Words by: Paul Hopkins
Photos by: Riley Sports Photography
Swansea’s last gasp win over Cardiff was a distant memory this afternoon as new head coach Joe Thomas’ side were brought back to earth with a bump by an impressive Llandovery.
The Drovers set the tone in the opening five minutes, as despite fly half Josh Phillips taking a high ball and setting up an attacking platform for the home side, the visitors were able to secure a turnover and clear.
And at the next play, the ball was swept out wide through the hands of winger Ned Bennett for full back Corey Baldwin to squeeze over at the corner. Fly half Jack Maynard missed the conversion.
Phillips then chipped to the corner with a penalty and number eight Jacob Hopkins took the lineout, but the ball was cleverly trapped in the maul by the visitors, and the move broke down a few metres from the line.
Lock Chris Thompson collected a lineout inside the Llandovery half and full back Harri Houston got the ball out wide to winger Harvey James, but he lost possession before the attack could gain any real impetus.
Second row Joe Powell made a powerful run through the middle as the Drovers threatened out wide, but Phillips superbly intercepted Bennett’s pass to save a likely try. However, disaster struck for the Whites as a charge down at the next play saw hooker Finn Thomas gather and crash over for a try. Maynard converted.
A superbly weighted kick by Maynard found Bennett who chipped ahead into space, but Phillips managed to deal with his second kick and the visitors lost the ball. From the resulting scrum the All Whites’ pack drove forward to earn a penalty.
The home side looked to attack from their own 22, but another charge down caused panic in the defence, with Houston managing to get back to defend, before scrum half Iwan Temblett cleared.
Scrum half George MacDonald made a darting run forward, but player-coach Thomas inadvertently tapped down the pass, gifting the visitors a penalty, which Maynard chipped to the corner. Lock Harry Holden took the lineout and the home side managed to repel the maul, before hooker Jamie Cox secured a turnover as the Whites were able to clear.
The Drovers looked to attack out wide but a knock on brought an end to the move. Phillips instead chipped across to winger Ieuan Cornelius, but the move became stale and resulted in a home scrum.
The home side came close to scoring their first points when Thomas burst through the middle on an angle, but Phillips dropped the pass with the line beckoning,
Maynard then chipped up to the 22 with a penalty after a dangerous tackle by the home side. Powell took the lineout and the ball was passed out to Baldwin, but the home side were penalised for offside. Maynard kicked the three pointer on the stroke of half time.
Half-time:- Swansea 0-15 Llandovery
After the interval Chris Thompson took a lineout on half way and Houston found replacement winger Iwan Glynn on the wing, who chipped through, but the visitors were able to deal with the danger and cleared through MacDonald.
Temblett tried to dart through the middle and Thomas popped up a fortunate pass, but lock Ben Roberts was penalised for holding on after the tackle. MacDonald took a quick tap penalty, but didn’t get far as the Whites soon regained possession.
The home side got themselves back into the game with a superb try, when quick ball out through the backline saw Cornelius race clear to score in the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
The home pack gave away a penalty at the scrum and Maynard chipped into the corner. Powell took the lineout and Thomas was mauled over for a try, although Maynard missed the conversion.
Swansea looked to attack again through Thomas, who chipped into the 22, but the visitors’ defence scrambled back and Llandovery cleared through MacDonald.
A moment of magic by MacDonald saw the scrum half chip ahead and gather, resulting in Drovers’ fourth and bonus point try, with Houston unable to control his attempt at marking the ball. Maynard converted.
Replacement lock Matt Dodd took a lineout and the Whites got the ball quickly into midfield, but prop Berian Watkins intercepted a pass. The visitors worked their way upfield with MacDonald again prominent in the move, before Powell stretched over for a try in the corner.
Llandovery gathered a Phillips chip ahead and looked set to grab another try, but centre James Price intercepted a pass and raced 60 metres upfield, only for Cornelius to drop a try scoring pass, which perfectly summed up a miserable afternoon for the All Whites.
Next up for Swansea is a home match against Aberavon, who are smarting from a 10-76 thrashing at Newport, while Llandovery face a trip to Carmarthen.
Full-time:- Swansea 5-32 Llandovery
Swansea:
Tries:- Ieuan Cornelius (49)
Llandovery:
Tries:- Corey Baldwin (6), Finn Thomas (15, 55), George MacDonald (62), Joe Powell (67)
Cons:- Jack Maynard (16, 63)
Pens:- Jack Maynard (40+6)
Match facts:
Venue:- Broadacre, Dunvant
Weather:- Light cloud, 10C
Man of the match:- George MacDonald
Attendance:- 300
Swansea team:
15 Harri Houston
14 Harvey James (rep: Iwan Glynn 41)
13 Joe Thomas
12 James Price
11 Ieuan Cornelius
10 Josh Phillips (cc) (rep: Llew O’Brien 77)
9 Iwan Temblett (rep: Rhys Price 68)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Tom Crockett (68)
2 Jamie Cox (rep: Rhodri King 60)
3 Ed Thompson (rep: Berian Williams 68)
4 Chris Thompson
5 Ben Roberts (rep: Matt Dodd 60)
6 Callum Bowden (cc)
7 Ethan Fackrell (rep: Luca Giannini 60)
8 Jacob Hopkins
Replacements:
16 Rhodri King
17 Tom Crockett
18 Berian Williams
19 Matt Dodd
20 Luca Giannini
21 Rhys Price
22 Llew O’Brien
23 Iwan Glynn
Llandovery:
15 Corey Baldwin
14 Ned Bennett
13 Adam Warren
12 Rhodri Jones
11 Aaron Warren
10 Jack Maynard
9 George MacDonald (rep: Lee Rees 77)
1 Josh Morse
2 Finn Thomas (rep: Cameron Lewis 56)
3 Berian Watkins
4 Joe Powell ©
5 Harry Holden
6 Kai Jones (rep: Evan Sheldon 60)
7 Stuart Worrall
8 Osian Davies (rep: Tiaan Sparrow 60)
Replacements:
16 Cameron Lewis
17 Jamie Hughes
18 Teifi Thomas
19 Evan Sheldon
20 Jordan Evans
21 Tiaan Sparrow
22 Sam Potter
23 Lee Rees