Matchday Preview – Aberavon v Pontypridd

Pontypridd RFC are back on the road this Saturday 18th November, the team head to Port Talbot to play Aberavon RFC. The Indigo Group Premiership match at the Talbot Athletic Ground kicks off at 2:30pm.

Last season was anything but ‘home sweet home’ when the two sides met on the three occasions during the campaign, each match saw the visiting side coming away with the victory. On Saturday 8th October 2022 Ponty trailed by just a single point at half-time at Sardis Road in the Premiership, but tries from Joe Miles and Nathan Huish weren’t enough and Aberavon headed home with a 33-18 win under their belts.

The Talbot Athletic Ground hasn’t been a particularly happy hunting ground for Ponty over the years prior to last season’s Welsh Cup tie between the two clubs on Saturday 3rd December. The Valley Commandos knew only a win would be good enough to progress and an impressive performance from Ponty saw the team claim a 24-5 triumph and with it passage through to the semi-finals of the competition. Dale Stuckey dotted down for a brace of tries, Ben Burnell scored the other 14 points from the tee.

Then a month later on Saturday 28th January, earlier this year, Ponty achieved an ‘away-double’ in Port Talbot when the team secured a 27 points to 10 bonus-point win in the league. Jamie Murphy, Sion Parry, Joel Raikes and Kristian Parker scored the tries.

Pontypridd will be preparing for this week’s match against The Wizards with renewed confidence after last Saturday’s 35-18 bonus-point win over Swansea at Sardis Road, Aberavon came out on the wrong side of an 84-point points fest away at Merthyr, losing 49-35.

There’s three places and just two points separating the two sides in what is shaping up to be a congested Indigo Group Premiership league table outside of the top four.

SUPPORTERS TRAVEL –

The Pontypridd Supporters Club are organising travel to the Talbot Athletic Ground so make sure there’s vocal strength in numbers on Saturday Ponty Fans! The bus will leave Sardis Road at 12:45pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off, to book a seat on the bus to Aberavon call Phil Lycett on 01443 662561.

For Ponty Fans making your own way to the ground, the address for your sat-nav is Talbot Athletic Ground, Manor Street, SA13 1AB.

We’ll see you on Saturday, ole!