Last Saturday Ponty played Ystrad Rhondda in division two of the National leagues with both sides still able to secure promotion to division 1. The game was a home fixture for Ystrad, but with their Senior squad at home playing a vital game for promotion, Ystrad graciously agreed to play the fixture at Sardis to enable the game to proceed...

Ystrad were also well under strength for this fixture as they had a number of players involved in the Senior squad, so it is to their credit that they agreed for the fixture to proceed. Ponty were also under strength due to Schools commitments and long standing injuries to Centre Lewis Egal, lock Nathaniel Williams, flanker Ryan Owen, Props Dale Pugh and Dean Brown and wing Drew Evans, and were forced to play outstanding flanker Alun Thomas as an emergency centre.

Ponty started well and should have taken an early lead. At an early Ponty ruck in midfield, outstanding Ponty fly half Lewis Smith, spotted that Ystrad had no blindside defence, and so feigning an open move utilising his centres, Smith placed a clever cross kick to the blindside, that was brilliantly chased by full back Simms, who frustratingly just failed to hold the catch with the try line begging.

Ystrad were in determined mood, and after this early scare they dominated the game with their powerful forwards and were camped for long periods in Ponty territory. Sadly for Ponty poor discipline started to creep into their game, and after Ponty Flanker Mike Davies was penalised initially for offside, and then dissent, Ystrad were able to kick a long penalty into the corner to set up a driving line out.

From the line out Ponty were able to halt the initial drive, but the Ystrad pack were well drilled and kept possession brilliantly until a gap appeared near the right corner flag where they were able to crash over for a well deserved try that was unconverted. This seemed to be the shock Ponty needed and they soon hit back with a sweeping move launched by Sam Studley and Lewis Smith.

Giant Lock Geraint Rowley showed great support running to create the extra man, and gave a superb pass to speedy wing Billy Waters, who shrugged off a head high tackle to sprint over in the corner and then burst for the posts to make the conversion easier. Simms duly converted and Ponty took a 7 - 5 lead against the run of play.

Ystrad were quick to hit back, and it was only superb mauling strength from Ponty Prop James Sullivan that prevented further scores from Ystrad, when he twice ripped the ball free from Ystrad rolling mauls just metres from the Ponty try line allowing Ponty to kick upfield and relieve the pressure.  Ponty were also very lucky that lock Christian Hitt was in top form, and was providing a safe source of ball from a Ponty throw, whilst stealing valuable possession at crucial times on the Ystrad throw.

Ystrad were not to be denied long however and when Ponty full back Simms lost possession in a counterattack on halfway, Ystrad quickly snapped up the ball before firing a kick deep toward the Ponty line. Ponty's Lewis Smith was first back and bravely gathered the ball, just meters from his try line, but with no support to hand and three Ystrad chasers on to him immediately, he had no chance to get the ball out of play, and Ystrad were able to rip the ball away and cross for an excellent converted try to restore their lead to 12 -7 at half time.

After a roasting at half time, Ponty appeared to approach the second half with a bit more purpose in their game, and were rewarded when great harrying from flanker Dafydd Gristock saw Ystrad penalised for not releasing in the tackle on the edge of their 22, with Simms converting the penalty to take the score to Ystrad 12 Ponty 10. Minutes later Ponty were again awarded a Penalty for Ystrad not releasing on the Ystrad 10 metre line, and this time their blindside flanker was sin binned.

Simms once again added the points and Ponty took a narrow lead 13 - 12. Ponty however failed to take advantage of the extra man and the next 10 minutes saw a catalogue of wrong options and poor handling from the Ponty side, and if anything despite the scoreline, Ystrad had the better of the play. Ponty Scrum half Sam Studley came closest to punishing Ystrad further, when he broke from his own 22 and raced 40 metres, before being stopped by a great tackle, although once again the Ponty support was nowhere to be seen. 

Once the sin bin was over Ystrad quickly stepped up a gear and it looked as though Ponty's narrow lead was going to be short lived. The Ystrad Scrum half showed great pace and vision, when he broke away on the blindside of a scrum on his own 22 and raced clear, only being stopped by a desperate joint last ditch tackle from full back Simms and Studley inside the Ponty 22.

The Ystrad support play was superb and they quickly recycled and spun the ball left, where their wing was driven into touch just inches short of the line by Waters and Studley, who showed impressive fitness to be involved in two try saving tackles in the matter of seconds. With the game entering the last 4 minutes and only one point separating the sides, Ponty needing to secure possession at the 5m line out, they threw to the front, where no8 Dean Maisey in his desperation to secure the ball, leant on his opponent, and was rightly penalised.

With the referee correctly bringing the penalty in 15m from the offence and just 5 metres form the try line, Ystrad opted for the simple kick at goal, but heartbreakingly for Ystrad, the ball clattered the post and the ball bounced dead. This was a "get out of jail free card" for Ponty and they knew they had ridden their luck far too much in this game.

Captain Lewis Smith took control and smashed the resultant 22m drop out deep down field, and for the first time in the game, Ponty chased the kick with purpose forcing Ystrad to concede a line out near their own 10 metre line. This time Ponty threw long, and replacement lock Owain Kingsbury jumped magnificently to give his backs quality off the top ball, Studley took the move on before feeding Smith who showed great skill to use Thomas as a decoy.

He then threw the perfect pass to hard running centre Dan Dearden, who burst through the tired defence to cross under the posts for a try simply converted by Simms to take a 20 -12 lead against the run of play. There was little time for Ystrad to strike back and though they valiantly tried to launch one last attack the Ponty defence held firm and they held out for a 20 - 12 victory that was a cruel result for Ystrad for the effort they had shown.

The win takes Ponty back to the top of Blues National division 2, with two games left to play (both against fellow title contenders Glamorgan Wanderers) and still with a chance of securing both the title and promotion to Division 1 for next season. In a poor overall display from Ponty, emergency centre Alun Thomas should be commended for his personal performance in an unfamiliar position.

Lock Geraint Rowley showed great skills in the run up to the first try and jumpers Christian Hitt and Owain Kingsbury both put in impressive performances in the line out. Wing Billy Waters was a real threat to Ystrad in attack and defence and Lewis Smith and Sam Studley were at the heart of everything Ponty did well.

However this weeks man of the match was prop James Sullivan who worked tirelessly in the scrum on a searingly hot day, causing problems for the Ystrad front row, and who saved two certain tries, with his outstanding upper body strength in ripping the ball off the Ystrad rolling maul. 

The Ponty team and coaches would like to congratulate Ystrad Senior Team and their youth squad members on duty in particular, in winning promotion last saturday, and wish Ystrad Youth all the best in their final league match on Wednesday against fellow title contenders Pentyrch.

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