Pontypridd v Bargoed
Transcription
Pontypridd v Bargoed
£2 Issue 188 The Official Matchday Magazine of Pontypridd Rugby PONTY RUGBY SWALEC Cup Pontypridd v Bargoed Saturday 10th January 2015 Kick off: 2:30pm Club Sponsor: Match Sponsor: Match Host: EGAN WASTE SERVICES Serving Wales for Over 30 Years Your One Stop Waste Disposal Company in South Wales Carter Lauren Construction Ltd • CREATING A BETTER ENVIRONMENT • T h e V o i c e o f t h e V a l l e y s 24/7 Emergency Call Out tel: 01443 841833 07977 022003 Fax: 01443 842801 PONTY RUGBY LTD. The Clubhouse Sardis Road Pontypridd Tel 01443 405006 Fax 01443 407087 Email [email protected] CHAIRMAN Roger E. Davies CHIEF EXECUTIVE Stephen Reardon BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Bayliss, Carol Waughington, Roger E. Davies, Guto Davies, Theresa Davies, Peter Howells, Alun Jones, Steve Reardon, Perry Stephens, Chris Kingsbury, Wayne Cullen, Martyn Morgan. HEAD COACH Paul John ASSISTANT COACH Garin Jenkins Gareth Wyatt CONDITIONING COACH Darren Bool TEAM MANAGER Richard Langmead CLUB CAPTAIN Dafydd Lockyer HON SURGEONS D. Pemberton S. Roy S. James D. Edwards CLUB DOCTOR Gareth Lloyd HON DENTAL SURGEON Lyndon Meehan PHYSIOS Chris Watts SALES & MARKETING Sales & Marketing Manager Emma Rogers [email protected] MEDIA OFFICER/ PROGRAMME EDITOR Guto Davies [email protected] WEB SITE MANAGER Owen Williams • [email protected] Welcome This afternoon, we extend a warm welcome to the players, officials and supporters of fellow Mid District Club, Bargoed RFC, in the first round of the 2015 SWALEC Cup. 2014 proved to be a vintage year for Pontypridd RFC. In May, the Club successfully defended both the Principality Premiership and the SWALEC Cup to achieve not just a ‘double’, but also, to accrue an unprecedented ‘doubledouble’; whilst in April, it came within a hair’s breadth of defeating Irish Provence Leinster ‘A’ in the semi-final of the British & Irish Cup. In September, the team picked up where it had left off in the previous campaign and signed off the year undefeated in the Premier League with ten wins from ten matches. The continued success of the Club manifests itself in a number of ways, too many to mention in this article, however, some notable ones are worthy of reference here:- in November our Club Captain Dafydd Lockyer was selected for the Barbarians and played in the fixture against Combined Services at Bath. This is not just due recognition of him as a player and leader but also a reflection upon the squad as a whole. In December Geraint Lewis was appointed International Skills Coach (forwards) to the WRU. We congratulate Geraint on his deserved appointment and thank him for his contribution to the continued success of Pontypridd RFC. He goes with our blessing and we wish him well for the future. Geraint’s successor as Forwards Coach to Pontypridd RFC has yet to be appointed, but the process is underway. As they say, watch this space! Bargoed RFC travels to Sardis Road comfortably occupying pole position in the SWALEC Championship with fourteen victories from fourteen matches, a record which includes the scalp of Swansea RFC, defeated 6-27 at St Helen’s on 1st November 2014. The reigning Worthington’s Mid District Cup Champions arrive buoyed by their significant travelling support and the dream of a famous victory. For its part, Pontypridd RFC needs no greater motivation than beginning the defence of the title of SWALEC Cup Champions. In theory, there is a vast distance between the top of the Principality Building Society Premiership and the top of the SWALEC Championship. However, the annals of Welsh Rugby are testament to the fact that league position and, for that matter form, ‘go out the window’ in one-off matches. That is the beauty of a Cup competition. ‘The Exiles’ sponsor the ‘Golden Bob’ Man of the Match, while the Match Sponsor is Carter Lauren Construction Ltd and the Match Host is Nicky (Sofidel UK). We trust that all our guests will have an enjoyable afternoon at Sardis Road. Stephen Reardon Chief Executive Officer w w w . p o n t y . n e t 3 BROADWAY CARPETS FREE HOME ESTIMATING & SAMPLING SERVICE choose your carpet in the comfort of your own home FREE FITTING FREE UNDERLAY FREE DOOR BARS FREE DELIVERY C A L L U S T O D AY O N 0 1 4 4 3 4 9 3 8 8 3 Llanover House | Llanover Road | Pontypridd | CF37 4DY Coaches Corner Its been a real privilege for me to come in and work with the Pontypridd squad this season. I have been concentrating on coaching scrummaging and set piece skills, and its been great to work with such a good bunch of players. It was at Ponty that I began my senior career back in 1988 and after travelling to Pontypool and Swansea, its enjoyable to come back home and hopefully to make a contribution. There is a good coaching set up here at Pontypridd, and all I have been doing is assisting as much as I can, to pass on some of the experience that I gained in a twelve year playing career at senior level. I was fortunate to gain some experience as Ospreys Academy manager and during my time there I worked with some very talented young players. We have the same standard of player here at Ponty - not only good players but good people too. We might be classed as a semi professional club but everything about this club is totally professional in attitude and approach. The great thing about Rugby Union is that however much things change, the fabric of the game stays the same. There are many constants here at Pontypridd, the camaraderie generated, and the will to play an attractive brand of rugby which as ever attracts a big support. What we as coaches are doing is to nurture a new generation of players into those core values, and the way the season is going, it seems that we are doing a good job. Our success rate will be put to the test today in this cup tie against Bargoed. From my experience of playing against them at district level, and following their fortunes in recent seasons, they have a “want to win” attitude that makes them very difficult opponents indeed. They are runaway leaders of the Championship this season, battering everyone that they come across, and they will be going all out to prove themselves as giant killers against us today. The cup is a special competition and has produced many memorable battles over the years. Today should be no different, and the challenge for us is to provide a challenge for Bargoed, enough to see us through to the next round of the competition. Garin Jenkins Scrummaging Coach GTFM proud to be the ‘Official’ Radio Station of Pontypridd RFC Listen on 107.9FM in RCT / www.gtfm.co.uk / via Tune-In App w w w . p o n t y . n e t 7 ® THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE PERFORMANCE TM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Pontypridd OFFICIAL NUTRITION SUPPLIERS 2014-15 RFC MSC Nutrition combines cutting-edge science and peak physical performance in a range of innovative, Informed-Sport certified, sports nutrition products. Supported by a wealth of industry knowledge and extensive sporting experience, MSC Nutrition’s innovative sports nutrition products cover all stages of sporting activity; ensuring superior performances and faster recovery, and enabling aspiring athletes to achieve professional results. #nextlevel TEAMWEAR NEW SEASON, NEW KIT - BE BOLD SHARE OUR PASSION - PONTY RUGBY STYLE... available from the club shop & ONLINE at www.rhino-teamwear.com • £3.7m investment to train and develop our sport students to their highest potential • Coaching courses mapped to the United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) • Unrivalled links with sporting partners, providing excellent work experience To find out more about our sport courses: www.southwales.ac.uk/sport 03455 76 77 78 JOIN OUR TEAM JOIN USW SPORT The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No. 