Injury update

There is mixed news to report on the injury front at Pontypridd, with a number of fresh casualties being offset by key players about to return to fitness.

The Ponty squad came home from the Brewery Field on Saturday evening with not only their egos bruised following an agonising last gasp defeat to Bridgend, but also a number of players having retired hurt from the fray.

The front row was badly hit as props Stuart Williams and Ryan Harford had to withdraw with a calf strain and a fractured thumb respectively. Both will now require tests and scans this week to assess the severity of the damage.

Fellow props Ken Knaggs and Pat Palmer were already out of the equation, leaving Ponty short on resources in this key department. Knaggs is currently serving a suspension for a sending off he received whilst playing for the University of Glamorgan and will not return to action until the second week in February. Palmer has been sidelined with rib cartilage damage, but is hopeful of making a timely return to fitness ready for next weekend’s BIC tie away to Leinster A.

Lock Cory Hill was a late withdrawal from the Bridgend game with a recurrence of a shoulder strain, but the additional recovery time proving beneficial and due to be considered for next weekend’s action.

Outside half Simon Humberstone, having only just returned from a long term shoulder injury, suffered a setback as he was pulled off at the Brewery Field with a blow to the face, initially suspected as a broken nose. Centre Dafydd Lockyer was another casualty of that game with a recurrence of a shoulder strain.

There is more positive news to report on long term casualty, second row Craig Locke, who has been missing for the best part of the season with a persistent back strain. A protracted recovery has now come to an end as Locke turned out for his local club Mountain Ash last weekend, gaining valuable match action.

Centre Adam Thomas is also close to a comeback following a shoulder operation, and is now two to three weeks away from resuming his playing duties.