By: Paul Hopkins
It was a disappointing opening match to the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup competition for the All Whites as they fell to a 12-29 defeat to Llandovery at a wind swept Church Bank.
Swansea looked to attack from kick off but the home side secured a turnover, with an excellent George MacDonald chip ahead forcing fly half Josh Phillips to take the ball back over his own line to gift an attacking scrum to the Drovers.
Number eight Evan Sheldon picked up the ball from the set piece and charged forward, with MacDonald able to stroll over for an easy try. Fly half Ioan Hughes converted.
Full back Harri Houston fumbled a high kick inside his own half to give the home side a scrum. MacDonald looked to go again from the set piece, but he became isolated and gave away a penalty.
Lock Ben Roberts took a lineout inside the Llandovery half, but an Ellis Lewis box kick was comfortably marked by winger Ned Bennett, who cleared to touch.
MacDonald took a high kick and fed centre Corey Baldwin, who in turn quickly passed to Kian Abraham, sending the full back sprinting through the middle, but the ball was lost forward a few metres shy of the Swansea line.
A superbly weighted touch finder was taken quickly by Bennett who sent Abraham on a mazy run through the middle, as the Drovers used their backs to good effect, but winger Ieuan Cornelius came to the rescue by touching down a kick inside his own goal line.
The visitors gave away an offside penalty on half way and Ioan Hughes found touch deep inside the Swansea 22. Lock Harry Holden took the lineout and MacDonald tried to dummy his way through, before centre Rhodri Jones fired a quick pass to Baldwin, who dropped the ball over the line.
It was a difficult few minutes for Baldwin as he tried to fire a long pass out wide, but it was intercepted by Cornelius. It led to Houston making a promising break, where he found Lewis in support, but flanker Oliver Jones dropped a pass out wide and the move broke down.
A superb turn of pace by Houston set up another Swansea attack, but the supporting centre Luke Davies was crowded out into touch on the Llandovery 22.
Roberts was initially beaten in the air at a lineout, but the home side gave away a penalty after committing foul play.
Phillips found touch on the Drovers’ 22 and number eight Luca Giannini collected the lineout, but a loose pass by prop Ed Thompson was pounced on by MacDonald, who chipped ahead, gathered, and beat the chasing Lewis and Houston to score in the corner. Ioan Hughes missed the conversion.
Phillips’ restart sailed out on the full to gift the home side a scrum on half way. MacDonald switched direction from the set piece and found Rhodri Jones, with the centre making a break, but he lost the ball forward in the tackle.
Houston ran the ball back at the Drovers’ defence from his own 22, but a box kick by Lewis was taken by Ioan Hughes. MacDonald then tried a chip and go, but the ball was easily grounded in goal by the Whites.
Hooker Logan Lloyd was penalised for offside at the ruck to give Llandovery a penalty in front of the posts. Ioan Hughes chose to kick to touch though, but the move broke down when the home forwards piled over the top of a ruck.
A powerful rolling maul took the Whites 20 metres upfield and flanker Iwan Shenton raced through the middle, finding Giannini in support. He offloaded to Phillips, but the fly half was tackled into touch a metre short of the line.
However, the home side messed up at the lineout and knocked the ball forward to give the Whites an attacking scrum five, but a poor handling error by Giannini ended the move.
Phillips took a quick lineout to Houston as the visitors looked to go in search of a late first half try, but the ball was lost forward.
Half-time:- Llandovery 12-0 Swansea
The home side almost added a third try when Rhodri Jones made a superb break and found replacement scrum half Lee Rees, but he was well tackled just short of the line and lost possession forward.
Centre Joe Thomas looked to race out from his own 22 and was support by winger Liam Lloyd, before Jones charged over the 22, but he lost possession and Rees chipped clear. Replacement centre Harri Doel almost chased down the kick, but the visitors were able to clear.
In fact, the Whites did better than clear as Houston raced through the middle, and chipped ahead, although the bounce didn’t favour him and Giannini instead gathered, but the move lost momentum.
A misfiring Llandovery lineout gave Swansea an attacking scrum inside the 22 though. A superb set piece by the visitors saw replacement winger Brandon Wood pop up to score with his very first touch of the ball. Phillips converted to cut the gap to just five points.
Winger Llien Morgan tried to beat his man on the wing but was tackled high, gifting the home side a penalty. Ioan Hughes found touch on the 22 and Holden rose high to collect the lineout, but the visitors gave away a penalty in front of the posts, which Ioan Hughes kicked.
