By Zippy
March 19 2007

A review of the action in the Principality Welsh Premiership from Friday 16th March. Ponty beat Llanelli to continue their charge but Bridgend Ravens went down to Llandovery at the Brewery Field. For details read on.

Pontypridd 17 Llanelli 11

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

Pontypridd took an important step towards the Principality Premiership title with this win over Llanelli, and also gained revenge for the big defeat at Stradey Park in November. In a very physical but curiously low key game Ponty scored two tries to the visitors one, and never really looked in danger of defeat after Lawrence Price scored the first try in the 36^th minute of the first half.

The previous 35 minutes had seen a lot of Llanelli pressure fail to seriously challenge the home defence, and the few Pontypridd attacks crash against an equally resolute Llanelli wall. Both sides banged away at each other with no lack of effort, but somehow they seemed to be holding something back. Perhaps the Konica Minolta Cup game at Stradey a week Sunday was at the back of a lot minds?

The stalemate was eventually broken by a typical Dafydd Lockyer break through the middle, starting from near his own 22 metre line. He crossed the halfway mark, and moved the ball left to Gavin Dacey and Neil Burnett. Good inter-passing took the ball into the Llanelli twenty-two. The visitors defence was on the back foot for almost the first time in the game, scrambling back and trying to reform their line. However, Ponty quickly moved the ball right and Lawrence Price crossed near the posts for a super try. Dai Flanagan added the conversion, and it was 7-0.

A minute or so afterwards Ponty were back in their own half and under pressure, and gave away a penalty which was gratefully accepted by Craig Jones. After a bit of scrappy play between the ten metre lines and a bit more scrapping amongst the forwards, the referee blew his whistle to bring the first half to a close at 7-3.

In the second half it gradually became obvious that the Ponty pack had the better of their opponents in the scrum, and their lineout was working well. Much more of the game was now being played in the Llanelli half, and after ten minutes Dai Flanagan kicked a penalty to take the score to 10-3. With the visitors backs never causing any great alarm in the home defence, and the forward battle fairly even for the most part, the Pontypridd supporters were beginning to relax.

Pontypridd felt sufficiently confident at this stage to start to bring on their replacements, with Ian Poley and Richard Emms coming into the front row, and Grant Harrington taking over from the Chief at lock. Wayne Evans also came on for the battling Andrew Jenkins at scrum half. Andrew had been having another one of his all-action games at the base of the scrum, and thoroughly deserved a rest.

The home side was now well in control, and Kristian Baller went close on a couple of occasions from Dai Flanagan chips over the heads of the Llanelli defence. Another try nearly came from a tremendous run down the left by Damien Welch. Eventually it was poacher-in-chief Wayne Evans who got the inevitable score, breaking from the Llanelli ten-metre line, carving his way through the defence, and eventually scrambling over for the try near the right-hand corner at the Clubhouse end. Dai Flanagan kicked the conversion, and with a 17-3 lead and about ten minutes to go, we were home and dry.

Well, not quite. Pontypridd’s kicking out of defence had been rather aimless for most of the game, with too many shots being easily fielded by Llanelli and run back at us. Fortunately their three-quarter line lacked penetration, and the counter attacks were fairly easily contained. However, they got a penalty in front of the posts on the 75^th minute, and strangely opted for the kick to take the score to 17-6.

Then a moment of all-too-common Ponty madness gifted them a late try. We fiddled about on our own ten-metre line, with passes going astray, when the ball should have been hoofed down the park to safety. It ended with one of the Pontypridd forwards flapping the ball backwards over his head without looking to see if there was anyone there to take it.

Llanelli collected the gift, and moved the ball towards the left-hand corner. Now it was Ponty’s defence which was on the back foot and desperately trying reform. The visitors ended up with a three or four man overlap on the right, and lock Adam Powell was credited with the try. Craig Jones missed the very kickable conversion on the 83^rd minute, and shortly afterwards the whistle went with Ponty deserved winners by 17-11.

The game was not a classic by any means, although Pontypridd’s first try was a beauty. It was, however, a very physical encounter, with one or two of the Llanelli forwards really putting it about. There were a number of occasions when Pontypridd players were taken out at rucks well behind the gain line and some distance from play. However, our forwards were quite prepared to fight it out if necessary, and nobody more so than Ryan Harford, Tu Tamarua and Lee Evans. Lee badly dislocated his finger in the tenth minute, but didn’t let this stop him having another one of his 110% games.

Dafydd Lockyer was excellent in the backs, ably supported by Gavin Dacey and Kristian Baller. Dai Flanagan was a steady hand on the tiller at No. 10, and Andrew Jenkins had another very good game. Wayne Evans looked sharp when he came on, and it was good to see Tom Riley back on the field after injury. All the forwards did well, and Tu Tamarua won the man of the match award. A good day at the office all round!

Pontypridd	17 - 11 (7 - 3)	Llanelli
Tries: Price, Evans		Tries: Williams
Pens: Flanagan		Pens: Jones 2
Cons: Flanagan 2

Bridgend 8 Llandovery 14

The Western Mail

LLANDOVERY grabbed a lifeline against relegation when they won a scrappy game at the Brewery field last night.

A penalty by outside-half Simon Daniels was the only score of the first half, but the Ravens came back soon after the restart.

Ieuan Dobbs linked with lock Mike Powell, who sent Gareth Williams away for a fine try.

Almost immediately Hywel Thomas restored the Drovers' lead. Gareth David levelled it with a penalty, but a drop goal and penalty by Daniels won it.

Bridgend	8 - 14 (0 - 3)	Llandovery
Tries: Williams		Tries: Thomas
Pens: David		Pens: Daniel 2
		Drops: Daniel

Welsh Premiership table

16 March 2007   Team P W D L F A PTS 1 Ebbw Vale 22 14 2 6 473 422 44 2 Pontypridd 21 14 1 6 445 411 43 3 Neath 21 13 2 6 572 386 41 4 Newport 20 12 2 6 494 360 38 5 Cardiff 22 11 1 10 520 467 34 6 Llanelli 21 10 2 9 506 409 32 7 Aberavon 20 9 2 9 445 453 29 8 Glamorgan Wanderers 22 9 1 12 479 528 28 9 Bridgend 21 9 0 12 387 415 27 10 Swansea 22 9 0 13 364 499 27 11 Cross Keys 20 8 2 10 352 374 26 12 Bedwas 22 8 1 13 338 451 25 13 Maesteg 20 7 0 13 381 433 21 14 Llandovery 21 7 0 14 402 544 21