Llanelli V Neath
Saturday 12th November 2005 , 2.30pm KO.
 MATCH REPORT (Al Black)
LLANELLI 13 NEATH 58
SUPER ALL BLACKS SCORED 8 TRIES – THE SCARLETS WERE ATROCIOUS
Super Neath turned in another breathtaking display of all-action rugby to cast aside a disappointing Llanelli side that featured six players who have played at regional level this season including one international.
In a truly outstanding display, the Blacks captured Llanelli’s ground record and registered their biggest-ever win at Stradey Park – it was like the Millennium Stadium a week earlier as the awesome All Blacks from away simply shattered the Scarlet-clad home side.
 Llanelli drew first blood with a penalty by outside-half Ceiron Thomas. But that was as good as it got for them as centre James Hook landed two penalties either side of a surge by flanker John McPhail whose direct running then set up the position from which outside-half Arwel Thomas crossed for Neath’s opening try. James Hook kicked another penalty before Neath lost skipper Steve Martin with an ankle injury.
Llanelli were reduced to 14 when Paul Mackey was sin-binned for preventing a second Arwel Thomas try and Hook kicked his fourth penalty but Neath were not to be denied crossing the line and a Steve Thomas kick saw Josh Taumalolo and Hook free Neil Clapham get his first touchdown.
The Blacks’ forwards were going great guns, showing huge hunger and desire with Ben Davies, Martin Morgan and Tom Smith stepping up to ease the loss of their skipper at the linesout. Young props Griffiths and Mitchell were excellent in the tight and charged around like a pair of escaped bulls in the loose.
 Neath were showing great invention behind the scrum and it came as no surprise when Clapham got his second soon after, Hook adding the conversion points, but on halftime Ceiron Thomas kicked his second penalty to make it 6-29 to Neath.
The Blacks were at it again on the resumption, re-claiming the kick-off for Steve Thomas to show his power on the right for Neath’s fourth try but Llanelli got their only try of the afternoon when Mackey crossed at the posts for Thomas to convert.
But the merciless Blacks re-established command and their forwards, supreme throughout, rolled back Llanelli from a lineout and prop Cai Griffiths crossed for Neath’s fifth try that Hook converted. More impressive teamwork resulted in Arwel Thomas nipping across for Neath’s sixth, Hook again adding the conversion points and, after acting-captain Tom Smith and Quinnell were sin-binned, Steve Thomas satisfied the singing Neath fans’ demands for a half-century by skirting around the defence for Neath’s seventh try.
Sporadic tussles broke out as a few Llanelli players showed they still had some fight left and scrum-half Chris Macdonald was sin-binned before Neath had the final word when prop Craig Mitchell ploughed over for the Blacks’ eighth try from a well-executed lineout move that summed up Neath’s superiority.
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