Merthyr secured a comfortable 38-21 victory over Llanelli Wanderers in the Rugby Premiership on Friday evening. The hosts controlled proceedings from the outset and saw out the match without letting up. To be fair, the result reflected the gulf in form between the two sides this season.
Merthyr came into the fixture on the back of mixed results, including a heavy defeat away at Pontypridd and a win against Bonnymen the previous weekend. Llanelli Wanderers, meanwhile, had lost their last two outings — a narrow affair with Brecknock earlier in the year and two defeats in September. And here's the thing, this wasn't the first encounter between them this season; Merthyr had already beaten their opponents 54-26 in April.
The visitors did not have much to do all evening. Llanelli Wanderers had lost to Narbert 10-33 on their previous Saturday and looked short of rhythm. They conceded freely and struggled to string any meaningful phases together. By then, the game was already slipping away.
Merthyr's recent form has been up and down — they beat Cross Keys 47-28 and Barriogued 26-18 in May, but those results do not tell the full story. The coaching staff clearly tightened things up ahead of this fixture. The hosts played with purpose and punished every opportunity.
The victory extends Merthyr's momentum at home and leaves Llanelli Wanderers searching for answers. The scoreline does not lie — 38 points against 21 — and the visitors will need to regroup quickly. That price has gone, and now they face a tough run of fixtures.
