MASON’S BACK WITH A BANG
MASON Grady was only 17 when he made his Cardiff debut against Ebbw Vale in 2019. His potential had been recognised and he blossomed in the midfield at Pontypridd before a knee injury struck.
Now fully fit and firing, and having just celebrated his 20th birthday, he looks set to continue a rise he hopes will allow him to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Cory and add a senior Wales cap to the ones he has already won at U18 and U20 levels.
He was certainly too hot for Llandovery to handle in a battle between the two teams who had been knocked out of the WRU Premiership Cup in the semi-finals a week earlier. He ran in a hat-trick of tries as the Blue and Blacks plundered seven at Church Bank.
“It was a huge disappointment to lose to Newport in the cup semi-final. On reflection it was a game that was there to be won,” said Cardiff head coach Steve Law.
Cardiff were dominant in the contact area and too direct and powerful behind the scrum. Jamie Hill ran the show from scrum-half.
It was all Cardiff early on and wing James Beal came close to crossing before Llandovery had their own period of pressure. The Drovers turned down two easy penalties in search of a try and eventually took the lead when centre Rhodri Jones cut a great angle to send hooker Craig Thomas over.
James Garland converted and the home side should have gone further ahead, only for No. 8 Joe Powell to spill a pass from Jones. Full-back Cam Winnett’s break then put Cardiff in the ascendancy but the home defence scrambled well.
Grady then closed the gap with an excellent solo run from halfway, outstripping all pursuers on his way to the line.
Dan Fish, playing on the wing, spilled a try-scoring pass feet from the line, but when Llandovery lost the resulting scrum it gave centre Max Llewellyn room to slip through at the posts. Luke Scully’s conversion gave the visitors a 12-7 lead at the break.
That soon became 17-7 as hooker Alun Rees burrowed over from a line-out, only for Llandovery wing Tomi Lewis to score a try from a neat cross-kick by Garland, who added the easy extras.
But Cardiff were too strong at the breakdown and too swift behind with centres Grady and Llewellyn combining to cause major problems every time they had the ball. Replacement lock Sean Moore was next to score for Cardiff, with Scully converting.
Skipper Morgan Allen got the bonus-point try, Grady grabbed his second and with a Scully conversion it was suddenly 3614.
Lewis clawed one back with Garland converting, but Grady completed his hat-trick to underline his potential.
LLANDOVERY – Tries: T Lewis (2), C Thomas; Cons: J Garland (3).
CARDIFF – Tries: M Grady (3), M Llewellyn, A Rees, S Moore, M Allen; Cons: L Scully (3)