Neath V Llandovery
Saturday 29th October 2005, 2.30pm Kick-Off.

MATCH REPORT (Al Black)

NEATH 34  LLANDOVERY 18

Although playing nowhere near their best, Neath still packed too much polish for a typically resolute Llandovery side that did not deserve to hit rock-bottom in the Principality Premiership.

Playing into the wind in miserable conditions of rain and a blustery wind, Neath’s early handling errors let them down and Gareth Morgan gave the visitors the lead. Llandovery’s joy was short-lived though as Neath hit back with a vengeance when flanker James Davies gathered a wayward lineout throw and fed outside-half James Hook who embarked on a remarkable 70-yard weaving run that left the defence stranded and resulted in a try that he converted himself.

Neath all but settled the game from the kick off that went straight into touch. From a scrum back at halfway, a simple but hugely effective 8-9-15-14 move with not a hand laid on them saw winger Steve Thomas cross for another try and Llandovery were 12-3 down.

Although the Blacks looked the better side, their irritating habit of losing the ball let Llandovery back when scrum-half Iwan Mainwaring stole away for a try that Morgan converted. Neath reasserted control with a second try by Steve Thomas who showed far greater appetite than he did on his last disappointing display at Cardiff but Morgan’s second penalty cut it to 17-13 at halftime.

With the wind behind them, Neath went further ahead with a penalty by Hook but another turnover saw the Drovers move the ball to Ifan Evans and the speedy former Wales Under-21’s wing needed no second invitation to touchdown wide out.

Neath laid siege to the Llandovery line which they ought really to have breached but bad hands continued to afflict them and it was down to the immaculate boot of James Hook to land two penalties and a first dropped goal of the season to turn territory into points.

The Blacks finally got their fourth try when prop Paul Jones touched down after a drive on Martin Morgan’s lineout take but it should have been more from a patchy display in which the Blacks disappointed outside the scores registered. Bigger tests await at St. Helen’s and Stradey Park

Neath – G.Morris; S.Thomas (A.Thomas), S.Taumalolo, J.Spratt (W.Mitchell), A.Bevan; J.Hook, P.Horgan (M.Roberts); P.Jones, A.Littlehales (E.Shervington), C.Mitchell (C.Griffiths); S.Martin (captain), M.Morgan; A.Llewellyn (T.Smith), B.Davies, J.Davies (J.McPhail)
Llandovery – H.Thomas (T.Marks); O.Rowlands, D.Augustus (I.Davies), Geraint Davies (G.B.Morgan), I.Evans; G.Morgan, I.Mainwaring; D.Thomas, A.Yelland (K.Allen), A.B.Jones; T.Walker (J.Ciaburro), Glyn Davies; E.Gwynne, C.Davies, M.Davies (D.Jones)