Llandovery outplayed and outran a surprisingly lethargic and ponderous Aberavon side to finish the regular season in fine style and clinch fourth spot in the SRC table.

After recent defeats to Newport and Pontypool, it was a welcome return to form for Euros Evans’s men and came at just the right time ahead of the play-off games that loom.

The big surprise of the weekend was Carmarthen Quins’ 12–8 defeat of Ebbw Vale, which means Cardiff – easy winners over Swansea – will end top of the regular-season pile, with all the advantages of the draw that brings.

Outscoring the far-from-magical Wizards by seven tries to three, the Drovers qualified for a home draw in the quarter-finals after finishing on 63 points, a clear eight points ahead of fifth-placed RGC.

With fourth drawn at home to fifth at the quarter-final stage, it means the Drovers will entertain the North Walians at Church Bank on April 25.

“We set out last September with the goal of reaching the top four in the league and challenge for the Cup and we have achieved that,” said coach Evans.

“The record of eleven wins in 18 games could have been better, could have been worse, but we only lost the Cup final in the dying minutes.

“But we now set ourselves the goal of three wins to re-claim the title we won in 2024.

“RGC have been in great form so we know the task ahead despite home advantage.”

The 30-point margin at the Talbot Athletic Ground could have been even greater in Llandovery’s favour if they had not squandered a bucketful of chances in the second half.

Careless defence also gifted Aberavon a few tries - the first after just two minutes - but it was the Drovers who were in near-complete control thereafter.

The experiment of playing a back row of Dan Gemine, Ewan Sheldon and Tom Curry paid off handsomely, such was their force in the loose. Lock Joe Powell was again in terrific form in all phases of play, whilst Scarlets prop Gabe Howley had his best game in a Llandovery shirt both at scrum and in the open.

The biggest difference between the two sides was behind the scrum, where Llandovery’s speed of thought and deed was just too much for the home side.

In wing Jac Davies, the Drovers possessed a player of true class with an innate ability to beat men, slip tackles and effortlessly accelerate away.

The Scarlets have a player of unlimited talent at their disposal, and it begs the question why such a gifted player is not featuring more in the URC.

Add the speed and dash of half-backs Lee Rees and Ioan Hughes, the slipperiness of two-try full-back Tomi Lewis, the straight running of centre Kian Abraham and wing Aaron Warren, and the midfield intelligence of Rhodri Jones, and Llandovery held all the trump cards.

After the early shock of seeing scrum-half Scott Whitlock scoot clear, Gwernyfed product Tomi Lewis cut good angles to twice slice through.

Wing Frankie Jones brought Aberavon back thanks to poor Llandovery tackling before Warren came bursting into the line to take a Rees pass and saunter in under the posts.

More thoughtless defence let Jones in for his second try before a brilliant touchline burst by Abraham set up a driving maul for the bonus-point score by hooker Harry Thomas.

It was 26–17 at the break before the Drovers tightened up their approach to run away with it.

Weakened by the yellow card of hooker James Goldworthy for a deliberate knock-on, the Wizards let in the eye-catching Abraham, all-action replacement hooker Cameron Lewis and the coruscating Davies.

The five conversions from Hughes and one from replacement Steffan Jac Jones set the seal on the most comprehensive win the Drovers have ever enjoyed at Aberavon.

Llandovery will now have a week off whilst the play-offs between the four clubs in spots seven to ten – Carmarthen Quins v Pontypool and Aberavon v Bridgend – will throw up the two teams to go into the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals on April 25: Cardiff v Carmarthen Quins or Pontypool; Ebbw Vale v Aberavon or Bridgend; Newport v Swansea; Llandovery v RGC.