INDIGO PREMIERSHIP
LLANDOVERY made history by finishing top of the Indigo Premiership table for the first time after running in nine tries to cruise to a 62-13 home win over Bridgend in their final regular league match.
Four first half tries were followed by five more in the second as the Drovers ended the regular season with 105 points to pip Newport at the post by a point.
Jamin Hodgkins and Jack Maynard swapped penalties early on, before a try brace from hooker Taylor Davies and one each for inside centre Rhodri Jones and right wing Macs Page helped Llandovery open a 29-3 half time lead. Maynard added the extras to three of them.
Left wing Harri Doel ran in two second half tries with outside centre Adam Warren, scrum-half Lee Rees and his replacement at nine Dafydd Land also scoring.
Maynard added four more conversions.
Bridgend captain Evan Yardley and full-back Edd Howley scored unconverted tries in the second half for the visitors.
It was a 22nd win from 24 league matches this term for Euros Evans’ men – who are now gearing up to face fourth-placed Cardiff in their play-off semi-final at Church Bank next Saturday evening.
Newport will host Ebbw Vale in the other semi.
Drovers captain Jack Jones said: “To score 60 odd points there, you can’t fault the boys’ efforts.
“It’s another one of our targets ticked off the list; win a cup, which we have done, and finish top of the league and now we go into the play-offs with a positive vibe among the players in our changing room, it’s fantastic.
“We’ve just got to stay positive now, train well next week and then go into it with a positive mentality and try and get a ‘w for the community here again, which would be great.”
Meanwhile Merthyr – who went so close to beating Llandovery in the Premiership Cup final at the Principality Stadium earlier this month – finish fifth after they bowed out with a 47-28 win at Swansea.
The Ironmen were inspired by a fantastic fourtry salvo from Adam Hoskins, making it six tries in the space of four days for the winger. He also ran in two tries to help Merthyr win 29-26 at Pontypool on Wednesday night.
Hoskins scored two tries in each half at St Helen’s, with full-back Morgan Meacleam and a penalty try in the first half helping to put them 28-7 up at half time.
Outside centre Cole Swannack also scored for Merthyr in the second half. Josh Lewis kicked five conversions.
Centre Callum Carson, scrum-half Aron Hemmings and number eight Cai Davies scored for Swansea, who were also awarded a penalty try, as they bagged a bonus point.
Brandon Wood added three well-struck conversions.
Elsewhere a first half hattrick from scrum-half Archie Hughes set Carmarthen Quins on their way to a thumping 52-7 home win over Neath in their final match.
Outside centre Iestyn Gwilliam and left wing Iori Badham also ran in first half tries as the Quins led 31-0 at the turnaround, with outside half Charlie Titcombe converting three of the five tries.
Titcombe then scored and converted a sixth Quins try after the break before Lewis Morgan and Lucca Setaro added further tries in the second half, both converted by Elis Price.
Neath were awarded second half penalty try.