Match Report: Aberavon 33 – 40 Llandovery
by Paul Williams
A first-minute controversy sadly left a shadow over this otherwise absorbing encounter that once again ended with the Wizards falling to a narrow defeat despite a spirited second-half performance that fell narrowly short of reeling in the visitors’ lead.
Directly from the kick-off, Llandovery claimed the ball deep inside their own half, and a towering box-kick from scrum-half Lee Rees saw wing Llien Morgan set off in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, Aberavon skipper and full-back Joe Gage was already across and in position to compete for the ball, leaping high to pluck it from the air. Morgan continued on his trajectory and knocked Gage’s legs away from under him, causing the Aberavon man to plummet head-first onto the turf.
To his credit referee Craig Evans immediately stopped play and moved swiftly to separate the two teams and prevent any escalation while the medical team attended to Gage. However, the home contingent felt that the sanction of a penalty and a yellow card, after a discussion between Evans and the Assistant Referee, was lenient in view of the high degree of danger. Indeed Gage was visibly struggling after the incident, and didn’t re-emerge for the second half.
As play recommenced, however, the Wizards were swiftly on the attack. A penalty in the visitors’ half was taken quickly by Gwilym Evans, sending Frankie Jones darting to within striking distance of the home line. A couple of phases later, with Shay Smallman and James Clegg prominent, and swift passing to the left saw centre Brad Roderick over for a try that was converted by fly-half Charlie Thomas.
After a period during which the attacking play of both sides was negated by the respected defences, Llandovery upped their game to reduce the home lead to just two points as the experienced Adam Warren crossed for an unconverted try, and the remainder of the half saw the visitors dominate the scoring, with tries by Morgan and fellow wing Harri Doel, both converted by full-back Jack Maynard and then, with the interval looming, lock Ross Fox was adjudged to have collapsed a maul close to the Aberavon line, earning a yellow card and penalty-try and leaving the visitors with a 7-26 half-time lead.
Things appeared to be going from bad to worse when Llandovery number eight Osian Davies went over for a try to which Maynard added the conversion, but with Fox returning from the sin-bin the Wizards seemed to go up a gear, thereafter monopolising the scoring until, crucially the dying moments. Turnover ball near the right-hand touchline was moved into midfield where back row men Clegg, Gregory and Evans were prominent ball-carriers, and from the next phase more quick passing enabled Frankie Jones, popping up in midfield, to send out the perfect pass into the path of Cori Lewis-Jenkins, who raced over in the corner for an unconverted try.
Ten minutes later it was the forwards’ turn to take a hand, with Ellis Major, a capable deputy for the injured Luke Davies, first finding his man in a five-metre lineout and then bursting around the front of the set-piece to crash over near the left-hand corner. Replacement fly-half Ed Dunford added the conversion. A few minutes later another lineout in the same place saw the visitors able, on this occasion, to prevent a carbon-copy try, but the Wizards retained possession and took play through numerous phases, with their pack battering their way ever onwards, until Dunford sent the ball out wide to where Frankie Jones went sprinting clear in the right hand corner. A magnificent conversion from Dunford narrowed the gap to 26-33 and, with still time to play, it looked like anyone’s game until Warren crossed for his second try with Maynard converting.
Still the Wizards refused to give up, and with time rapidly ticking away a period of intense pressure on the Llandovery line, with several penalty advantages mounting up, Elis Horgan dummied his way over from a ruck with Dunford’s conversion making the final score 33-40.
It was a frustrating evening for Aberavon, aside from the concern over what, if any, will be the long-term effects of Gage’s misfortune. Results suggest the Wizards have struggled to compete in the SRC competition, when in truth there has been some solid progress in evidence from a squad that has relied predominantly on new recruits this season, with just a handful of more experienced campaigners there to provide the guidance and leadership. Llandovery, along with some other clubs, have been able to retain a larger core of experienced and talented players, but full credit to the Wizards for sticking at their task and pushing the visitors all the way right up until the final whistle.
Date:
Friday March 14th, 2025
Score:
Aberavon 33 – 40 Llandovery
Aberavon Team:
Joe Gage (capt) (rep Scott Delnevo half-time); Cori Lewis-Jenkins, Bradley Roderick, Sam Jardine, Frankie Jones; Charlie Thomas (rep Ed Dunford 50 min), Scott Whitlock (rep Elis Horgan 50 min); Louis Fletcher (rep Jordan Walters 50 min), Ellis Major (rep Connor Thomas 79 min), Morgan James (rep Jack Beazer 80+1 min), Ross Fox (rep Lewis Marsh 74 min), Shay Smallman, James Clegg (rep Charlie Herdman 50 min), Ben Gregory, Gwilym Evans.
Notes:
Cori Lewis-Jenkins appeared from the Ospreys; Sam Jardine appeared from Cwmavon RFC; Ellis Major appeared from Tondu RFC; James Clegg appeared from Pontrhydyfen RFC; Charlie Herdman appeared from Neath RFC; Connor Thomas appeared from Trebanos RFC.
Aberavon Scorers:
T – Bradley Roderick, Cori Lewis-Jenkins, Ellis Major, Frankie Jones, Elis Horgan
C – Ed Dunford (3), Charlie Thomas
Llandovery Scorers:
T – Adam Warren (2), Llien Morgan, Harri Doel, Penalty Try, Osian Davies
C – Jack Maynard (4)
Referee:
Craig Evans
Man Of The Match:
1 – Frankie Jones
2 – Ed Dunford
3 – Ben Gregory
Time Line:
01 min: Llandovery – Yellow Card – Llien Morgan
03 min: Aberavon – T – Bradley Roderick & C – Charlie Thomas (7 – 0)
12 min: Llandovery – End Yellow Card – Llien Morgan
16 min: Llandovery – T – Adam Warren (7 – 5)
31 min: Llandovery – T – Llien Morgan & C – Jack Maynard (7 – 12)
36 min: Llandovery – T – Harri Doel & C – Jack Maynard (7 – 19)
40+1 min: Llandovery – T – Penalty Try (7 – 26)
40+1 min: Aberavon – Yellow Card – Ross Fox
40+2 min: Half Time
44 min: Llandovery – T – Osian Davies & C – Jack Maynard (7 – 33)
50 min: Aberavon – End Yellow Card – Ross Fox
55 min: Aberavon – T – Cori Lewis-Jenkins (12 – 33)
65 min: Llandovery – Yellow Card – Adam Warren
66 min: Aberavon – T – Ellis Major & C – Ed Dunford (19 – 33)
73 min: Aberavon – T – Frankie Jones & C – Ed Dunford (26 – 33)
76 min: Llandovery – End Yellow Card – Adam Warren
79 min: Llandovery – T – Adam Warren & C – Jack Maynard (26 – 40)
80+7 min: Aberavon – T – Elis Horgan & C – Ed Dunford (33 – 40)
80+8 min: Full Time
