The Drovers racked up their third consecutive bonus point win of the SRC season at Colwyn Bay’s Stadiwm CSM, to keep closely on the tails of league leaders Ebbw Vale, writes Huw S Thomas.

The league table has an unfamiliar look thereafter. Last year’s champions Newport have not won a game, Pontypool are bottom and Carmarthen Quins - bottom but one last season - are up to third after beating Pooler 24-12.

Games between RGC and Llandovery have invariably been high scoring and this was yet another free-flowing, attack-minded and entertaining contest, already won by half-time after Llandovery had run in no fewer than five tries against the shaken North Walians.

RGC came into the game after a fine away win at Pontypool but found the SRC Cup holders too slick and quick in thought and deed in the first half.

Drovers coach Euros Evans was short of some front line players in the unavailable No 8 Joe Powell and the injured flanker Stuart Worrall, but was bravely ready to give the young its head once again.

To Llandovery’s great benefit and good fortune, Evans has the knack of identifying and introducing talent to semi-pro rugby, many of them former students of his as Director of Rugby at the hotbed of rugby that is Coleg Sir Gâr.

Hooker Finn Thomas, prop Tom Pritchard, lock Dylan Alford and flanker Dan Gemine started, and props Tom Phillips and Jac Pritchard, flanker Tiaan Sparrow and fly half Steffan-Jac Jones were replacements - eight up and coming players, six of whom were teenagers.

Alford - ironically a North Walian now in the Scarlets Academy - shone at the line-out to ensure a good supply of ball and there was a general urgency all round as the Drovers controlled matters.

Osian Davies - playing at No 8 - made his 100th appearance a commanding one up front. Meanwhile, scrum half Lee Rees was a continual threat with ball in hand, and with all-round support, the Drovers swept clear.

Tries from the bustling Thomas, brothers centre Adam and wing Aaron Warren, wing Llien Morgan and flanker Jordan Evans, plus conversions by fly half Ioan Hughes, trumped a lone home try from replacement Osian Llewellyn plus conversion and penalty from full back Dion Jones to make it 31-10 at half time.

A yellow card for Hughes just before the break gave RGC hope and an early second half try from wing Caio Parry, converted by Jones, lifted home spirits.

But it was only temporary, as the Drovers raced away to re-establish a healthy 21-point lead with a second Morgan try.

RGC stuck to the task with commendable will, and throwing caution to the wind, manufactured a couple of late tries which were scored by replacements Dafydd Thirsk and Jac Petch-Jones, and both converted, in a desperate attempt to close the gap.

Their much-improved defence restricted Llandovery to just a single Hughes penalty and although they came back to within 10 points of the visitors, they had to be satisfied with one losing point for scoring four tries.

RGC: Tries: O Llewellyn, C Parry, D Thirsk, J Petch-Jones. Conversions: D Jones (4). Penalty: D Jones.

Llandovery: Tries: L Morgan (2), F Thomas, Aaron Warren, Adam Warren, J Evans. Conversions: I Hughes (4). Penalty: I Hughes.

RGC: D Jones; C Parry, D Cross, D Jones, L Williams; B McBryde, C Dever; C Hone, O Burt, P Nelson, W Kellett, J Brown, T Taylor, I Evans, H Chamberlain, S Williams (capt), C Probert. Replacements: J Petch-Jones, G Parry, O Roe, T Taylor, D Thirsk, T Jones, G O’Callaghan, O Llewelyn

Llandovery: K Abraham; L Morgan, Adam Warren, R Jones, Aaron Warren; I Hughes, L Rees (capt); J Hughes, F Thomas, T Pritchard, C Long, D Alford, D Gemine, O Davies, J Evans. Replacements: T Curry, T Phillips, J Pritchard, K Jones, T Sparrow, G Watkins, S-J Jones, G MacDonald