Huw S Thomas reports:
Llandovery scored eight tries without reply to finish off their pre-season preparations in some style against Builth Wells at Church Bank.
The disappointing performance against Whitland the previous week was quickly forgotten by the way the Drovers played with an impressive pace and tempo in the second half to run in six excellent tries against their Division One West opponents.
Coach Rob Appleyard was delighted by the speed and width that the Drovers put into the game after the break. "We knew that we had to step up one or two gears from last week and we certainly did that in the second half by stretching Builth to the corners before getting our fast men racing through broken midfields. The potential in the back division is huge and we will cause a lot of defences a lot of problems if we can get quick ball."
Six second-half tries were all down to speed of execution and awareness of space that brought tries to six different backs in exciting Nigerian wing Joe Ajuwa, scrum-half Rob Walters, wing Mike Davies, full-back Neil Clapham, centre Aled Bevan and wing Matthew Jacobs. With centre Rhys Williams and wing Viv Jenkins scorers in the first half, it was an outstanding day for the home backs.
Appleyard and assistant Lyndon Lewis will have one very difficult task in picking their back division for the opening game of the league season against Pontypridd at Sardis Road on Saturday. All 12 who featured at some stage impressed and with the absent quartet of fly-half Cerith Rees, centre Johan Taffetsauffer, wing Ifan Evans, scrum-half Gareth James and the versatile Howard Thomas also available, this week's selection meeting promises to be long and contentious.
Such is the potential behind the scrum that the Drovers could field two different but equally strong back divisions.
Another pleasing feature of the Llandovery performance was the improved scrummaging and competitiveness at the breakdown, a competitiveness that could further improve when new Samoan signing Nio Aiono returns from injury.
But Appleyard will not be happy at the tendency to give away penalties in the tackle area, penalties which Builth could well have converted into points if they had gone for goal rather than open up the game.
Scrum and line out were solid with Bulth product, lock Louie Tonkin shining for the Drovers, but the back row will have to support the wide runners with a little more urgency and authority if the Llandovery game plan of speed and movement is to succeed against quality opposition.