1140312 SPORT SPORT AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES The View From Here Over the holiday I had to ring the BT broadband fault line. I’m afraid that the string must have overstretched or possibly the cocoa tins had sprung a leak but the line was as dead as Michael Palin’s parrot. I might as well have been talking to the parrot for all the sense I got. A pre recorded message went on at some length about broadband service faults affecting assorted parts of the UK. Eventually I heard the following “There are service interruptions at Bar-Go-Ed and Pontee-prid.” Who pray is Ed and which bar will he go to? I haven’t heard anything quite so unsympathetic since the disembodied female voice of the old taped station announcements at Queen Street offered the daily prospect of a trip to Wye-strad Mine -Itch. Thank God they haven’t got a station in Penpedairheol. Language won’t be a problem today. These two clubs speak the same language, the language of survival, style and success. Bargoed of course are runaway leaders of the Swalec Championship. They are doing an Ebbw Vale and we won’t need reminding that the toughest cup game we have played in recent years was the get out of jail victory at Ebbw Vale when they were leading the Championship. So this should be an interesting afternoon. Bargoed have prospered in the league thanks to a conscious decision that they wanted to survive. One game away from falling out of the pyramid , they have played and planned their way back in style. So welcome to another club which knows a bit about surviving and prospering in the semi pro game. Prospering to the point where we are up there to be shot at. If those hard core fans Bargo and Ed need any encouragement they should look at the Premiership table to see who is leading the shooting party this season. Ebbw Vale. Another club which came within inches of extinction, hitting back hard after some horrible times and storming the Championship to get into the top grade. Could it happen for the boys from the Rhymney Valley? I’m sure the Bargoed scouts were here last Saturday to see how another leading title hunter Carmarthen Quins got on. The answer was in doubt for 70 minutes. It was hard going. Then Ponty turned the screw. Before I could explain he said exactly what I was thinking. “It was real Pete, a real game.” And so it was. While Bargoed were gliding past Pontypool with five tries and some ease, we were in the trenches. But once again, Ponty pulled it off. As befits a team playing on an old colliery yard, we once again displayed the ability to dig deep. We may need to do the same again today. Just under a year ago I found myself in Bargoed early on a snowy Saturday morning in the company of the former Wales winger Adrian Hadley. We were there to talk rugby on the day of the Wales Italy Six Nations match. I’m not sure how much talking Hadley managed in between demolishing Tony Strinati’s croissants, bacon rolls and breakfast pizza complete with fried egg. We heard about the revival of Bargoed with pride, but we also met some long serving members of Deri, another Rhymney valley club with a pedigree but struggling to survive. A few weeks later, they were a club without a team. The village that produced the great Brian Price couldn’t get a side out. They have survived into 2015, but it shows that the people’s game has lost a lot of ground. For every Bargoed and Ebbw Vale, there are plenty of potential Deris. Let’s be positive. The cup is a cracking competition because it allows ties like this to take place. Bargoed know how to surprise a senior club. Both Aberavon and Bridgend have been beaten in recent years. Today will be a sterner test for their philosophy of moving the ball and enjoying their rugby. It’s top of the table versus top of the table. Sadly, someone will end up with the crumbs but hopefully after a feast of a game. Peter Johnson After the match, it was a