Pontypridd 18 Neath 20

By www.PontypriddRFC.co.uk - Rygbi Pontypridd - Official Website / Y Wefan Swyddogol - The Valleys' Premier Team.

Pontypridd outscored Neath by two tries to one, and dominated much of the middle section of the game. But the clinching try failed to come in the early stages of the second half, when Ponty launched attack after attack on the Neath line. Inevitably, however, the talking points in the clubhouse on Sunday morning were the tackle on Lawrence Price and the eight minutes of extra time played by Referee Nigel Whitehouse. As Simon King said after the game, “some key decisions went against us and I'm not sure where the referee found eight minutes of injury time."

In a tight and exciting first half, both sides created chances without being able to finish them off. Ponty led 11-3 at the turnaround due to two Dai Flanagan penalties and an excellent try by Lawrence Price. The try came from turnover ball, and went through many pairs of hands before Lawrence got over near the corner flag at the Pwyllgwaun end. Arwel Thomas kicked one penalty for Neath.

Richard Emms and Kristian Baller went close in the first ten minutes or so of the second half, and the only score was a penalty to Neath kicked by Arwel Thomas. Then came what the Western Mail reporter described as “a key call.” Lawrence Price was attacking down the left towards the clubhouse end when he was taken out by what appeared to be a high swinging-arm challenge by Neath centre Jonathan Spratt. 

Lawrence fell to the ground, obviously hurt, and the whole of the Ponty section of the bob bank broke into boos directed initially at the Neath player. The booing increased in intensity and changed direction when Nigel Whitehouse and his two assistants allowed play to go on. The Ponty side froze for a split second, and Neath centre Stephen Thomas was able to send wing Kevin James over for a try. Television evidence certainly suggested that the tackle was illegal but not malicious, and probably should have resulted in at least a penalty for Pontypridd.

As often happens when a decision by match officials appears to be totally inexplicable, the Pontypridd crowd began to barrack the referee and touch judges, and the home players were also incensed by the sight of poor Lawrence Price being helped from the field in obvious distress. Again almost inevitably, the referee’s arm now began to raise into the air with monotonous regularity to award a succession of penalties to Neath.

We do not wish to suggest, of course, that any of the referee’s decisions at this time were in any way influenced by the anger of the Pontypridd crowd or that of the Pontypridd players. The ticking off administered to The Chief by Nigel Whitehouse after Dale queried yet another decision in Neath’s favour was probably well justified. And yet the frustration felt by the Pontypridd supporters and players was also understandable in the light of the Lawrence Price Incident. It turned the game in Neath’s favour, and due to the subsequent penalties awarded by the referee Ponty were now 11-17 down.

However, Pontypridd were not dead yet, and as full time approached a brilliant move initiated by Kristian Baller, carred on equally brilliantly by Tom Riley, ended in Dafydd Lockyer running in from fifteen metres to score the try that put the home side back into the game. As big Dafydd went over he clutched the Ponty badge on his shirt to show that although his body might belong to Neath next season, his heart and mind will always belong to Ponty.

Dai Flanagan’s conversion gave Ponty a 18-17 lead with time running out for Neath. But then came a period of injury time that seemed to stretch into the next millennium. Again, we do not wish to suggest that the referee’s watch had stopped, but wished that he had the same timepiece as that owned by the ref who denied Wales the final lineout against Italy. Stern defence by Pontypridd appeared to have stemmed the final Neath flow, and a try-saving tackle by Gavin Dacey seemed to have saved the game for Ponty. Eventually, as the minutes ticked by, Neath managed to work the ball out to Arwel, who slotted over a neat dropped goal to win the game by 18-20.

Despite the controversies arising from the decisions of the match officials, let us not begrudge Neath their win and let us congratulate them on winning another League title. They deserve their success for the consistency they have demonstrated in the second half of the season. Also, this was a tremendous game of rugby, full of skill and honest endeavour by both sides. Naturally the home supporters felt that the better side on the night lost, but the match was a great advertisement for the sort of rugby regularly served up in the Principality Premiership.

Let us also congratulate the Pontypridd side, who all played extremely well and deserved to win the game. The forwards dominated the Neath pack for long periods, and it is not often that you can say that about a game against Neath. The front five were all excellent, and Richard Emms had his best game for the club.

Our backs also had the edge for much of the game, with Wayne Evans and Dai Flanagan dictating things behind their forwards. The extra cutting edge provided by Tom Riley, and the consistent hard work by Chris and Kris on the wings almost made the winning breakthrough on a number of occasions. It was only sterling work by a well organised Neath defence that kept them out.

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