Prop Tom Phillips made a fantastic break through the middle, putting a number of Swansea tacklers down on the floor, with Phillips yellow carded for a professional foul. Rees took a quick tap penalty and the home side battered the line, but play was stopped to sort out am off-the-ball skirmish, with the home side awarded an attacking scrum.
Llandovery were awarded a free kick at the scrum and Rees took it quickly, with the ball fired out wide for Bennett to race clear for a try. Ioan Hughes converted.
The match started to become a little bad tempered, with Liam Lloyd and replacement lock Kai Jones were yellow carded for a fight, and the Whites awarded a penalty, which Phillips chipped up to the 22. However, the Drovers knocked on at the lineout, so the visitors were handed a scrum instead, but they were unable to make the most of the attack.
Roberts took a lineout inside the Drovers’ 22, with replacement number eight Jacob Hopkins powering forward, forcing the home side offside. Substitute scrum half Matthew Aubrey chipped to the corner and Roberts collected the lineout with the Swansea backs joining a maul, but they were unable to get the ball out and surrendered possession.
The visitors got right back into the match after stealing a lineout, and getting the ball quickly out wide for Wood to race clear for a try. Phillips missed the conversion.
Houston made another typical break and chipped ahead, but this time it was well gathered by the Drovers, although they were soon turned over inside their own 22. A chip to the corner by Thomas almost saw Wood claim a hat trick, but the ball evaded him into touch.
The impressive Houston made another promising break from half way and found replacement centre Callum Carson, but substitute prop Daf Davies bumped into his own man.
Roberts took a lineout inside the Llandovery half and Daf Davies fired a pass out wide, with Phillips almost breaking through a tackle on the 22, before his side gave away a penalty at the breakdown.
Superb counter rucking by the visitors regained possession on half way, and then a penalty followed with referee Amber Stamp awarding another 10 metres thanks to Houstin speaking out of turn.
Ioan Hughes found touch five metres from the Swansea line and replacement flanker Jordan Evans took the lineout, with the Drovers throwing the kitchen sink at the line.
The home side were awarded another penalty and opted for a scrum, which proved the right decision as Abraham was able to power over for a try, which claimed two additional bonus points. Ioan Hughes converted.
Next up for Llandovery is trip to Aberavon, while Swansea host Ebbw Vale – both in the cup competition.
Full-time:- Llandovery 29-12 Swansea
Llandovery:
Tries:- George MacDonald (3, 23), Ned Bennett (57), Kian Abraham (80+6)
Cons:- Ioan Hughes (4, 63, 80+7)
Pens:- Ioan Hughes (55)
Swansea:
Tries:- Brandon Wood (47, 72)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (48)
Yellow cards:- Josh Phillips (58)
Match facts:
Venue:- Church Bank, Llandovery
Weather:- Light rain, 8C
Referee:- Amber Stamp
Man of the match:- Rhodri Jones
Attendance:- 400
Llandovery team:
15 Kian Abraham
14 Ned Bennett
13 Corey Baldwin (rep: Harri Doel 41)
12 Rhodri Jones
11 Llien Morgan
10 Ioan Hughes
9 George MacDonald (rep: Lee Rees 32)
1 Tom Phillips (rep: Jamie Hughes 61)
2 Finn Thomas (rep: Cameron Lewis 61)
3 Harri O’Connor (rep: Berian Watkins 61)
4 Joe Powell ©
5 Harry Holden (rep: Kai Jones 63)
6 Griff Evans
7 Tiaan Sparrow (rep: Jordan Evans 73)
8 Evan Sheldon
Replacements:
16 Cameron Lewis
17 Jamie Hughes
18 Berian Watkins
19 Osian Davies
20 Jordan Evans
21 Kai Jones
22 Harri Doel
23 Lee Rees
Swansea team:
15 Harri Houston
14 Liam Lloyd
13 Joe Thomas
12 Luke Davies (rep: Callum Carson 55)
11 Ieuan Cornelius (rep: Brandon Wood 46)
10 Josh Phillips (c)
9 Ellis Lewis (rep: Matthew Aubrey 55)
1 Tom Crockett (rep: Daf Davies 48)
2 Logan Lloyd (rep: Jamie Cox 48)
3 Ed Thompson (rep: Nathan Hills 48)
4 Chris Thompson (rep: Cai Arnold 48)
5 Ben Roberts
6 Iwan Shenton
7 Oliver Jones (rep: Luca Giannini 70)
8 Luca Giannini (rep: Jacob Hopkins 48)
Replacements:
16 Jamie Cox
17 Daf Davies
18 Nathan Hills
19 Cai Arnold
20 Jacob Hopkins
21 Matthew Aubrey
22 Callum Carson
23 Brandon Wood