Lloyd’s early blitz carries Ebbw into play-off comfort
EBBW Vale booked their place in the Indigo Premiership play-offs after beating Aberavon 41-8 at Eugene Cross Park to cement third spot with two games to spare.
The Steelmen went into the game only needing a point from their last three matches to make sure of a place in the top four that will give them a shot of winning a second Premiership title to add to the one they lifted in 2016.
Evan Lloyd, playing at full-back, scored all of Ebbw’s points in the first half to put his side 26-0 to the good at the interval.
He kicked two early penalties and after Ebbw were awarded a penalty try, then added the extras to his own try, which he scored after good work from wing Ryan Gardner and centre Ethan Phillips.
Lloyd slotted two further penalties before the break and then landed his fifth successful kick after the restart after James Davies had kicked the visitors’ first points of the match.
Chris Banfield pulled a try back for Aberavon which went unconverted, before further Ebbw tries scored by Lewis Young and Phillips to make sure of the bonus point, with Lloyd converting the latter.
“It’s a great result for us,” said Ebbw team manager Dan Haymond.
“Especially against Aberavon, their position in the league doesn’t really do them justice; they’re one of the better teams.
“It was a potential banana skin that we got past.
“The start we made was crucial for us, there was a strong wind and we took every point on offer. It was a good 15-point wind and it was always going to be tough for them to come back.
“It’s lovely to get it done but the boys have just got to stay focused now. Everything is about momentum for us now. We want to go and win our last two games – and win them with good performances – which would set us up then to go in with momentum for the play-off games.”
Haymond was in the Ebbw Vale side who won the Premiership eight years ago, running 80 metres scoring the fifth and last try against Pontypridd in the 38-12 final win at Sardis Road.
“It’s much different on the side than as a player,” he added. “We worked hard to try to replicate it for years when I was there, but we didn’t manage it.
“So if we can do it and I’m still involved in some way then it’ll be great.”
Pontypool kept their own playoff hopes alive for another week as they saw off RGC 30-16 to make it a hat-trick of bonus-point victories.
Their top-four fate may be out of their own hands, but Pooler maintained their end of the bargain with five more points after another hard-fought victory.
Skipper Scott Matthews came off the bench to score his side’s fourth try in the second half to secure maximum points for Leighton Jones’ men, after firsthalf scores from left wing Mathew Powell, hooker Sam Scarfe and full-back Matt Bancroft had set them on their way.
Matthew Jarvis kicked two conversions and two penalties.
Fly-half Harri Ford got RGC’s sole try, which Dion Jones converted. Jones also kicked three penalties.
Meanwhile, leaders Newport came from behind to win 31-24 at Neath to make it 13 victories on the bounce and move on to 99 points for the season.
Hooker Chris Morris’ try on six minutes for Neath, converted by Steff Williams, put them ahead and they were also 17-12 ahead in the first half after wing Jon Baylis’ try, converted by Williams who also kicked a penalty.
Wing Lloyd Lewis scored twice for Newport in the first half while captain Ben Roach also went over for a try converted by Jacob Lloyd as the sides went in level 17-17 at the break.
Matt O’Brien came off the bench for Newport and added the extras to their second-half tries scored by scrum-half Luke Crane and wing Iwan Pyrs Jones as they moved nine points clear of Llandovery.
Ryan Griffiths scored a third try for Neath, converted by Williams, to secure a losing bonus point.