Swansea 28-39 Pontypridd

Pontypridd remained top of the Welsh Premiership following an exciting bonus point win at St Helens, in a game where the lead changed hands six times.

It was the men from Sardis Road who were out of the blocks first as centre Dafydd Lockyer scored his first try of the game after just sixty-four seconds following a break by Adam Thomas. The try when unconverted.

Swansea then went on the attack, and despite some sterling work by a Ponty defence down to fourteen men following a yellow card issued to Adam Thomas, All Whites hooker Scott Baldwin went over for their first try after twenty-eight minutes, the score converted by full back James Dixon.

What then followed can only be described as a crazy five minutes of attacking rugby. Pontypridd got back to within one point following a Simon Humberstone penalty only for Swansea to extend their lead through a try and conversion by Dixon. From the restart Ponty wing Owen Williams caught the ball and went on the attack, with a try in the making but for the illegal impeding of home wing Hanno Dirksen, who was duly sin binned. From the resultant penalty the ball was worked wide for Lockyer to cross for his second try of the game, Humberstone’s conversion rebounding off the upright.

The first half ended on a high for Pontypridd when, following a break by Kris Baller,  captain Chris Dicomidis galloped over from twenty five metres. Again the try went unconverted, but Ponty leading by 14pts to 18.

With Swansea back up to a full compliment for the start of the second half, they regained the lead following a try under the posts scored by centre Tom Isaacs which was converted by Dixon. Pontypridd who had so far been more clinical, hit back with three tries in fifteen minutes. The bonus point try came after fifty-three minutes as an alert Darren Waters caught the home side cold following a quick tap penalty near the Swansea line, his touchdown converted by Baller. Then  replacement lock Cory Hill powered over for Pontypridd’s fifth try, converted by Dean Gunter.

To top off an impressive performance, replacement centre Gavin Dacey followed up with a sixth try, again converted by Gunter.

Into injury time, Swansea gained a bonus point when Rory Pitman went over from close range, the try converted by Dixon. But it was the large travelling support who went home happy, celebrating Pontypridd’s first win at St Helens in three years, by a margin of 28pts to 39

Pontypridd:

15.Gareth Wyatt 14. Lewis Williams 13. Adam Thomas 12.Dafydd Lockyer (Gavin Dacey )  11.Owen Williams 10.Simon Humberstone (Dean Gunter) 9.Kristian Baller (Lewis Jones)

1.Ken Knaggs (Lewis Smout ) 2.Rhys Williams  3.WillGriff John 4.Craig Locke (Cory Hill) 5.Ryan Savage 6.Darren Waters 7.Wayne O’Connor (Ed Siggery) 8.Chris Dicomidis - cpt