The Drovers went down, three tries to two, against a much improved RGC side in Colwyn Bay to taste their first defeat since sweeping all before them in last season’s Premiership
writes Huw S Thomas.
They slip into the bottom half of the Super Rygbi Cymru league, their only reward for the long trip to North Wales a solitary losing bonus point.
As the score suggests, there was little to choose between the two sides but the extra urgency and composure of the home side got them a big scalp.
As against Pontypool the previous week, the Llandovery pack was edged out at the contact area and failed to give the backs the quick ball they thrive on.
The forwards were often turned over at the breakdown and ball recycling was not up to the usual high standard against a side that could well create more surprises as the Super Rygbi Cymru season evolves.
Coaches Euros Evans and Gareth Potter both acknowledged where it went wrong.
“We were poor in the contact area and there was a lack of accuracy whenever we got into attacking positions.” said Evans.
Potter echoed the opinion.
“Teams are targeting us at the breakdown and we haven’t dealt with it as well as we could.”
“But the boys are determined to set things right and the return of key players after injury and unavailability will certainly help.”
“The focus will be on speeding things up in the contact area so we can attack with quicker ball.”
There were, however positives to come out of the game, Evans pointing out that there were four debutants in the Llandovery squad, all under 20 years of age, who made good impact off the bench,
The return of fly half Billy McBride after a stint with Doncaster Knights has been a big success for RGC and the son of ex-Wales hooker Robin chipped in with a valuable 15 points from a try, two conversions and two penalties.
13 of Llandovery’s points came from full back Jack Maynard with three penalties and the conversions of tries by centres Adam Warren and Rhodri Jones
It started off well enough for the visitors, taking a 10-3 lead with a try from Warren and five points from the boot of Maynard against a lone McBryde penalty.
There was a big turning point just before half time when Llandovery failed to secure a line out near the RGC line, lost another line out on half way to let flanker Dan Owen score – a 14 point swing in favour of the North Walians.
With McBryde orchestrating things cleverly through hand and boot, RGC were narrowly ahead 13-10 at the break, after the Owen try, plus a conversion and penalty from his fly half.
Although Maynard’s penalty tied the scores, the home side then upped the tempo with a brace of tries, sharp scrum half half Connor Dever getting the first and the ever influential McBryde then converting his own try.
Llandovery managed another Maynard penalty – soon cancelled out by one from replacement Sam Earl-Jones – but now down 28-16, the Drovers looked set to travel home without any reward.
To their credit, they staged a late come back with a try from Rhodri Jones, converted by Maynard but that was to be as near as their got to the deserving winners.
It was a disappointing and unsure performance from the Drovers and although No 8 Jordan Evans worked like a Trojan to bring his side into the game, the usual sparkle was missing from those around him.
RGC
Tries: D Owen, C Dever, R McBryde
Cons: R McBryde (2)
Pens: R McBryde (2), S Earl-Jones
Llandovery:
Tries: Adam Warren, R Jones
Cons: J Maynard (2)
Pens: J Maynard (3)
RGC: D Jones; R Tudor, A Bagshaw, D Cross (capt), S Stoddart; B McBryde, C Dever; J Williams, R King, P Jones, T Taylor, I Evans, D Owen, S Williams, C Probert
Replacements: J Tomlinson, G Parry, P Nelson, B McQueeney, C Francis-Roberts, T Jones, D Jones, S Earl-Jones
Llandovery: J Maynard; M Meaclem, Adam Warren, R Jones, H Doel; I Hughes, L Rees (capt); D Dallavalle, H Thomas, L Green, W Evans, C Long, O Davies, J Evans, W Plessis
Replacements: J Hughes, T Davies, B Watkins, J Baker, H Holden, H G Jones, S J Jones, G MacDonald