater were it not for two despairing ankle-tap tackles by scrum half George MacDonald on Leggatt- Jones and ever-dangerous Steff Evans.
MacDonald was also unlucky not to score after a chip and chase effort was only thwarted by the dead-ball line.
When flanker Griff Evans charged down a relieving kick to bring the Drovers to within two points, the Drovers looked set to challenge but try as they might, the home forwards could never keep the ball long enough in the face of very physical opponents.
Young Leggatt-Jones then come to the fore, first of all just missing a long drop goal before intercepting a loose pass to race 70 metres and send wing Callum Woolley in at the corner.
Lock and skipper Joe Powell rallied his troops but dubious decision-making and poor discipline continued and it gave the precocious Leggatt- Jones the chance to kick a high and handsome 40 metre penalty with a quarter of an hour to go.
The introduction of Lee Rees at scrum half sharpened up the home attack but whether out wide or close up, the Quins tackling was all-embracing, forcing errors on the out of sorts Drovers.
There was not even the consolation of a losing bonus point despite consistent attacking in the final minutes against an ever resolute rear guard.
*** Leaders Ebbw Vale are the visitors to Church Bank on January 3, a game to be televised live on S4C
Llandovery
Tries: R Jones, G Evans
Con: I Hughes
Carmarthen Quins
Tries: L Morgan, G Mcdonald, C Woolley
Cons: C Leggatt-Jones (2)
Pen: C Leggatt-Jones
Llandovery:
J Davies, C Baldwin, Adam Warren R Jones, T Lewis; I Hughes, G MacDonald; J Hughes, C Lewis, G Hawley, W Evans, J Powell (capt), G Evans, O Davies, T Sparrow
Replacements: F Thomas, T Phillips, J Pritchard, D Kossuth, E Sheldon, H Holden, Aaron Warren, L Rees
Carmarthen Quins
S Evans; I Badham, J Howells, G McDonald, C Woolley; C Leggatt-Jones, R Lewis; R Fawcett, L Morgan, I James, R Bean. L Taylor, I Richards, L Millin, S Evans (capt)
Replacements: L Jones, G Williams, C Davies, I Wood, B Williams, O Williams, I Davies, E George