Match Report

Llandovery 6 - Neath 41

Church Bank, Sat 20th Oct 07 KO: 14:30

BLACKS GET BACK TO FORM

Rugby, like any game, is a results business and champions Neath pulled off a big one against cup holders Llandovery. After a poor showing the week before resulting in a 24-17 home loss against Ebbw Vale, a resounding victory was the order of the day in the Tywi Valley.

And although that's the way it worked out, there were certainly doubters at half-time when they led only 8-3.

The fragile confidence that has blighted Neath's start to the season was again present, but a 35th-minute try by outstanding captain and lock Martin Morgan gave Neath the belief to dismantle the Drovers during the second period and score five more tries.

Neath head coach Rowland Phillips seized on Morgan's try as key to a third bonus-point victory of the season.

''There was much soul-searching around the club last week following the defeat against Ebbw Vale, and in the end the players deserve praise for the way they reacted,'' explained Phillips.

He went on: ''There was something of a hangover in the first half against Llandovery, but I felt momentum building just before the break.

''We then showed more in the way of creativity, and the second period became our best half of the season.

''Confidence returned to the side, and the assets that successful sides possess duly shone through.''

Ironically, Neath scored four tries during the harsh 57th-minute binning of flanker James Merriman, with a corresponding hike in the scoreboard from 15-3 to the final score of 41-6.

The first half turned out to be as tedious as the second was scintillating.

Slow starts are certainly holding the Blacks back, and head coach Phillips is looking to reverse that trend during impending home games with both Bedwas and Cross Keys.

The Drovers had much the better of the argument during the opening half hour but frittered away too much possession.

Former Cwmllynfell fly-half Steffan Rees was guilty of two glaring penalty misses, and these failings were highlighted by former Llandovery player Howard Thomas.

Thomas, playing for the Blacks in an unaccustomed wing role for the first time, placed an excellent 12th-minute touchline penalty

Rees did manage to even things up in the 32nd minute, but three minutes later the tide turned Neath's way with the key score from captain Morgan.

Kevin James, who successfully switched from wing to centre, made one of numerous line breaks.

And aided by prop Craig Mitchell and scrum-half Gareth Williams, space was created for Morgan to lunge over for the game's opening try.

However, it remained 8-3 until the 52nd minute when Neath at last began to go through the gears.

First-phase possession off a line-out led to centre James bursting through midfield to touch down, but soon afterwards Merriman was binned and did not return.

Llandovery fly-half Rees made the subsequent penalty count, but it soon became obvious that home revival hopes were built on sand.

Wing Matthew Nuthall and replacement scrum-half Gareth James set up a second try for centre James - an eighth try of the campaign for the league's top scorer.

That led to the Tywi Valley side opening the floodgates, and in the space of seven minutes centre Aled Bevan, replacement scrum-half James and full-back Gareth King all dabbed down.

Wing Thomas improved on four of his side's six tries, but the burning question now is whether experiments in the back line continue against dour Bedwas this Saturday.