The expected close battle between the second and third in the SRC table never materialised with the capital city club running the stunned Drovers ragged in a fine display of running rugby.

The Blue and Blacks outscored Llandovery by seven tries to two to post notice that they will be very serious contenders for the SRC title.

For Llandovery, these are anxious times as Swansea could yet deprive them of a top four spot and a home quarter draw.

Visits to Pontypool and Aberavon await, whilst Swansea have two home games to play against Bridgend and then Cardiff.

The openness of the game was testament to the consistently adventurous approach of both clubs, an aim that the WRU would wish on other clubs in the SRC.

Cardiff were stacked with young Blues of huge talent, enough to question the more modest supply of players that are provided to SRC clubs by the other regions.

A chunk of Llandovery misfortune must be put down to a quite horrendous start to the game.

After fly half Ioan Hughes had pulled out of the game after a back spasm in the warm up, the Drovers soon lost two open side flankers - Stuart Worrall and his replacement Tiaan Sparrow - to serious injury and saw stand in fly half Jack Maynard miss a simple penalty.

Worse was to follow when scrum half George MacDonald was red carded in the 13th minute for a tip tackle on centre Steff Emanuel.

Llandovery already trailed to a long distance try from centre Osian Darwin-Lewis but to their credit hung on bravely until half-time, helped by Cardiff flanker Ben Fry away in the sin bin.

With Lee Rees on for wing Aaron Warren, Llandovery enjoyed their best patch of the day.

A great offload by centre Rhodri Jones and good hands from wing Harri Doel got Scarlets full back Tomi Lewis home, before centre Adam Warren swooped in after forward pressure on the Cardiff line.

It put them 14-5 ahead in the team’s best patch of the day but the pace, acceleration and elusiveness of a host of Cardiff backs soon changed things around.

Full back Matty Young, wing Tom Bowen and centres Steff Emanuel and Darwin-Lewis – all certain to play for the Blues if not Wales in the near future - were just too quick to nail down permanently, as hard and valiantly as Llandovery tackled.

By using the full width of the pitch to stretch the outnumbered home defence Cardiff’s quick, accurate passing got Darwin-Lewis and left wing Dewi Cross blazing over for two converted tries to establish a 19-14 interval lead.

In the second half, the sidestepping talent that is Bowen finished off work from slick half backs Ethan Lloyd and Harri Wilde to suggest the flood gates were soon to open.

Even though Bowen was yellow carded for taking out Tomi Lewis in the air, Wilde’s chip and gather got replacement John Goodchild racing in, Fry soon adding Cardiff’s sixth from a sweeping move by his quick-witted backs.

It was 38-14 with still 25 minutes to go with the Drovers – including prop Jamie Hughes on his 200th appearance for the club - facing a very heavy defeat.

Their forwards earned immense credit as they scrapped away to make possession difficult for the visitors.

Skipper and lock Joe Powell, back rowers Osian Davies and Evan Sheldon and hooker Cameron Lewis gave it their all to keep the line intact for 20 minutes.

Replacement full back Kian Abraham twice came near to never say die tries, but depleted by more injuries, Llandovery had to use hooker Finn Thomas as a make shift No 8 as they struggled to contain attack after attack.

The lightening Bowen lost the ball in the act of scoring and Young was all but through before replacement flanker Aled Ward finally galloped in from 30 metres against leaden-footed defenders.

Wilde’s fifth and final conversion confirmed Cardiff class and dominance and left Llandovery hopes of a top four spot very much in the balance.

Llandovery

Tries: T Lewis, Adam Warren

Cons:J Maynard (2)

Cardiff

Tries: O Darwin-Lewis (2), D Cross, T Bowen, J Goodchild, B Fry, A Ward

Cons: H Wilde (5)

Cardiff: M Young; T Bowen, O Darwin-Lewis, S Emanuel, D Cross; H Wilde, E Lloyd; J Cowell, A Rees, T Harper, C Hudd (capt), E Phillips, H Fry, L de la Rua, N Hudd

Replacements: T Howe, I Emanuel, W Davies-King, A Ward, J Harries, J Williams, J Goodchild, R Cummings

Llandovery: T Lewis; H Doel, Adam Warren, R Jones, Aaron Warren; J Maynard, G MacDonald; J Hughes, C Lewis, B Watkins, D Gemine, J Powell(capt), O Davies, E Sheldon, S Worrall

Replacements: F Thomas, D Dallavalle, J Pritchard, H Holden, T Sparrow, K Abraham, S Potter, L Rees