Cardiff 6-20 Pontypridd

There was an intensity to the start of the game as Pontypridd pushed hard upfield but guilty of numerous handling errors which often handed the initiative back to Cardiff.

The thrills and spills of a frenetic encounter made for an exciting spectacle, and with Cardiff given the early scoring opportunities but their outside half Scott Sneddon’s penalty attempts off target. Ponty meanwhile, although showing up well in the scrums, were looking more and more jittery in all other aspects of the game, allowing Cardiff a leeway to apply pressure.

Almost every Ponty attack ended in a turnover or a knock-on, and with Cardiff failing to capitalise, the first half hour remaining scoreless. A big driving maul from the Ponty pack took play right up to the home line, the visitors now gaining momentum and winger Chris Clayton crossing for a try but the score disallowed. Just into first half injury time it was a well struck drop goal from Ponty outside half Simon Humberstone which at long last broke the deadlock.

Straight from the second half kick off Ponty struck again, an opportunist kick and chase foray allowing scrum half Lewis Jones to scramble over for a try which Humberstone converted. Cardiff responded with a period of sustained pressure, held up by a determined Ponty defence, and settling for two successive Scott Sneddon penalties to open their account. Sometimes due to the referee’s decision making, sometimes due to errors committed and sometimes due to the sheer endeavour of both sides, the contest lacked structure but offered up plenty of excitement.

The Ponty pack were gelling into a powerful unit, a series of hard drives into the home twenty-two culminating in a try claimed by replacement flanker Ed Siggery and converted by Humberstone. With home full back Steve Taylor dispatched to the sin bin, Ponty were now getting the better of things, although with Cardiff always ready to counter in spirited fashion. A penalty kicked late on by Simon Humberstone effectively sealed his side’s destiny, a series of attacks and counter attacks rounding off an entertaining encounter which ended in a fine away win for Ponty by 6pts to 20.

Pontypridd:

15.Gareth Wyatt. 14.Lewis Williams. 13.Gavin Dacey. 12.Dafydd Lockyer (Gary Williams temp). 11,Chris Clayton (Gary Williams). 10.Simon Humberstone (Dean Gunter). 9.Lewis Jones (Garyn Lucas).

1.Ken Knaggs (Chris Phillips). 2.Huw Dowden. 3.Ryan Harford. 4.Craig Locke. 5.Matthew Screech. 6.Jake Thomas (Ed Siggery). 7.Wayne O’Connor (Calum Thomas). 8.Chris Dicomidis – cpt.

Scorers: