Champions Llanelli kept alive their hopes of a second successive Principality Premiership title with a bonus point win over old rivals Swansea. Former All Whites winger Bowdy Davies scored a brace of tries and posed a danger throughout the match as a home win never really looked in doubt.
Llanelli took the lead after two minutes when Craig Price did well to catch a high kick and the visitors were penalised for entering the ruck from the side. Diggy Bird kicked the three points.
Star fly half Matthew Morgan made a rare appearance for the Whites and it was his quick pass out wide that sent winger Lewis Williams over for a try in the corner. Morgan failed to convert.
The home side retook the lead with an 11th minute penalty goal by Bird after the Swansea front row stood up at a scrum. Powerful drives forward by Sam Kiley and James Bija set up a rolling maul and when the Llanelli pack collapsed it Morgan kicked a penalty goal.
Iolo Evans was penalised for a late tackle on Bija but Nicky Thomas missed the resulting penalty. Three minutes later Llanelli got their second try when the pack secured a turnover before the ball was spun out wide to Davies who beat the covering Liam Price to score. Bird missed the conversion.
The home side counter attacked from deep with Johnny Lewis sprinting through midfield before sending a flip pass to Nathan Hart who fired the ball out to Craig Price for the number eight to score. Bird converted.
The fly half had a chance to extend the lead when the visitors killed a dangerous attack started by Davies but he missed his effort at goal. Morgan missed a penalty chance of his own on the stroke of half time after the Llanelli forwards piled into a ruck offside.
Half-time:- Llanelli 18 Swansea 8
Almost immediately after half time Dan Baker and Lewis Harrhy combined to take place up to the Llanelli twenty-two but hooker Paul John dropped a scoring pass. Jordan Williams picked up the loose ball and raced up to half way but he lost the ball under pressure.
Williams looked set to add another try for the home side but Dixon tracked back to make a try saving tackle. A poor chip through the middle by Morgan was pounced upon by Davies and the winger drew in the defence before Leadbeater spotted a gap in the Whites’ defence and he raced in to score. Bird converted.
Two minutes later Llanelli were on the scoreboard again when replacement Liam Price had a kick charged down into the arms of Nic Reynolds who sprinted home to score. Bird missed the conversion.
To their credit Swansea began to mount a few attacks on the Llanelli line and after a routine lineout take by Sam Lewis, centre Nicky Harwood ghosted over for a try under the posts. Morgan converted.
The visitors threatened to make things very interesting in the final five minutes with a try when Morgan showed his class by sprinting through the middle before he found Steffan Jones in support and the replacement did the rest. Morgan converted.
Substitute fly half Rhys Jones helped put paid to any hopes of a Whites comeback when he showed superb pace out wide to race past the Swansea defence before the supporting Evans stretched over to score. Jones missed the conversion.
The home side had the final say when Morgan’s kick was charged down by Ed Price, who raced away down the wing and found Davies who beat the covering Price to score. Jones converted.
Next up for Llanelli is a home match against Newport while Swansea host Tonmawr.
Full-time:- Llanelli 42 Swansea 22
Referee:- David Jones
Weather:- Cloudy, 9C
Man of the match:- Bowdy Davies
Llanelli scorers:
Tries:- Davies (27, 80+2), C Price (29), Heatley (51), Reynolds (53), Evans (77)
Cons:- Bird (30, 52), Jones (80+3)
Pens:- Bird (2, 11)
Swansea scorers:
Tries:- Williams (6), Harwood (66), S Jones (74)
Cons:- Morgan (67, 75)
Pens:- Morgan (20)
Llanelli team:
15 D Newton (rep: J Williams 39)
14 B Davies
13 N Reynolds
12 J Lewis
11 I Evans
10 D Bird (rep: R Jones 75)
9 J Heatley (rep: J James 75)
1 R Thomas
2 C Hawkins (rep: G George 72)
3 A Beaujean
4 A Powell
5 J Galley (rep: E Price 54)
6 N Hart
7 D Eager (rep: N Cudd 54)
8 C Price
Swansea team:
15 J Dixon
14 N Thomas
13 A Jenkins (rep: L Price 49)
12 N Harwood
11 L Williams (rep: L Harrhy 24)
10 M Morgan
9 J Preddy (rep: R Wells 65)
1 R Jones
2 P John (rep: A Davies 65)
3 J Rees (rep: A Clatworthy 41)
4 A Gwynne
5 S Kiley (rep: S Jones 54)
6 J Bija
7 S Lewis
8 D Baker (rep: R Gallagher 49)
By Paul Hopkins
