LLANDOVERY won the Aberaeron Sevens for the first ever time after a superb performance on Bank Holiday weekend.

The Drovers denied sevens kings Carmarthen Warriors a remarkable ninth Aberaeron Sevens title in 11 years, winning the final 24-17, and more clearly than the scoreline suggests.

In front of the bumper crowd, they clinched a purse of £1,200 thanks to a tremendous start, which brought them three tries in as many minutes through Jack Parkinson, Rhodri Wall and Player of the Tournament and Llandovery RFC captain Kristian Jones.

Fly half Jones - a new recruit from Trebanos - guaranteed good ball by hanging three kick-offs with such precision and accuracy that the Drovers’ jumpers retained valuable possession throughout the game.

He and scrum half Alex Davies were then able to construct attacks that put the Warrior’ defence under huge pressure, and the speed of Wall, Parkinson, wing Gareth Gibby and ex- Gloucester full back Jack Jones was too much for the Warriors.

Crymych’s Tom Powell gave the invitation side hope with a try before half time, after good work from Tenby’s Ashley Sutton, but Wall’s second try at the start of the second half put the Drovers 24-7 up, and ultimately beyond the Warriors’ reach.

Late tries by Powell - brother of Drover Joe Powell – and Cardigan wing John Lumb at the death were of no importance,

Coaches Simon Davies and Gareth Potter, standing in for Euros Evans, said that they were were thrilled with the win.

“We had only one player from Saturday’s starting line up against RGC in the Principality Premiership, so this was a fine effort to turn over such a vastly experienced Warriors side,” said Davies, a fine sevens player himself when at Cardiff.

“Any number of players have put their hands up for a Premiership recognition and competition for places is hotting up.”

Defence coach Potter added: “We’ve scored some lovely tries, but our defence too was tight enough to repel a lot of the Warriors’ pressure after the break.”

Llandovery had a scare at the pool stage when a sloppy start saw them trail 15-0 to the Flamingos - the Warriors’ second side - but then ran in four tries including one apiece by Davies and Jones to win 26-15.

Bargoed, the other Premiership outfit at Aberaeron, who had beaten the Warriors 31-21 at the pool stage, promised to threaten Llandovery progress in the semi final but quick-fire tries from Wall, Davies and Gibby knocked them for six, and Ross Barnes got a fourth try to win 28-12.

In the other semi-final, the Warriors did not have it all their way against a young and exuberant Aberaeron who had talented players in scrum half Morgan Llewellyn, centre Tom Slinger Iwan Jones and Iwan Evans, but tries by Ross Pritchard, Scott Gibson, Gareth King, James Henshaw and Powell got them home 29-7.

The final was all Llandovery in a quality game that did the tournament proud.

The Plate meanwhile went to the Flamingos, with a brace of tries from Jordan Asparasa helping hem beat Penallta 27-0.

In the junior tournaments held over the weekend, there were wins for Aberaeron (Under 13s), Carmarthen Athletic (U15s), Brynaman (U17s) and Crymych (U19s).