Full Time – Swansea 53-15 Llanelli
Another disappointing performance from Llanelli. Yes, a resounding All White victory, on the day when opportunities were created they took full advantage and put points on the board. Whereas the visitors squandered their opportunities and paid the price.
The home side began with a bang when a clever dummy by Hanno Dirksen confused the Llanelli defence, with the centre firing out a pass for winger Josh Carrington to score in the corner. Fly half Liam Popham converted.
With the All Whites looking to attack again, centre Jonny Lewis intercepted a pass in midfield. Hooker Morgan MacRae found himself in space on the wing but was tackled into touch a couple of metres short of the line.
An error in the visitors’ defence gifted Swansea an attacking scrum just side the twenty-two. Dirksen set up the attack and centre Callum Carson found touch with a grubber kick a metre short of the line. Full back Harri Houston then weaved through a couple of tackles, forcing the Llanelli defence off their feet at the ruck. Popham kicked the penalty goal.
Flanker Jay Williams was penalised for diving over the top of a ruck and fly half Ioan Hughes kicked to the corner. Lock Ashleigh Hyndman took the lineout, but the supporting MacRae was held up over the line. From the resulting drop out Llanelli worked the ball out wide for Lewis to score. Ioan Hughes.
A powerful scrum by the home pack earned a penalty close to the Llanelli line with Williams opting for a second scrum. Number eight Will Hickey got the ball quickly out of the set piece with Sutton stretching over to score a second Whites try. Popham converted.
Wilson made a break through the middle but a Swansea hand managed to dislodge the ball into touch on the twenty-two. Prop Sam O’Connor showed a turn of pace to reach within a metre of the line, before the All Whites’ defence killed the ball. Ioan Hughes kicked the three pointer.
From the restart Ioan Hughes rose high to defuse a Houston Garryowen and the fly half found touch deep inside the Swansea half. Williams tapped down the lineout straight into the hands of MacRae and the home side promptly gave away another penalty. This time Ioan Hughes turned down the kickable penalty and chipped into the corner. Flanker Ellis Thomas looked to have scored under the posts, but play was brought back for a double movement.
Lock Matt Dodd made a break inside the twenty-two, finding Williams in support. The flanker injected pace into the attack and fed Popham for a well taken try under the posts, which he also converted.
Hickey raced down the blindside of a scrum with his opposite number Ryan Jenkins seemingly tapping down a pass, but play was brought back for an earlier infringement at the scrum, handing the visitors a penalty. A strange lineout throw by MacRae was easily dealt with by Dodd though and the Whites were able to clear.
On the stroke of half time a Llanelli attack broke down inside their own half with the All Whites awarded a penalty. Popham stretched his side’s lead to 17 points at the interval.
Half-time:- Swansea 27-10 Llanelli
The Swansea pack set the tone in the second half with a powerful penalty-winning drive. Popham found touch on the twenty-two and a maul set up a platform for Dodd to squeeze over for his side’s bonus point try. Popham converted.
In a rare occurrence the Whites’ pack gave away a penalty at the scrum for driving in sidewards. Ioan Hughes kicked for territory, but a mistake brought an end to the move.
Dirksen and Carson combined well in midfield with the supporting hooker Owen Thomas making good yards upfield. The visitors secured a turnover but were unable to make the most of the opportunity.
Houston was tackled late after he kicked the ball downfield and Popham chipped to the corner. A patient build up by the Swansea forwards saw the ball spread out to replacement winger Osain Knott, who dived over for a try. Popham converted.
Carrington bagged his second try of the afternoon when Houston fired out a long pass for the winger to back his pace to score. Popham missed the conversion.
Replacement lock Leon McNally stole a lineout on the Llanelli twenty-two and a clever short pass by substitute scrum half Ben Ley sent Knott over for his second try. Popham converted.
The visitors refused to give up and Ioan Hughes found touch a few metres from the line with a penalty. A maul from the lineout saw replacement hooker Rhys Cherry power over for a consolation try. Ioan Hughes missed his drop kick conversion attempt.
Next up for Llanelli, another local derby when the Quins come to Parc y Scarlets next Saturday.
Full-time:- Swansea 53-15 Llanelli
Report thanks to Paul Hopkins