Match Preview – Pontypridd v Merthyr
This Saturday 12th November Pontypridd welcome Merthyr to Sardis Road in the Indigo Group Premiership, the Valleys Derby match kicks off at 2:30pm. It will be both sides first outings for a fortnight as there were no Premiership matches last weekend.
Last season the two clubs met three times throughout the year. It was one win apiece in the Welsh Premiership Cup during the early months of last season. On Saturday 2nd October 2021 Ponty won a close contest 21-14 at Sardis Road before Merthyr avenged that defeat the following month at The Wern. In the sole league match last season on Saturday 5th March 2022, Ponty sealed a dramatic late 19-17 win after Dale Stuckey converted a last-gasp Cole Swannack try.
Pontypridd will be looking to get back to winning ways following an agonising, last-second defeat a week last Saturday at home against Llanelli. Two days prior to Ponty’s match, Merthyr enjoyed a 37-7 bonus-point win at home against Carmarthen Quins in front of the Thursday night S4C cameras.
Team news…
There are 5 changes to the Ponty starting XV that played Llanelli a couple of weeks ago. Jordan Howells returns at inside-centre and Joel Raikes starts at scrum-half. Up front there are two changes in the front row with Rob Jones and Morgan Bosanko coming in to start at hooker and prop respectively. Sion Parry is drafted in to start at openside flanker with Cally James switching across the scrum to the blindside flanker berth.
On the bench there’s a return to the matchday squad for Cai James and a potential club debut for young prop Daf Davies who is on permit from Treorchy RFC.
The Pontypridd team selected to play Merthyr is as follows:
15. Lloyd Rowlands. 14. Niko Matawalu. 13. Tommy Morgan. 12. Jordan Howells. 11. Dale Stuckey. 10. Joseph Scrivens. 9. Joel Raikes
1. Ben Stephens. 2. Rob Jones. 3. Morgan Bosanko. 4. Kris Parker (c). 5. James Little. 6. Cally James. 7. Sion Parry. 8. Joe Miles
Subs: 16. Nathan Huish. 17. Garyn Daniel. 18. Daf Davies. 19. Cai James. 20. Aled Ward. 21. Rory Harries. 22. Ceri Morris. 23. Matt Bancroft
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.
Supporter access is via the clubhouse end of the ground only as the Pwllgwaun end remains closed.
Live Autumn Nations Rugby in The Clubhouse –
Off the pitch we will be bringing you more live International rugby including Wales’ second match in the 2022 Autumn Nations Series against Argentina, that match kicks-off at 5:30pm – perfect timing to allow supporters to get a seat in the Sardis Road Clubhouse following Ponty’s match aginst Merthyr.
The Clubhouse will be open from midday and we will be showing the following matches live –
Saturday 12th November 2022 –
- Ireland v Fiji, 1:00pm kick-off
- England v Japan, 3:15pm kick-off
- Wales v Argentina, 5:30pm kick-off
Get ready for an action-packed day of rugby on and off the pitch this Saturday at Sardis Road.
