DROVERS ON RIGHT PATH TO SUCCESS
LLANDOVERY
TRIES: K Abraham (3), J Davies, Aaron Warren, Adam Warren,
T Davies (2)
CONS: I Hughes (3), J Maynard
LLANDOVERY continued their dominant run to maintain their 10-point advantage at the top of the Indigo Premiership as their attention now turns towards the challenge of Newport.
The double-chasing Drovers made it 17 consecutive wins in all competitions and 15 in a row in the league after producing another ruthless display at Pontypool.
Wing Kian Abraham’s first-half hat-trick set the reigning champions on their way.
Full-back Jac Davies and brothers Aaron and Adam Warren also ran in first-half tries to open up a 36-7 lead.
Hooker Taylor Davies came off the bench to score two further secondhalf tries and cap another thoroughly comprehensive win.
Having also helped himself to four tries in the win at Neath last month, Davies is now the Premiership’s top try scorer with 15.
“It feels pretty good, they’re not all 50-yarders, but every try counts,” he said.
“The boys just love playing good rugby and when you’re always on the front foot, the offloads sort of come off and it leads to really good tries.”
All six of Llandovery’s last six wins have come away from Church Bank, and Euros Evans’ men now have a near three-week break before they hit the road again on March 28 when they head to Newport.
And given the fact the Black and Ambers play twice before that mouthwatering top-of-the-table showdown, the sides might well be level on points going into that tussle, if Newport take maximum points from both their home game against Neath on Friday and their trip to Ebbw Vale on March 23.
“We’ve just been focussing week to week at the minute but it’s going to be a big clash,” added Davies.
“They play a good brand of rugby as well so it should be quite an exciting game.”
Pontypool had been punished in the first 40 minutes, but to their credit hit back at Llandovery and threatened a second-half comeback.
Scrum-half Morgan Lloyd scored a brilliant hat-trick of his own, including two tries in the opening six minutes after the restart, adding to hooker Sam Scarfe’s score in the first half, to bag them a bonus point.
“I think we let ourselves down as a collective in that first 40 minutes,” admitted Pooler defence coach Andrew Quick. “We gave Llandovery too many inroads and we looked a bit lost and at sea at times.
“Every time they had the ball they looked dangerous and they punished us most times they came into our 22.
“They’re in a rich vein of form and that’s why they’re top of the league, so all credit to them.”
However Pontypool’s try bonus point does at least edge them a point closer to Cardiff, who occupy the final play-off spot.
Pooler, in sixth, are now eight points back on Cardiff with a game in hand.