By: Paul Hopkins
Jack Maynard broke Swansea hearts by kicking a last gasp penalty goal to clinch victory for Llandovery, despite an outstanding display by Jonathan Thomas’ men.
It began promising for Swansea when fly half Josh Phillips tried an inventive dink across the field for the chasing winger Brandon Wood, but the ball beat him touch.
Prop Jamie Hughes then hacked on a loose ball, forcing the Whites backwards, but Phillips was able to recover and clear.
Lock Joe Powell took a lineout and the home side made good yards into the 22, with the Whites penalised for an offside offence. Fly half Ioan Hughes turned down a kickable penalty to instead chip into the corner.
Powell again took the lineout and this time a regulation rolling maul saw hooker Finn Thomas touch down for a try. Ioan Hughes converted.
A powerful run by number eight Dom Kossuth set up a Llandovery attack and Ioan Hughes chipped through to the corner, but Wood shepherded the ball safely into touch.
A high kick by Phillips was superbly taken by full back Lewis Edwards and the Drovers were penalised for offside, with prop Kian Hire taking a quick tap penalty to get his side moving, but fellow prop Daf Davies spilled the ball forward and scrum half George MacDonald cleared.
Davies was turned over by flanker Stuart Worrall and Ioan Hughes made a break on the wing, before the visitors were penalised for offside. Ioan Hughes found touch inside the 22, but lock Matt Dodd nipped in to steal the lineout.
Centre Callum Carson took a quick lineout and winger Aaron Warren tried to prevent a 50/22, but inadvertently spilled the ball into touch to gift Swansea with an attacking lineout. A well worked rolling maul saw hooker Jamie Cox stopped a few metres short of the line, but centre Joe Thomas lost the ball forward over the line.
A huge clearance kick by Aaron Warren got the Drovers back up within Swansea territory, and a turnover soon followed with Edwards wrapped up in the tackle after taking a high kick.
Phillips found touch deep inside the Drovers’ 22 with a penalty and flanker Ethan Fackrell took the lineout, although Cox’s throw wasn’t straight, so the visitors surrendered the attacking opportunity. However, a powerful scrum by the Whites earned a penalty, which Phillips again dinked into touch.
This time Dodd took the lineout and Cox was driven over for a try. Phillips curled his conversion straight through the posts to tie the scores.
The Drovers were back in possession from the restart with centre Adam Warren making a break, but the visitors were penalised for obstruction. Replacement full back Maynard kicked the three pointer.
The visitors away a penalty for a high tackle and Ioan Hughes found touch mid way between half way and the 22. A chip ahead almost resulted in a try, but Maynard knocked the ball forward.
A superb kick ahead by Carson saw Wood chase down the wing, but the Drovers managed to get back to defend and prevent a certain try.
A clever dummy by MacDonald saw him race from his own 22 up into Swansea’s 22, and Carson was yellow carded for a professional foul. Ioan Hughes chipped into the corner, and although the Drovers’ pack initially moved the maul forward, their counterparts defended well to earn a relieving scrum.
However, the Whites gave away a penalty at the scrum and Llandovery chose a tap penalty, with Kossuth twisting his body over the line for a try. Maynard converted.
Half-time:- Llandovery 17-7 Swansea
After the interval centre Corey Baldwin almost sprinted through a gap in the middle, but was held, and then Maynard knocked on to bring an end to the move.
Ioan Hughes missed touch with a penalty, allowing Edwards to clear long, but Wood and Phillips were penalised for obstructing a chaser from reaching MacDonald’s high box kick. Ioan Hughes chipped deep into the corner with the penalty, but the ball became loose and Swansea were able to clear.
Baldwin was penalised for holding on after the tackle and Phillips found touch inside the Llandovery half. A high kick by the visitors forced an offside offence and Phillips chipped into the corner with the penalty.
The lineout didn’t quite go to plan for the visitors, but they were awarded a scrum soon after Powell knocked the ball forward. Dodd looked to power forward towards the line, and was held up, but lock Chris Thompson used his strength to squeeze over for a second Swansea try. Maynard converted.
A poor error at the restart gifted the Drovers with an attacking platform, but Aaron Warren overran a pass out wide and lost possession forward to end the move.