pleasure to see so many old hands in the bar. The Former Players Association had a pre match function and many stayed on. So I took the chance to talk to one of my favourites, one of Ynysybwl’s finest, the elegant centre and former club captain Ceri Jones. Did I enjoy it, he asked. Well, I did enjoy it and I didn’t, I said. w w w . p o n t y . n e t 11 www.cardiffsportsorthopaedics.co.uk w s ortsorthopaedicss.co.uk ww.cardiffsp 08445 617152 e [email protected] [email protected] Specialists in: Sports Injuries Ligament Reconstruction Shoulder Surgery Cartilage Regeneration Hip & Knee Surgery Joint Replacement Foot & Ankle Surgery Gallery Cardiff v Pontypridd 27th December 2014 w w w . p o n t y . n e t 13 Glamorgan Law Glamorgan Law are here to tackle your problems We specialise in: 3 Accident Claims 3 Professional Negligence 3 Commercial Litigation 3 Divorce and Family Law 3 House Buying and Selling 3 Commercial Property 3 Business Law 3 Wills, Trusts and Probate Glamorgan Law offer a professional and friendly service for all legal problems. 15 Gelliwastad Road Pontypridd CF37 2BW Tel: 01443 408455 Fax: 01443 485476 www.glamlaw.co.uk [email protected] Offices also at Cardiff, Caerphilly and Cowbridge “To represent this club is an absolute honour” Dafydd Lockyer - 6.4.2014 Proud SPonSorS of PontyPridd rfC “success follows success” www.axiom-ms.com a world of excellence in contract manufacturing Personnel... Seb Davies Wayne O’Connor Sponsored by: Grayson Mills Position: Lock Height: 6ft 5in Honours: Wales u18 DoB: 15/05/1996 Weight: 16st Garyn Smith Sponsored by: Mr & Mrs G & G Flye Position: Flanker DoB: 11/11/1978 Height: 6ft Weight: 14st Honours: Wales Schools; Wales u 16 Bradley Thyer Sponsored by: Mark & Cheryl Bar Managers Position: Centre DoB: 12/07/1995 Height: 5ft 10in Weight: 13st 3lbs Honours: Wales Youth; Wales u 20; Wales Sevens Player Sponsors: Geraint Walsh Grayson Mills Aled Summerhill The Laytons Matthew Nuthall BEMA Engineering Dale Stuckey Mr & Mrs S & C Jones Alex Webber Oldies but Goodies Lewis I Williams Mr & Mrs S & C Jones Chris Clayton The Get It In Gang Owen Jenkins [email protected] Gavin Dacey Ann’s Gang Garyn Smith Mark & Cheryl Bar Managers Gary Williams KCCS Sponsored by: Steve & Ann Position: Prop DoB: 07/02/1993 Height: 6ft Weight: 15st 10lbs Honours: Wales Youth; Wales u20 Dafydd Lockyer World of Groggs Adam Thomas Mr Colin Humphreys Harri Millard Dennis Pounder Travel Lewis Morgan Friends of Sue Price and David Jones Jarrod Evans Mr & Mrs G & G Flye Simon Humberstone Mr & Mrs G & G Flye Lewis K Williams Colin Humphreys Joel Raikes Mr & Mrs S & C Jones Lloyd Williams Mr Martyn Flye Tom Williams Hold The Line Gang James Howe O’Brien & Gittins / McBragger Chris Phillips GMB Union Player Profile JAKE THOMAS Getting Personal Full name: Jake Llewellyn George Thomas Nickname: ‘Jakey’ Birthplace: Ynysybwl Occupation: WRU Rugby Development Officer In a relationship with: Elina Oakey Favourite Things Food & Drink: Mam’s cooked dinner / Cup of tea Cartoon character: Homer Simpson Colour: Blue Smell: Sheppy’s fish fingers Place: My bed Jake Thomas is sponsored by: Grayson Mills / The Bush Inn Outside the Box What is the first thing you see when you wake up? My future wife If you were an animal, what would it be? A sloth (lazy) If you could meet any person, dead or alive, who would it be? Tadcu - my grandfather for a catch-up What is the weirdest thing you have ever done? Numerous - ask Daf Lockyer What is the most important thing in your life? Family / Rugby / Friends Bradley Thyer Pat Palmer Keiron Jenkins Dillon Lewis Liam Belcher Aled Morris Huw Dowden Seb Davies Alex Jones Craig Locke Chris Dicomidis Jack Davies Steve & Ann Hold The Line Gang GMB Union / Family of Terry and Ann Walters Friends of Pontypridd Mr & Mrs S & C Jones GMB Union Southward Business Computing Ltd Grayson Mills Ambassador Fire & Security Ltd Mr & Mrs S & C Jones / Howards