Llandovery’s singular record against the All Whites continued with a 26th consecutive league and cup win over Swansea since August 2010, writes Huw S Thomas.

The bonus point win over the visitors brought the Drovers to within four points of Premiership leaders Newport with one game to play - against Bridgend this Thursday.

As it stands Newport are on 104 points, Llandovery 100 but a win over the Ravens would be enough to finish top of the Premiership’s regular season table.

The two teams would be tied on 104 points but the Drovers would be top - having won more games than Newport - 22 to 21.

A bonus point win against Bridgend would see Llandovery end up on 105 points - one clear of the Black and Ambers.

Top spot would ensure a home semi-final play-off against fourth placed Cardiff at Church Bank on May 4. 

Once again, coach Euros Evans rotated his squad, making nine change - one positional - from the side that beat Aberavon 27-24 the previous week.

Evans continued his policy of fielding young talent – centre Macs Page, hooker Harry Thomas and prop Josh Morse all teenagers – and once again they did not let him down.

Thomas grabbed a brace of first half tries before being replaced by Taylor Davies who also got in on the try-scoring act with a late score.

Morse scrummaged hard, carried strongly and got round the park nimbly whilst Page showed flashes of threatening footwork and directness.

Despite Swansea taking the lead with a fourth-minute try from wing Gareth J Rees after a storming run from lock Lewis Marsh, it was Llandovery who dominated throughout in the eight tries to three victory.

“Job half done,” was the reaction of coach Euros Evans.

“We entertain Bridgend on Thursday, need to beat them to finish top of the pile but we will not take them lightly.

“They have always been competitive on visits to Church Bank and got under our skins so we need to be fully focussed on the task at hand.

“The next few weeks are going to be hectic and competition for places in the final push is going to be intense but wonderfully challenging for all concerned.”

At times, the Drovers played with a fluency and ambition that Swansea could not match but they will be concerned at conceding 21 points to a side languishing in 10th position.

They crafted one superb try made by replacement centre Ilan Phillips and finished off by wing Kian Abraham but poor tackling gave Swansea room to look dangerous too many times.

Scrum half Lee Rees was a constant danger in the first half, grabbing two tries of his own to add to the Thomas double and one from burly prop Berian Watkins.

Swansea did get a second try from full back Brandon Wood to make it 35-14 at the break before replies from replacement scrum half Dafydd Land and Abraham took the Drovers clear 49-14.

Land and wing Harri Doel – two local lads who learned their early rugby with the Junior Drovers – inter-passed beautifully down the left to work in the Lee Rees understudy.

Yellow cards for Swansea’s Tom Sloane and Llandovery;s Chris Long fractured play and to their credit Swansea found enough energy to push over replacement lock and ex Drover Jake Baker.

With all three of their tries converted by fly half Rhys Jones, the All Whites came back to 49-21 but then lost scrum half Aron Hemmings to a yellow card.

The Drovers took immediate advantage with a close range line-out move finished off by Taylor Davies – his 16th touchdown of the season.

The Llandovery vs Bridgend game kicks off at 7:30pm on Thursday night with an expected large crowd hoping to cheer on the Drovers to top spot in the league.