Pontypridd have five-point advantage

[Ireland On-line] PONTYPRIDD will take a five-point advantage into the second leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final against Connacht at Sardis Road on Saturday evening - but the job is only half done.

The Welsh Cup holders won a thrilling first-leg encounter 35-30 but lost classy centre pairing Sonny Parker and Jonny Bryant to injury in the process.

Connacht coach Steph Nel promises that Pontypridd still have work to do in the battle for a place in the semi-finals.

"It's far from a dead tie," said Nel.

"We have got everything to play for and we will have the same attitude we had in Athlone - to go all out to win the game and let things like points difference and try counts take care of themselves.

"It was four tries apiece in the first leg and I feel we wasted a couple of other scoring opportunities while they capitalised on our mistakes."

"We have got some hard work to do before the second leg at Sardis Road, our scrum must improve and we need to have a bit of a look at our defensive patterns".