Aberavon 22-40 Pontypridd

Both sides went into this game undefeated and deservedly it was Pontypridd that remained unbeaten following an excellent bonus point win at Aberavon.

It was Ponty that hit the ground running as outside half Simon Humberstone converted a penalty with only twenty seconds gone. Aberavon then maintained a period of pressure to score the game’s opening try by prop Neil White after ten minutes.

Pontypridd’s reply was immediate, some good work by livewire scrum half Garyn Lucas and Owen Williams almost ending in a try, and from the resulting lineout hooker Kristian Dacey driven over by the forwards to claim a touchdown.

That lead was extended five minutes later. A turnover following an Aberavon lineout saw Humberstone put in a clever cross kick which Gareth Wyatt gathered to score his first try in a Ponty shirt in nearly seven years. Humberstone put over the conversion via the upright.

Pontypridd were growing in confidence, Garyn Lucas almost going in for a score before Humberstone hoisted over a second successful penalty. As Ponty prop Sam Hobbs was sin binned on the half hour Aberavon took advantage with an unconverted try from centre Ashley Beck.

It was Pontypridd however that ended the first half on a high scoring a gem of a try. Some excellent interpassing between backs and forwards saw Chris Dicomidis going over putting Pontypridd into the interval with an impressive lead of 10pts to 26.

Aberavon commenced the second half on the attack, but Pontypridd opening the scoring as the ball was worked wide to Wyatt who crossed in the corner, his try converted by Humberstone.

The home side to their credit never gave up, and twice saw scores blocked by some excellent Pontypridd defence on their own line. Aberavon were not to be denied and following a mix up at a Pontypridd scrum, centre Ben John put through a grubber kick from which full back Paul Bamsey scored a try.

There followed a fourth touchdown for the Wizards after seventy minutes, a second for centre Beck, intercepting the ball on his own 22 and running in under the posts for a try which Matthew Jarvis converted.

Any thoughts of a home comeback were dispelled as Ponty winger Owen Williams picked up a loose ball to run in under the posts for a final try which replacement outside half Dean Gunter successfully converted for a final scoreline of 22pts to 40.

Pontypridd

Adam Thomas; Gareth Wyatt; Dafydd Lockyer; Gary Williams (David Gratton); Owen Williams; Simon Humberstone (Dean Gunter); Garyn Lucas (Kristian Baller);

Sam Hobbs (Ken Knaggs); Kristian Dacey (Tom Hetherington); Ryan Harford; Cory Hill (Craig Locke); Ryan Savage; Ed Siggery; Wayne O’Connor; Chris Dicomidis -cpt