21 points from the home team’s Scarlets half-backs in a dreadful first-half saw out of touch Neath end their Premiership season in dismal fashion at Carmarthen Park where they were well beaten by an inspired home team.
Quins have benefited greatly this year from Llanelli RFC’s sorry demise and they made hay against the lack-lustre visitors who looked dead on their feet.
Most of the home team’s points coming from Scarlets-attached players and Quins took the lead in the sixth minute when centre Iestyn Gwilliam crossed for a try and the rightly highly-rated scrum-half Archie Hughes completed a first-half hat-trick before winger Iori Badham scored.
Outside-half Charlie Titcombe converted three of the tries as the Quins led 31-nil at half-time and, although Neath did better in the second-half, by then it was long all over as a contest.
No blame should be attached to teenagers back rower Connor Jones (Tondu) who debuted well enough nor replacements Khalifa Al Muflahi and Brychan Wood who showed sparks after the game was long gone.
The Scarlet scoring theme continued in the second half as Lewis Morgan and Lucca Setaro scored either side of a penalty try, both tries being converted by Elis Price.
Neath were better in the second-half and managed to get on the scoreboard via a penalty try of their own but there could be no hiding a very disappointing last outing by the All Blacks.
CARMARTHEN QUINS – E.George (R.Wall); D.Richards, I.Gwilliam, J.Batcup (capt), I.Badham; C.Titcombe (E.Price), A.Hughes (L.Setaro); J.Newnian (S.O’Connor), I.Young (L.Morgan), I.James (R.Fawcett); R.Bean (L.Taylor), J.Helps; G.Davies (E.Lewis), L.Millin, T.Curry
NEATH – J.Bayliss; J.Roberts, S.Wilcox, K.Charles (K. Al Muflahi), R.Griffiths; I.Morgan, G.Williams (B.Wood); J.Powell (G.W. Lloyd) (M.Thomas), C.Morris (E.Kneath), E.Hopkins (B.Uphill); M.Davies, C.Arnold; C.Jones (T.Morgan), B.Williams (capt) (D.Ceredig), F.Kneath
Referee – Mr. K.David (Cefn Cribbwr)
Images courtesy of Len Kowalski www.lensworkphotography.co.uk
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