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Aberavon v Llandovery MatchPack : Action Replay
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Swansea 27-29 Aberavon
Aberavon started their league campaign in some style at St Helens, picking up a bonus point as they went. Much has been made of the Wizards not having previously won a league match at St Helens, and in fact one had to go back to the 1990-91 season and a floodlit 'friendly' to find the last Wizards' victory there, but it is perhaps more relevant to consider that, since the game was restructured in Wales, victory has invariably gone to the home side in matches between the two sides. It is also probably fair to suggest that of the two, the Wizards have looked the more likely to break this pattern, having come far closer to victory at St Helens on a couple of occasions than the Whites had tended to at Aberavon. Nonetheless, this was a result that delighted everyone at the Talbot Athletic Ground, not least because the Wizards were in control for much of the match, and only a couple of late converted tries side reduced the margin to one that rather flattered the home side, and had them considering ruefully an earlier example of Richard Carter's occasional party trick – racing out from beneath the goalposts to charge down a conversion attempt.
A masterful display from fly-half Jamie Davies, in only his second appearance since breaking an arm back in April, was a key factor in this victory. Quite apart from sending over four out of five kicks to take himself to within six points of a personal career tally of 3000, his control and distribution brought out the best from those around him, and kept the All Whites on the back foot for much of the time. New scrum-half Dai Pritchard, a Summer recruit from Maesteg, also emerged with distinction, while another debutant – former Newport full back Luke Hathaway – operating at outside centre, caught the eye and took his try well.
Up front it was largely business as usual from an Aberavon pack that, with the exception of former Swansea flanker Rory Gallagher, consisted of familiar faces, none more so than skipper Ian “110%” Moore, who was delighted to go striding over for a rare try to get the ball rolling. With Davies having converted and kicked a penalty it was 10-nil to the visitors, and although Nicky Thomas won the race to a kick ahead to reduce the gap, turnover ball resulted in the alert Pritchard going over for Davies to add the extras before former Maesteg and Newport fly-half James Dixon landed a penalty to make the half-time score 17-8 in the visitors' favour.
The Wizards went further ahead soon after the interval, with big number eight Richard Morris, playing as well as ever in his 401st appearance for the club, thundering away to add one more to his incredible try total. Davies' conversion extended the lead to sixteen points, and although Richard Kelly touched down for Swansea to again reduce the gap, Carter's speed off the mark prevented the conversion from going over, and when swift passing paved the way for Hathaway to cross and open up a lead that pretty much reflected the run of play, an Aberavon victory looked pretty much in the bag.
The dying moments, however, saw Swansea throw caution to the winds, and two converted tries right at the death closed the gap to a deceptively narrow two points. There was never going to be time enough for the Whites to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and in that the Wizards were never in danger of losing, but if there was a lesson to be learned here it was that desperation can sometimes produce the unexpected. Swansea picked up two league bonus points thanks to that late surge, and perhaps will consider throwing caution to the winds a little earlier in future. The Wizards, meanwhile, should feel satisfied with a job well done – any win away from home is a good win, and one that also yields four tries and a bonus point is all the more so.
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