Birthday Party Mr & Mrs S & C Jones Pontypridd Post Office Hemi Barnes Dafi Davies Ellis Jenkins Jordan Sieniawski Jake Thomas Luke Crocker Dan Godfrey Wayne O’Connor Owen Sheppeard Rhys Shellard Tom Hetherington The Office Girls [email protected] Mr & Mrs S & C Jones O’Brien & Gittins / Bush Inn Grayson Mills / Bush Inn Mr & Mrs G & R Jones The Loyal Gang / The Bush Babies Mr & Mrs G & G Flye Southward Business Computing Ltd / Eifa Morgan PPE Ltd Ian Young / Steve & Ann SOLUTIONS AGGREGATES ASPHALT CEMENT LIME & POWDERS MAINTENANCE SERVICES READYMIX CONCRETE ROAD SURFACING RECYCLING To find out more call 01433 222 332 or visit LAFARGETARMAC.COM Griffin Mill proudly supports the Royal British Legion. Take your pick from the latest special offers & discounts available on your new ‘64’ plate vehicle at Griffin Mill. Visit www.griffinmill.co.uk today to find out more. Griffin Mill Summit Griffin Mill Basecamp Upper Boat, Pontypridd, South Wales CF37 5YE Tonteg Road, Pontypridd, South Wales CF37 5YH 01443 531285 01443 531284 /griffinmillcars @griffinmill www.griffinmill.co.uk Vital Statistics Fixtures And Results – 2014-15 Season Date Opponents Competition Venue Result For Agst Cardiff Neath Newport Bridgend Aberavon London Scottish Connacht Bristol Bedwas Llandovery Ebbw Vale Llanelli Bristol Connacht London Scottish Cross Keys Cardiff B & I Cup Play Off Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. B & I Cup B & I Cup B & I Cup Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. B & I Cup B & I Cup B & I Cup Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Sardis Road Sardis Road Rodney Parade Sardis Road Talbot Ath. Ground Sardis Road Sportsground Sardis Road Sardis Road Church Bank Eugene Cross Park Sardis Road Ashton Gate Sardis Road Athletic Ground Sardis Road Arms Park Won Won Won Won Won Won Won Lost Won Won Won Won Lost Won Won Won Won 40 38 34 27 35 23 42 13 16 23 27 34 26 29 25 27 14 12 7 12 17 17 17 16 24 13 10 19 10 31 10 17 10 6 Carmarthen Quins Bargoed Neath Worcester Warriors Bridgend Aberavon Bedwas Round 2 Llandovery Ebbw Vale Llanelli Quarter Final Cardiff Semi Final Cross Keys Carmarthen Quins Final Premiership play-off Premiership play-off Principality Prem. SWALEC Cup Principality Prem. B & I Cup Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. SWALEC Cup Principality Prem. Principality Prem. Principality Prem. SWALEC Cup Principality Prem. SWALEC Cup Principality Prem. Principality Prem. SWALEC Cup Semi Final Final Sardis Road Sardis Road Gnoll Sixways Brewery Field Sardis Road Bridge Field TBC Sardis Road Sardis Road Parc y Scarlets TBC Sardis Road Neutral Pandy Park Y Parc Neutral TBC TBC Won 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 489 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 254 2014 6 September 13 September 19 September 27 September 4 October 11 October 19 October 25 October 1 November 7 November 14 November 20 November 30 November 6 December 13 December 20 December 26 December 2015 3 January 10 January 17 January 24 January 31 January 7 February 13 February 21 February 27 February 7 March 21 March 28 March 4 April 11 April 18 April 25 April 3 May 9 May 16 May Played 18, Won 16, Drawn 0, Lost 2 22 P o w e r | P r i d e | P a s s i o n WON POINTS TRIES Pontypridd Bargoed 8 0 126 9 26 1 Last Five Meetings Date 07/03/1953 16/04/1953 01/04/1954 22/04/1954 01/12/1982 We have to travel a long way into the past to find the last time that Pontypridd played Bargoed. This was a friendly on 1 December 1982, and Ponty won by 53-3. The first recorded fixture between the two clubs was on 25 March 1948, and they met fairly regularly until 1954. Venue Bargoed Park Ynysyngharad Park Ynysyngharad Park Bargoed Park Bargoed Park Result Won Won Won Won Won For 3 8 17 11 53 Against 0 0 0 3 3 SWALEC CUP - Round 1 Fixtures Cardiff v Bridgend (Friday) Tondu v Cardiff Met Bedwas v Pontypool Pontypridd v Bargoed Llandovery v