Match Preview – Pontypridd v Carmarthen Quins
Pontypridd play Carmarthen Quins on Saturday 18th February in the Indigo Group Premiership. The match – Ponty’s first at Sardis Road for 6 weeks – kicks off at 2:30pm.
Earlier in the season the clubs met at Carmarthen Park on Thursday evening 13th October 2022. Tries from Dale Stuckey and Jordan Howells earned Ponty a hard-fought 21-15 win. Last season the two sides met on Saturday 11th December 2021 at Sardis Road. Ponty won 31-24, Dale Stuckey again bagging a try against the West-Walians and 23 points from the boot of Diggy Bird sealed the win.
Ponty are coming off the back of a narrow 20-19 loss last Saturday away at Llandovery whilst the Quins’ last match was a 38-28 win away at neighbours Llanelli on the 28th January.
Team News…
Ponty have made six changes to the starting XV that faced the Drovers last Saturday – three in the backs and three in the pack.
In the backs, young fullback Iestyn Griffiths who made his debut last week off the bench comes in to start. Niko Matawalu is drafted back into the starting line-up having returned from injury off the bench last week – he wears the 13 shirt and Joseph Scrivens makes a welcome return from injury to start at outside-half.
In the forwards the four props all rotate again – messrs Stephens and Harper replace Devine and Daniel and Cai James comes back in to the back-row.
On the bench Rory Harries is another who returns to action from injury and there is a return to the matchday squad for second-row James Murphy. There’s also another potential debutant for Pontypridd this weekend – exciting youngster Harri Wilde. Harri is a member of the Cardiff Rugby Academy whilst currently studying at Ysgol Glantaf. He’s also a former player for Pontypridd Schools U15’s.
Unavailable are Chris Dicomidis, who has an injury niggle and he joins Lloyd Rowlands, Cally James and Lucus Welch in the treatment room whilst Jamie Murphy and Ceri Morris are away on leave this weekend.
Go well on Saturday lads!
The Pontypridd team selected to play Carmarthen Quins is as follows:
15. Iestyn Griffiths. 14. Sam Hayman. 13. Niko Matawalu. 12. Jordan Howells. 11. Dale Stuckey. 10. Joseph Scrivens. 9. Joel Raikes
1. Ben Stephens. 2. Rob Jones. 3. Tom Harper. 4. Kris Parker (c). 5. James Little. 6. Cai James. 7. Sion Parry. 8. Joe Miles
Subs: 16. Gavin Parry. 17. Tom Devine. 18. Garyn Daniel. 19. James Murphy. 20. Aled Ward. 21. Rory Harries. 22. Tommy Morgan. 23. Harri Wilde
SUPPORTER INFORMATION:
Tickets – Admission on the day will be £12 full, £10 concession access-all-areas and under 16’s free if accompanied by a paying adult. You can purchase tickets on the day or to save time can use our new online e-Ticket system, link – e-Tickets – The club has increased the range of tickets now available to cover small groups (2 people) and large groups (4 people). We are also pleased to have introduced a family ticket for our Youth and Mini & Junior sections.
Club Shop – For all your Ponty RFC merchandise, the Club Shop will be open from 1:00pm – 5:00pm.
Live Sport – The Clubhouse will be open from midday and will be showing live Premier League football – Aston Villa v Arsenal and then a little later live English Premiership rugby – Northampton v Sale.
We’ll see you all at Sardis Road this Saturday – there’s no place like home.
