In front of the S4C cameras and a healthy four-figure crowd, which included WRU President Terry Cobner, the Drovers swept aside Ebbw Vale – by five tries to one – to become the first-ever winners of the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup, writes Huw S Thomas.

They followed up last year’s Premiership Cup final win over Merthyr with a stunning second half display of running rugby to bring yet more silverware to Church Bank.

They will forever be known as the last club to win the old WRU Cup one year and become the first club to win the Super Rygbi Cymru Cup the next.

The Drovers have now won four finals in 18 years, three WRU Cups in 2007, 2016 and 2024 and now the inaugural Super Rygbi Cymru Cup, the last three trophies under the leadership of coach Euros Evans.

With two league wins over Llandovery this season to their credit, the visitors travelled to Church Bank with confidence, supported by two busloads of vocal fans, but could not match the high tempo game of the defending league and cup champions.

“We reserved our best display of the season for the cup final,” beamed Evans.

“We were very disappointed with ourselves in the way Cardiff outplayed us a few weeks ago but we got right back into the groove today.

“There was little in it for the first 40 minutes but once we got that early try early into the second half, our confidence grew and we got three more tries.”

“But bravo to our defence, too. It is not often that Ebbw are reduced to one try in a match.”

Evans sportingly acknowledged that the wind, which had so favoured them in the first half, dropped completely after the break and the injury to replacement scrum half Jonathan Evans, soon after he had come on, affected Ebbw’s rhythm.

But the final was a classic example of ambition and adventure getting the better of set piece and contact area power, and once Llandovery matched the Steelmen in these areas, the die was cast.

Home skipper and scrum-half Lee Rees was back to bobby dazzling form in open play and got his side’s first try when sizzling over from a surging maul by his forwards.

Ebbw’s trademark catch and drive got them a close range try in the first half, scored by skipper Joe Franchi, playing in his 200th game for the Gwent club, but they trailed 13-7 at half-time.

Rees’s excellent half back partner Ioan Hughes gained huge ground with his kicks as well as putting over a conversion and two penalties in a classy display of controlled rugby.

Soon after the break, Llandovery showed that they too can score from a close range line-out with hooker Taylor Davies crashing over before they really cut loose with three tries in a dozen minutes.

With flanker Jack Pope in the sin bin, the 14 men conceded tries to wings Harri Doel and Kian Abraham plus flanker Osian Davies, who were at the end of fine free flowing interpassing by backs and forwards alike.

Doel finished clinically wide out, Abraham‘s try was a fine chip and chase in close space, and Davies galloped over to cap a fine performance in the loose.

It could have been worse for the flagging Steelmen as tries for No 8 Nathan Hart and Rees were chalked off for an earlier infringement and forward pass respectively.

With lock Joe Powell running like a stag, full back Jac Davies causing untold problems with his stabbing counter attacks and Rees ever threatening, Llandovery were in complete control against a spent force.

The last word was fittingly from replacement fly-half Jack Maynard whose conversion of the Osian Davies try celebrated his 200th game for the club.

Llandovery

Tries: L Rees, T Davies, H Doel, K Abraham, O Davies

Cons: I Hughes (3), J Maynard

Pens: I Hughes (2)

Ebbw Vale

Try: J Franchi

Con: E Lloyd

Llandovery: J Davies; K Abraham, Adam Warren, R Jones, H Doel; I Hughes, L Rees (capt); J Hughes, T Davies, B Watkins, E Scragg, J Powell, O Davies, N Hart, S Worrall

Replacements: D Dallavalle, G Williams, G Jones, E Sheldon, J Evans, J Maynard, L Morgan, G MacDonald

Ebbw Vale: M Richards; E Bowden, C Davies, D Franchi, R Gardner; E Lloyd, R Harries; L Garrett, J Franchi (capt), A Williams, D Bartlett, C Gregory, J Pope, R Jenkins, S Parry

Replacements: I Morris, M Williams, A Court, C Regan, L Young, J Evans, K Rees, M Jones