Narberth Neath v RGC 1404 Blackwood v Llanharan Merthyr v Glynneath Llanelli v Cross Keys Newport v Aberavon (Sunday) Bema Engineering are proud to sponsor Pontypridd RFC for the 2014-2015 season. w w w . p o n t y . n e t 23 Vital Statistics The Laundrette 7 St Illtyds Road Church Village CF38 1DB 01443 205888 Keeping Ponty RFC Clean! proud sponsors of Alex Jones PONTY.NET The official Pontypridd RFC website www.facebook.com/pontypriddrfc www.twitter.com/pontypriddrfc 24 Pontypridd Squad 2014-15 Appearances and Points to date Name Will Liam Marc Chris Luke Gavin Kristian Jack Seb Chris Huw Taufa’ao Dan Tom James Simon Ellis Keiron Owen Alex Lewis Tavis Dillon Craig Dafydd Harri Aled Matthew Wayne Pat Chris Lou Rhys Owen Jordan Garyn Richard Dale Aled Adam Jake Bradley Geraint Alex James Lewis I Lewis K Lloyd Tomos Penalty P o w e r BAIRD BELCHER BREEZE CLAYTON CROCKER DACEY DACEY DAVIES DAVIES DICOMIDIS DOWDEN FILISE GODFREY HETHERINGTON HOWE HUMBERSTONE JENKINS JENKINS JENKINS JONES JONES KNOYLE LEWIS LOCKE LOCKYER MILLARD MORRIS NUTHALL O’CONNOR PALMER PHILLIPS REED SHELLARD SHEPPEARD SIENIAWSKI SMITH SMITH STUCKEY SUMMERHILL THOMAS THOMAS THYER WALSH WEBBER WHITTINGHAM WILLIAMS WILLIAMS WILLIAMS WILLIAMS TRIES | Started Repl. 0 2 10 2 0 2 6 2 7 3 14 2 0 1 1 0 9 2 3 0 6 4 4 1 10 2 3 1 6 5 12 4 3 0 7 3 9 0 7 1 1 0 3 0 6 5 9 3 16 2 0 1 2 6 10 0 10 0 0 2 8 9 3 0 11 3 5 1 4 5 3 4 0 1 1 3 10 0 1 0 4 5 5 5 7 1 5 0 1 0 8 1 5 5 9 5 5 1 0 1 P r i d e Total 2 12 2 8 10 16 1 1 11 3 10 5 12 4 11 16 3 10 9 8 1 3 11 12 18 1 8 10 10 2 17 3 14 6 9 7 1 4 10 1 9 10 8 5 1 9 10 14 6 1 | T 0 7 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 2 1 0 3 0 0 2 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 2 0 1 4 0 1 0 0 2 0 5 0 3 2 2 60 C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 8 0 0 0 39 P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 8 0 0 0 33 DGs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 P a s s i o n Total 0 35 0 0 5 5 0 5 5 0 5 0 30 0 0 147 5 0 15 0 0 10 0 10 15 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 20 5 10 0 5 20 0 5 0 0 10 12 25 40 15 10 10 489 Ponty Past Times The Welsh Cup: Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice? On 25th January 1997 Pontypridd travelled to Felinfoel – home of a proud rugby club and a famous brewery – to play the local side in the Welsh Cup. At that time Ponty was one of the top professional sides in Wales, while Felinfoel played their rugby somewhere down in the depths of the West Wales leagues. We could have sent a weakened team down west, but this would have been an insult to our hosts. Instead, our team was:- Crispin Cormack, David Manley, Jason Lewis, Steele Lewis, Geraint Lewis, Neil Jenkins, Paul John, Neil Eynon, Phil John, Andrew Metcalfe, Greg Prosser, Mark Rowley, Mark Spiller, Phil Thomas, and Dale McIntosh. The welcome from Felinfoel was tremendous. They insisted on having a photograph taken of both teams together before the kick-off, and if they could have played the game on a red carpet then I am sure that they would have done so. The final score was 90-10 to Pontypridd, after our boys eased off a bit in the second half, and the referee blew up about ten minutes early. Nobody cared. Everybody had a good time, the clubhouse sold out of beer, and Felinfoel’s treasurer banked enough cash to see his club through the rest of the season. Unfortunately the new format of the Welsh club cup competition has robbed it of many of the joys that it once held. In the ‘good old days’ the top clubs could find themselves drawn against one of the so-called minnows – small clubs hidden away in the depths of the valleys. These contests were often a huge mismatch, but they could also prove an embarrassment for the big clubs. next season the cup proved to be an even more bitter draught for Pontypridd. This time we were drawn away in the first round against neighbours Treherbert. Their ground at the