The home pack showed their strength to drive Swansea off the ball and earn a penalty, which Ioan Hughes chipped into the corner. Powell took the lineout, but replacement hooker Cameron Lewis was stopped inches short of the line, although the ball was swept out for Aaron Warren to take a crash ball and score. Maynard converted.
Swansea hit back when, in a moment of magic, Phillips made a superb break through the middle and found Carson on the wing, who passed back inside for Phillips to score a sensational try, which he also converted.
Llandovery threatened through a great move involving flanker Dan Gemine, replacement flanker Osian Davies and substitute scrum half Lee Rees, before Ioan Hughes chipped into the corner as the home side ran out of options. However, the home side stayed patient and battered the Whites’ line with replacement lock Chris Long crashing over for a try. Maynard converted.
Maynard tried to race out of defence, and evaded the tackle of Phillips, but then ran into danger, giving away a penalty, which Phillips chipped to the corner. Chris Thompson took the lineout, but outstanding defensive work by the Llandovery pack saw the ball turned over.
The Whites secured a bonus point when a sharp turn of pace by Edwards saw the full back send a long pass out wide for replacement winger Ieuan Cornelius to score. Phillips converted.
Rees took a quick tap penalty and chipped deep into Swansea territory, but Cornelius superbly got back to defend, with the Whites able to clear long.
Swansea looked to attack again through Edwards and Wood, before a high tackle on Thomas gave the visitors a kickable penalty. Phillips converted the three pointer to tie the scores at 31 apiece.
Ioan Hughes took a short restart with his side staying in possession, but winger Llien Morgan lost the ball forward close to the 22. However, with the final play of the match, on the advice of his touch judge, referee Ben Whitehouse reversed a penalty after adjudging replacement scrum half Iwan Temblett to have kicked the ball back into the scrum.
It gave Maynard an opportunity to win the match, and he remained calm and collected to kick the penalty goal and win the match for the Drovers – breaking Swansea hearts in the process.
Next up for Llandovery is a trip to RGC 1404, while Swansea travel to Newport.
Full-time:- Llandovery 34-31 Swansea
Llandovery:
Tries:- Finn Thomas (5), Dom Kossuth (40+5), Aaron Warren (59), Chris Long (70)
Cons:- Ioan Hughes (6), Jack Maynard (40+6, 60, 71)
Pens:- Jack Maynard (30, 80+8)
Swansea:
Tries:- Jamie Cox (27), Chris Thompson (53), Josh Phillips (63), Ieuan Cornelius (76)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (28, 54, 64, 77)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (80+2)
Yellow cards:- Callum Carson (40+2)
Match facts:
Venue:- Church Bank, Llandovery
Weather:- Light rain showers, 14C
Man of the match:- Joe Powell
Referee:- Ben Whitehouse
Attendance:- 600
Llandovery team:
15 Kian Abraham (rep: Jack Maynard 28)
14 Llien Morgan
13 Corey Baldwin
12 Adam Warren (rep: Rhodri Jones 78)
11 Aaron Warren
10 Ioan Hughes
9 George MacDonald (rep: Lee Rees 64)
1 Jamie Hughes (rep: Tom Phillips 64)
2 Finn Thomas (rep: Cameron Lewis 56)
3 Berian Watkins (rep: Tom Pritchard 56)
4 Dylan Alford
5 Joe Powell ©
6 Dan Gemine
7 Stuart Worrall (rep: Osian Davies 39)
8 Dom Kossuth (rep: Chris Long 47)
Replacements:
16 Cameron Lewis
17 Tom Phillips
18 Tom Pritchard
19 Chris Long
20 Osian Davies
21 Rhodri Jones
22 Jack Maynard
23 Lee Rees
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Iwan Glynn (rep: Ieuan Cornelius 71)
13 Callum Carson
12 Joe Thomas
11 Brandon Wood (rep: Tal Rees 80+4)
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Iwan Temblett 71)
1 Daf Davies (rep: Tom Crockett 71)
2 Jamie Cox (rep: Rhodri King 60)
3 Kian Hire (rep: Ed Thompson 47)
4 Matt Dodd
5 Chris Thompson
6 Callum Bowden (cc)
7 Ethan Fackrell
8 Jacob Hopkins (rep: Jake Roberts 60)
Replacements:
16 Rhodri King
17 Tom Crockett
18 Ed Thompson
19 Jake Roberts
20 Brandon Owens
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Tal Rees
23 Ieuan Cornelius