Pontypridd 45 vs Ebbw Vale 12

Pontypridd got off to the perfect start as winger Dale Stuckey broke down the blind-side to set up Chris Dicomidis who finished off an excellent opening phase of play with a touchdown, outside half Diggy Bird converting the score.

From the re-start home centre Geriant Walsh sped through the Ebbw defence to feed full back Lloyd Rowlands who crossed for another Ponty try which Bird again converted.

With Ponty looking dangerous out wide and on course for another try, Ebbw countered up field and capitalised on an error to claim their first try as scrum half Carl Lewis scored out wide. Outside half Lewis Dennett then added the conversion from the touchline.

The Ponty forwards soon got in on the action to lay the platform for the next home try when wing Dale Stuckey touched down after an excellent line out drive close to the Steelmen’s  line.

The outstanding opening from Ponty continued straight from the re-start which Chris Dicomidis gathered to send Dale Stuckey racing clear, launching a chip and chase over the full back to complete his try double and claiming the early bonus point score.

Ponty were dominant and the tries kept coming. This time winger Alex Webber stepped through the porous Ebbw defence to score under the posts with Diggy Bird easily converting from in front of the posts.

During Ebbw’s first concerted attack of the half, home flanker Rhys Shellard was sin-binned when he failed to retreat from a quick tap penalty. The Steelmen could not take advantage neither could Ponty retaliate to end a half they dominated with some scintillating rugby to go in at the break 31pts to 7 ahead.

Remarkably it was a full fifteen minutes into a low key second period before Ponty scored their next try. After concerted pressure on the visitors’ line, prop Chris Phillips burrowed over after latching onto a smart pass by scrum half Wayne Evans. Diggy Bird then expertly converted the try from out wide.

The game had lost its spark with chances at a premium, with Ebbw winger Toby Fricker in the meantime sin binned for infringing at the breakdown. Despite being down to fourteen men, Ebbw Vale worked the ball wide for full back Dan Haymond to score next to the corner flag.

With the clock on eighty minutes, it would be Ponty who deservedly scored the last try of the match when Geraint Walsh rounded off a wide attack from a tap penalty with a try next to the posts which replacement Jordan Rees converted.

With the referee blowing for time straight after the conversion it brought to an end a match in which Ponty’s dominant first half display ensured a convincing bonus point victory by 45pts to 12.

Pontypridd:

15.Lloyd Rowlands. 14.Alex Webber. 13.Geraint Walsh. 12.Dafydd Lockyer – cpt. 11.Dale Stuckey (Joseph Williams). 10.Diggy Bird (Jordan Rees). 9.Wayne Evans (Joel Raikes).

1.Chris Phillips (Huw Owen). 2.Huw Dowden (Grant Jones). 3.Will Davies-King (Jon Elley). 4.Shay Smallman (Harvey Connolly). 5.Chris Dicomidis. 6.Sean Moore. 7.Rhys Shellard (Sion Edwards). 8.Morgan Sieniawski.

Tries: Dicomidis (2); Rowlands (4); Stuckey (12, 14); Webber (20); Phillips (54); Walsh (79)

Cons: Bird (3, 5, 21, 55); Rees (80)

Ebbw Vale:

15.Dan Haymond. 14.Steffan Thomas (Garyn Payne). 13.Sedan Majkic. 12.Dom Franchi. 11.Toby Fricker. 10.Lewis Dennett. 9.Carl Lewis (Dan Babos).

1.Joel Harries (Ross Jones). 2.Rhys Francis (Joe Franchi). 3.Rob Sevenoaks (Josh James). 4.Kristian Parker (Owen Jones). 5.Lance Randall. 6.Rhys Clarke. 7.Ronny Kynes – cpt (Jon Davies). 8.Cameron Regan.

Tries: Lewis (8); Haymand (68)

Con: Dennett (9)

Golden Bob man of the match: Morgan Sieniawski

WRU man of the match: Shay Smallman

Referee:-  Joy Neville (IRFU)

Attendance: 1,450