top of the Rhondda Fawr proved to be a fortress too difficult for Ponty to conquer, and we went down by 10-7. Ponty would suffer a couple more embarrassing cup defeats against ‘junior’ opposition – remember Llandovery and Dunvant? – but such losses were fortunately few and far between. Now, the new format of the Welsh Cup competition has created a different sort of challenge for all the clubs involved. We go straight in against very good opposition. This season the luck of the draw has created a mouth-watering contest between two teams at the top of their respective leagues. Proud Bargoed are top of the Championship, and like Pontypridd are unbeaten this season. They have scored 524 points and 71 tries in 14 matches, an impressive average of 37 points and five tries per game. Their opponents have only managed a meagre141 points and 13 tries. We have never met Bargoed in the cup, but we know that today is going to be hard. Many of us breathed a sigh of relief when we heard that we had home advantage, and the Sardis Road faithful will be hoping that today we will drink from the grail and not the poisoned chalice. Alun Granfield On 16th December 1972 the cup brought Kenfig Hill to Ynysngharad Park to play a side captained by Dennis John, and containing stars like Jeff Hazzard, Brian Juliff, and Bob Penberthy. This was only the second season of the competition, and the previous year we had also been drawn against Kenfig and beaten them 16-7 at the Park. This time we could not match the ferocity of the visitors, and Pontypridd went down by 7-22. The w w w . p o n t y . n e t 25 Proud sponsors of the Principality Premiership www.principality.co.uk YEARS Principality Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, reference number 155998. Principality Building Society, Principality Buildings, Queen Street, Cardiff, CF10 1UA. www.principality.co.uk PPPA5 08/14-1 The Opposition BARGOED Currently Bargoed are runaway leaders of the Championship and have built up a significant cushion of points between themselves and the chasing pack, which includes the fallen giants of Swansea and Pontypool. And with the season now over half way through, unless Bargoed suffer an unexpected downturn in form the title beckons. They’re making the same kind of impact on this year’s Championship as Ebbw Vale did last year, sweeping opponents before them and racking up big scores in the process. Ponty’s renowned defence needs to be at its tightest today since Bargoed have scored more than thirty points in eleven of their fourteen consecutive league wins, and their points difference is creeping up towards 400. Bargoed’s credentials were tested over the last fortnight when they faced two of the teams just below them in the table. A fortnight ago they went to Merthyr and destroyed the Ironmen with a forward display which had the doughty Merthyr pack back-pedalling. Bargoed won that game by 31-0. Then last Saturday they went to Pontypool Park to face third placed Pontypool, whom they beat even more emphatically by 39-7. Two of their five tries were penalty tries, reflecting the dominance of the mighty Bargoed pack. The success of the senior side, the Blues, is mirrored to various degrees by the other teams the club fields, from the Junior and Mini sections and the Youth XV through to the club seconds, the Bargoed Warriors, and the women’s team, the Bargoed Bears. It’s a thriving hub of rugby achievement, and the first team, coached by Dai Lynch (backs), Stephen Barber (forwards) and Jeremy Rogers is built around a squad of experienced campaigners, most of them products of the local catchment area. There are some familiar names among the leading players, like hooker Lee Meades and back rower Ross Coombes and they’re augmented by a crop of rising talent coming through the ranks Previously in the SWALEC Cup Bargoed have a good record against Premiership opponents. In January 2012 they beat Aberavon