PONTYPRIDD V BEDWAS – MATCH PREVIEW

Pontypridd kick off their league campaign with a home tie against Bedwas on Saturday 26th August, the match kicking off on the relayed Sardis Road 3G pitch at 2:30pm.

The visitors will surely provide a stern test for Ponty, with games between the two clubs invariable being close fought encounters. Honours were shared last season, with both games being played at the Bridge Field, Pontypridd winning the first game of the campaign by 13pts to 18 but losing the penultimate game by 30pts to 27.

That defeat was a costly one for the Valley Commandos, ensuring that they failed to make the play-off rounds for the first time, with Bedwas going on to contest the semi final tie but losing out to Aberavon.

New Ponty head coach Justin Burnell has made big changes to the squad, with many youngsters from neighbouring valley clubs being drafted in. Some of those make the cut for the season’s opener, along with more tried and tested players from the ranks of the Blues region.

The Pontypridd team selected to face Bedwas is as follows:

15.Lloyd Rowlands. 14.Dale Stuckey. 13.Cameron Lewis. 12.Dafydd Lockyer – cpt. 11.Geraint Walsh. 10.Diggy Bird. 9.Dane Blacker.

1.Chris Phillips. 2.Joe Page. 3.Scott Andrews. 4.Josh Hawkins. 5.Callum Bradbury. 6.Shane Lewis-Hughes. 7.Morgan Sieniawski. 8.Chris Dicomidis.

Subs: 16.Wayne Evans. 17.Ceri Sweeney. 18.Lewis Williams. 19.Corrie Tarrant. 20.Alun Lawrence. 21.Gruff Lloyd. 22.Bradley Thyer. 23.Will Davies-King.