Bridgend beaten up front

Llanelli 36 Bridgend 3

So much for Bridgend's march to the top in Wales. A week after stunning Swansea at St Helens, they were put to the sword by the Scarlets as their forward frailties were cruelly exposed.

Leighton Samuel, the club's benefactor and saviour, may have brought the Wales wings Gareth Thomas and Dafydd James back to Brewery Field, but it is up front where he needs greater fire power.

The Llanelli pack, not noted for its power scrummaging last season, caused further discomfort to the Bridgend front five and the visitors' line-out was as brittle as ever.

To their credit, Bridgend's defence was exemplary, other than when Stephen Jones brushed aside Adrian Durston for his try. But without the hard graft and ground-making impact of forward artillery, there are few opportunities to hide behind.

And that is where Bridgend look likely to suffer this season. Llanelli, on the other hand, look set to make a marked improvement from last season.

The Easterby brothers, Guy and Simon, are back to their best after a year in which Guy broke his leg and Simon had to have two Achilles operations. Matt Cardey is fully fit again, and playing with confidence, and everyone else looks fit.

So, by the time club captain Scott Quinnell and his fellow Lion Robin McBryde return later this month, Llanelli should be a side to be reckoned with.

The man Llanelli had to thank for another stunning victory was Jones, the outside-half whose injury-time conversion had given them victory over Ulster earlier in the week. Jones helped himself to 26 points as he steered his side to a third win in four games in the Celtic League.

Jones kicked three penalties in the first half to Bridgend's Cerith Rees' one. He then continued with his try four minutes after the break. He converted that, added two more penalties and then converted tries by Mark Jones and Neil Boobyer.

Llanelli: Tries S Jones, M Jones, N Boobyer; Conversions S Jones (3); Penalties S Jones (5).

Bridgend: Penalty C Rees.

Llanelli: M Cardey; W Proctor (M Jones, 65), L Davies (G Bowen, 69), N Boobyer, S Finau; S Jones (capt), G Easterby; M Madden (P Booth, 75-78), M Thomas, J Davies, V Cooper (S Morgan, 65), C Wyatt, S Easterby (D Jones, 65), D Hodges (P Booth, 78), I Boobyer.

Bridgend: J Taumalolo; G Thomas, J Devereux (G Jones, 72), A Durston (J Funnell, 69), M Peters; C Rees, J Hewlett (H Harries, 60); C Loader, C Ferris (A Joy, 43), J Thiel, N Budgett, C Stephens (capt), R Bryan, S van Rensburg (P Clapham, 60), J Ringer (M Molitika, 72).

Referee: A Ireland (SRU).