Cross Keys were soundly beaten by a rampant Llanelli side at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday, February 1 in this Principality Premiership game.
The game was dominated from start to finish by the home side, who crossed for a total of six tries against a rusty Keys team.
Llanelli started on the front foot but they couldn’t quite break through the Keys’ defence despite the early territorial advantage. Their best early chance resulted in an interception by Keys winger Nathan Trowbridge, deep inside his own 22 but his breakout over the halfway line resulted in some good defensive work by the home side to keep the game pointless after a little under ten minutes of play.
Llanelli were finally rewarded for some patience as they attacked the Keys’ line when, after a period of sustained pressure, their hooker Torin Myhill found himself free to cross out wide for the game’s opening score with 20 minutes on the clock. Gareth Walters added the conversion as Llanelli deservedly led.
Keys’ response was excellent and their first foray into the home side’s 22 resulted in a driving maul towards the Llanelli line. The maul was pulled down illegally and referee Simon Rees had no choice but to award a penalty try, with automatic conversion after 25 minutes of play.
From then on it was Llanelli who upped the ante as they looked far sharper than Keys.
The home side grabbed their second try after 35 minutes, which was unconverted, and Keys looked like they were staring down the barrel of a gun.
Another loose clearance from Keys saw Llanelli go over for their third try of the match. Gareth Walters added the conversion as the sides went into the break. Llanelli 22 Cross Keys 8.
Three minutes into the second half and Llanelli, benefitting from some woeful Keys’ defence went over again for a try. Walters added the conversion. Whatever game-plan Keys had was now firmly out of the window.
A fifth try followed for Llanelli on 50 minutes with another conversion.
Keys rang in the changes and steadied the ship for a 15-minute period that was arguably Keys’ best of the match – although the well-organised and disciplined Llanelli defence constantly snuffed out the half chances that Keys were slowly creating.
Keys finally got their reward for plugging away, after just over an hour when replacement second row Tom Lampard forced his way over in the corner. Josh Prosser narrowly missed the tricky conversion from out wide.
A straight penalty for Llanelli brought up 40 points with ten minutes to go and a further converted try wrapped-up the match for Llanelli.
Keys did manage to grab their third try, plus conversion, with the last play of the game, but it was nothing more than a consolation try for a Keys side that looked low on match practice and sharpness – hardly surprising given that this was a first league fixture since December 5.
Keys will no doubt bounce back and put this performance and result, a first league defeat in 11 games, behind them. Final score: Llanelli 48 Cross Keys 22.
• Match report by David Glastonbury of Cross Keys RFC.