By Zippy
April 17 2006

Review of the action in the Welsh Premiership this Easter Saturday. A thrilling derby game at the Brewery Field was the highlight if the fixtures, Ponty defeated Bedwas at home. For details read on.

Bridgend 37 Maesteg 36

Wales on Sunday

WHAT a game! This local derby at the Brewery Field had everything including a dramatic injury-time try by the Ravens leaving Hutchings with a difficult conversion to win the match - and he calmly slotted it over to rob Maesteg cruelly of a victory they thought was theirs.

Even Ravens' president JPR Williams admitted: "The underdogs should have won - but what an advert for Welsh rugby."

Ravens' support play was a joy to behold with two-try flanker Adam Whitney challenging Boobyer for the Man-of-the-Match accolade.

The pattern was set as early as the third minute when a half-break by Ryan Howells was supported by Richard Radford, who put former Maesteg outside-half Mark David over wide out.

Then some great driving by the Maesteg forwards ended with old stager Kevin Ellis burrowing over for a try converted hy Stuart Morris.

Hutchings kicked two penalties for the Ravens with Morris landing one in between before John supported a quickly taken penalty by Ellis to score but, crucially as it turned out, Morris missed the conversion.

The Ravens responded with a great run by Radford and Chris Tossell made a brilliant offload to Roger Davies. Howells then got easiest of touchdowns to nudge the Ravens 16-15 in front at half time.

Just as they had in the first half, the Ravens hit Maesteg with a brilliant try two minutes after the restart.

Skipper Andrew Williams won a line-out and Tossell made a half-break before offloading to Roger Davies, who sent Hutchings strolling over for a try he also converted.

Maesteg Prop Gareth Edwards was then driven over for a try, soon followed by one from former Raven Grant Epton.

Morris converted both to give Maesteg a 29-23 lead but then came a breathtaking try by Whitney. Substitute Leighton Thomas chipped through on halfway and Tossell gathered to put the flanker away, and he outpaced the Maesteg defence before beating Morris to score.

Showing true grit, Maesteg got another try from a driving maul by replacement Gareth Bartlett and when Morris converted to make it 36-30 it seemed all over.

But the Ravens have great team spirit and their never-say-die attitude saw them hammer away at the Maesteg line before Whitney burst through their tiring defence for his second try, leaving Hutchings with a difficult conversion.

Both sets of supporters could barely watch but the full-back made no mistake to give the Ravens an incredible victory in a game which was a credit to both sides.

Bridgend	37 - 36 (16 - 15)	Maesteg
Tries: A Whitney 2, M David, R Howells, M Hutchings		Tries: K Ellis, G John, G Edwards, G Epton, G Bartlett
Pens: M Hutchings 2		Pens: S Morris
Cons: M Hutchings 3		Cons: S Morris 4

Pontypridd 20 Bedwas 16

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

Pontypridd made an industrious start to the game, and were rewarded early on as full back Jason Pocock converted a sweetly struck penalty. The home team continued to enjoy a greater share of possession, working off a solid forward platform, but tending to loose the ball in contact and guilty of carelessly  kicking straight into touch. With just ten minutes gone, the game was already degenerating into a scrappy affair. Forwards Nathan Strong and Chris Dicomidis were effective in breaking the gain line for Ponty, but Jason Pocock off target with a mid distance penalty attempt. A rare incursion by Bedwas into the home half resulted in a penalty award which outside half Andrew James successfully converted. With the visitors still gaining the favour of the referee’s decisions, James was again on target with a penalty, sneaking Bedwas into a lead of 3pts to 6.

Just into the second quarter of the game, Ponty at last seemed to crank up the tempo, with scrum half Gareth Jones sniping away around the fringes, and hooker Leighton Davies following up on the charge. Bedwas were caught infringing, resulting in a yellow card shown to winger Stefan Sankala.  An effective line out and drive saw the Ponty pack piling over their opponents’ line for hooker Davies to claim a try, a touchline conversion to follow from Jason Pocock. The home team once more sought to move up a gear, advancing into the Bedwas twenty-two, but without threatening a score. The game was still tending to stagnate in midfield, Bedwas just getting the better of things, applying good pressure in the set pieces.

