PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

TWO years ago Cardiff were top of the table and odds-on to win the Premiership title before Covid hit and forced the season to be cancelled.

It looked as though the title this year was going to go to Newport until RGC and Merthyr beat them in successive games.

That left the door open for Cardiff, who were guaranteed to pick up the silverware if they could win their last three games with a bonus-point, and they took the first step towards their goal with a 27-20 win over Swansea at St Helen’s.

The visitors got off to a flying start with the first of their required four tries coming from Wales U20 full back Cam Winnett.

Luke Scully couldn’t add the extras, but then landed a penalty to make it 8-0. Then came the Whites’ purple patch with an Evans penalty and conversion of a clever try from flanker Callum Bowden.

Harri Millard ran in a try before the break for the Blue & Blacks and Scully’s conversion gave them a 15-13 interval lead. They needed two more tries after the break and got them via Alun

Rees and Nathan Hudd, the latter converted by Dan Fish.

Swansea grabbed a consolation try at the death from Tom Florence, which Evans converted, but it was too little, too late.

Aaron Warren grabbed a hat-trick of tries for Llandovery to earn them a 29-28 win at the Talbot Athletic Ground to extract perfect revenge for their onepoint defeat to Aberavon in the WRU Premiership Cup semi-final two weeks earlier.

The Drovers left it late, though, with replacement Jordan Evans squeezing home for the bonus point win in a five tries to four thriller. Playing with gay abandon, Llandovery raced into a 19 point lead thanks to two well taken tries by Warren and a classy finish from Rhodri Jones.

Flanker Lloyd Evans then scored an opportunist try after following up his own kick and

No 8 Andrew Waite followed him over the Llandovery line. Dan Edwards converted both and it was 19-14 at the break.

Warren struck again to complete his hat-trick before Luke Davies and Waite again scored for the Wizards to help them go ahead 28-24. It looked all over until effervescent scrum half Lee Rees inspired another Drvoers attack that ended with a try for Evans.

Andrew Williams brought the curtain down on his decade-long career with RGC by taking the final conversion of a game that ended 40-10 to the home side against Pontypridd.

The second row was give the chance to get on the scoresheet after Christian Hone had run in the Gogs’ sixth try of what was, in the end, a runaway victory.

RGC moved up into third place as they ended Ponty’s five-match winning run.

In the other game, Carmarthen Quins were good value for their 28-16 win at Ebbw Vale that enabled them to move up to fourth.