Taylor the destroyer

MARK Taylor cut Aberavon to shreds with four tries as Swansea eased into the Swalec Cup quarter-finals.

The in-form centre, left out of Wales' 53-strong squad earlier in the season, showed his credentials especially in the first half when he claimed a hat-trick of tries in the space of 26 minutes.

But although this was the sort of display Wales are looking for after the humiliation of Twickenham, it is unlikely Taylor will figure in coach Kevin Bowring's immediate plans with Allan Bateman on the scene.

Taylor was Swansea's main attacking force as they showed up the gulf between the Premier and First Division.

Swansea were able to score ten tries even though they were without the likes of Arwel Thomas, Andy Moore, Rob Appleyard and Chris Anthony.

And in the second half they were also able to substitutes Scott Gibbs, Colin Charvis and Garin Jenkins.

Although Swansea made plenty of mistakes early on Aberavon had no answer to Swansea's free-running approach during a second half in which they plundered six tries.

Taylor opened the scoring after seven minutes and although Aberavon cancelled that out the on-song centre scored two more within 12 minutes, the second a 70-yard sprint that displayed all of his qualities.

Aberavon refused to be killed off and grabbed a second try through Steve Vickers before Swansea took the game by the scruff of the neck.

A try in first-half injury time by fullback David Weatherley and a score for wing Richard Rees two minutes after the break put the tie beyond doubt and after that it was all Swansea as they scored five tries in the final 23 minutes.

The burst was started by Taylor with wing Rees, substitute flanker Dean Thomas, Alan Harris and Weatherley all getting in on the act before the referee blew up two minutes early to spare Aberavon's blushes.

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