Working off an effective line out, Ponty managed to apply some pressure, allowing home outside half Richard Langmead to slot over a snap drop goal, hoisting his side into a 13pts to 6 lead. The home team continued to look the more potent outfit in attack, and Bedwas losing their flanker to a yellow card offence, but Jason Pocock just wide of the mark with the ensuing penalty attempt. The visitors set off on an opportunist foray down the flank, rounded off with a try for winger Stefan Sankala, the wide angle conversion from Andrew James drawing the scores level at 13 points apiece going into the interval.

Bedwas continued to get the better of exchanges as the second half resumed, outside half James just pulling wide a kickable penalty attempt. Ponty’s efforts to put width on the ball came to nothing, generally heading up blind alleys with little creative endeavour on show. An audacious break by Gareth Jones saw the home scrum half darting away for an opportunist try, duly converted by Pocock. With Tom Riley coming on in place of Jason Pocock, Ponty again sat back to soak up a significant amount of pressure, and conceding points as Andrew James slotted over another penalty for Bedwas.

A further substitution saw Dafydd Lockyer replacing Paul Matthews, both teams at logger heads with one another in a scrappy and low key encounter. Ponty kept sniping away in attack, but Bedwas breaking away on a length of the field counter offensive which seemed certain to succeed, only for Matthew Nuthall to back track to pull off a last ditch try saving tackle in the corner. Ponty were ringing the changes, bringing on Adam Powell for Lee Evans and Gerald Cox for Stuart Williams, still in defensive mode in a game dominated by the referee’s whistle. A kick and chase rush attack by Bedwas saw winger Craig Hill going close to scoring, as Ponty remained pegged back near their own line, and suffering further as hooker Leighton Davies was dispatched to the sin bin. With Stuart Williams coming back on as temporary front row replacement, and Rhys Shellard departing, Ponty were soaking up a considerable amount of pressure, relying on the booming clearance kicks of Matthew Nuthall to give them some respite. Tom Dickens now came off the bench in place of Gareth Jones, but Ponty plunged into deeper trouble as winger Darren Berry was the next into the sin bin, the home team reverting to dogged defensive mode, being two men down, and with some walking wounded remaining on the pitch.

Enduring a torrid period of pressure, Ponty at least showed great spirit in their defensive efforts, with Ben Rose coming on for the injured Chris Dicomidis. There were ironic cheers from the crowd as some of the referee’s decisions finally went Ponty’s way, the home team clearing their lines and finishing strongly with an attack spearheaded by centre Dafydd Lockyer. A poor premiership tie, poorly marshalled by the referee and linesmen, came to an end with Pontypridd hanging on to a lead of 20 pts to 16.

Pontypridd	20 - 16 (13 - 13)	Bedwas
Tries: L Davies, G Jones		Tries: S Sankala
Pens: J Pocock		Pens: A James 3
Drops: R Langmead
Cons: A Powell 2		Cons: A James

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
1	Neath	25	24	0	1	842	333	72
2	Bridgend	28	23	0	5	666	512	69
3	Pontypridd	26	18	0	8	678	474	54
4	Aberavon	27	18	0	9	693	522	54
5	Llanelli	26	16	0	10	515	528	48
6	Newport	25	15	0	10	508	498	45
7	Swansea	25	12	0	13	645	605	36
8	Cross Keys	27	12	0	15	479	523	36
9	Bedwas	25	11	2	12	447	469	35
10	Glamorgan Wanderers	27	9	2	16	524	650	29
11	Cardiff	27	9	0	18	551	668	27
12	Carmarthen	26	8	1	17	466	684	25
13	Llandovery	26	8	0	18	508	591	24
14	Ebbw Vale	25	7	1	17	454	594	22
15	Maesteg	25	7	1	17	456	638	22
16	Pontypool	26	6	3	17	392	535	21