Pontypridd 42 vs Merthyr 29

A mistake on Ponty’s feed at the scrum allowed the visitors to score the first try of the match when wing Steff Andrews latched on to a chip kick to cross out wide, with full back Matthew Jarvis converting.

Chances were at a premium for both sides as the half progressed with the home side’s set piece faltering but on nineteen minutes centre Garyn Smith broke through the opposition defence to touchdown for a try which outside half Diggy Bird converted.

Another mistake by Ponty on their own line-out throw set Merthyr on a break up field and when the home side were caught offside, Matthew Jarvis easily slotted the penalty through the posts.

On the stroke of half time the referee’s patience finally ran out with the Ironmen’s ill-discipline as he dispatched flanker Osian Davies to the sin bin. Diggy Bird converted the resultant long range penalty to tie the scores up at 10pts apiece at the break.

Straight from the re-start Merthyr gifted Diggy Bird an easy opportunity to kick Ponty into the lead for the first time with a penalty from thirty-five yards out. The frantic start to the second half continued as a Garyn Smith try was chalked off for a forward pass but soon afterwards hooker Corrie Tarrant racing down the touchline from a line-out take to score in the corner.

Ponty further extended their lead when wing Dale Stuckey scorched fifty metres down the blindside and stepped the opposing full back to touchdown under the posts. Diggy Bird easily converted the score with fifty-nine minutes gone.

The Ironmen regrouped to hit back when the ball was worked wide for full back Matthew Jarvis to score out wide, then converting his own try.

The action continued unabated as from the re-start Ponty wing Dale Stuckey stepped from the halfway line to break clear. Replacement Wayne Evans was up in support and passed on to fellow replacement Sean Moore to finish off an excellent move in the corner and claim the bonus point try. Diggy Bird expertly converted the score from the touchline.

Sean Moore again broke clear as Ponty maintained momentum but Merthyr infringing, allowing Diggy Bird to kick a penalty. Again Merthyr hit back with a try as replacement scrum half Justin James sniped over next to the posts with Jarvis converting.

Any chance of a comeback by the visitors was firmly put to bed when the excellent Garyn Smith again broke through to pass on to fellow centre Daf Lockyer who touched down under the posts with Diggy Bird again easily converting.

It would be the visitors who scored the final try of a pulsating match when replacement Harri Millard raced clear from a distance to dab down in the corner. It was however to be Pontypridd’s day as they ran out convincing winners by 42pts to 29.

Pontypridd:

15.Lloyd Rowlands (Rhys Morgan). 14.Alex Webber. 13.Garyn Smith (James Lewis). 12.Dafydd Lockyer – cpt. 11.Dale Stuckey. 10.Diggy Bird. 9.Dane Blacker (Wayne Evans).

1.Corey Domachowski (Chris Phillips). 2.Corrie Tarrant (Joe Page). 3.Will Davies-King (Jon Elley). 4.Josh Hawkins (Sean Moore). 5.Chris Dicomidis. 6.Shane Lewis-Hughes. 7.Rhys Shellard (Hemi Barnes). 8.Morgan Sieniawski.

Tries: Smith (19); Tarrant (46); Stuckey (58); Moore (64); Lockyer (74)

Cons: Bird (20, 59, 65, 74)

Pens: Bird (39, 41, 68)

Merthyr:

15.Matthew Jarvis. 14.Kyle Evans (Harri Millard). 13.Tom Riley. 12.Aaron Pinches. 11.Steff Andrews. 10.Richard Powell (Ben Jones). 9.Rhys Downes (Justin James).

1.Nathan Trevett (James Howe). 2.Matt Dwyer. 3.Joe Rees (Peter Edwards). 4.Ben Murphy. 5.Craig Locke – cpt. 6.Nick White (Ed Siggery). 7.Osian Davies. 8.Phil Rees (Tom Daley).

Tries: Andrews (6); Jarvis (62); James (72); Millard (79)

Cons: Jarvis (7, 63, 72)

Pens: Jarvis (25)

Golden Bob man of the match: Garyn Smith

WRU man of the match: Rhys Shellard

Referee:-  Simon Rees

Attendance: 2,100