at the Talbot Athletic Ground by 1715. Then in February 2013 they beat Bridgend at home by 17-13, a match in which Lewis Williams wore the number 10 shirt for the Ravens and James Howe represented Bargoed in a pack that proved dominant against their Premiership visitors. At the quarter final stage Bargoed lost to Neath by 39-27 after outplaying and outscoring the Gnoll side in the second half. Last season Bargoed lost narrowly to Bedwas at the Bridge Field, by 15-16 with outside half Josh Prosser hitting the woodwork with an injury time penalty kick which would have given Bargoed a deserved victory. Looking at these results and at Bargoed’s current imperious form, Ponty know that they are in for one heck of a contest this afternoon and will have to be at their best to emerge as victors. First Class Clinics at Treatment Aberdare and Cilfynydd Website: www.elitebc.co.uk Twitter: @Elite_BC Facebook: Elite Body Conditioning Email: [email protected] Contact: Geraint Walsh – 07854 660 867 Owen Sheppeard – 07826 851470 38 Albion Industrial Estate Cilfynydd Pontypridd Cf37 4NX Chartered Physiotherapist to Pontypridd RFC Most major health insurers accepted Opening hours: Mon-Fri 6am-9pm Sat 8am-4pm Sun 9am-4pm w w w . p o n t y . n e t @Back2FrontPhys /Back2FrontPhysiotherapy www.back2frontphysio.com 27 ALLEVARD Springs Ltd Offers Best Wishes For a Successful Season! FOR ALL YOUR PET NEEDS PETWISE AQUATICS LTD Unit A4 | Seven Road | Treforest Industrial Estate | Pontypridd | CF37 5SQ www.petwiseaqautics.co.uk | T: 01443 844441 Cambrian Industrial Park, Clydach Vale, Glamorgan UK CF40 2BB Tel: 01443 424700 • Fax: 01443 424736 PC HELP SERVICES Professional - Reliable - Effective For All Your Computer Requirements The Precinct Main Road Church Village CF38 1SB T: 01443 806136 M: 07815 641458 Is your business at risk of an Employment Tribunal? With legislation regularly changing it is essential your processes are robust and compliant. Our support services reduce your risk, and can provide you with: audit of employment practices and documentation; compliant employment contracts and policies; telephone and email HR legal helplines; access to over 100 template HR forms and letters; comprehensive insurance policy. Contact us today and give us a TRY Web: www.connectivebusiness.co.uk Email: [email protected] Tel: 01443 719159 Proud to support Pontypridd RFC TEL: 029 2086 0899 WEB: WWW.CPSLABELS.CO.UK Follow us on: 28 P o w e r | P r i d e | P a s s i o n ACE Hog Roasts & Catering Services Bespoke hog roast and BBQ services The finest organic and traditional hog roasts in South Wales 07970 445 191 www.acehogroasts.co.uk Personal alarms and telecare Reliable, affordable and installed at your convenience 0800 052 2526 [email protected] www.wwha.co.uk @wwha w w w . p o n t y . n e t 29 Noticeboard Golden Bob Award Match Sponsor/Host We welcome Carter Lauren Construction Ltd as our match sponsor for today’s SWALEC Cup tie against Bargoed. The club is delighted to enter into a new partnership with such a prominent national company. We trust that Mr Neil Carter and his guests will have an enjoyable time with us at Sardis Road. Our match host this afternoon is Nicky (Sofidel UK Ltd). The company have been valued club partners over the past few seasons, with their popular brand name prominent on the playing kit and on hoardings around the stadium. Carmarthen Mascot Our mascot for the last home game against Carmarthen Quins was eleven year old Sadie Price from Graigwen. Sadie had a great time touring the home changing room and leading the team out on to the pitch with captain Dafydd Lockyer. 30 P o w e r | The “Golden Bob” award for this afternoon’s match against Bargoed is sponsored by a syndicate of supporters known as ‘The Exiles’. The Man of the Match for the last home game against Carmarthen Quins was sponsored by ‘The Coffin Dodgers’ and awarded to hard grafting second row Alex Jones. Bucket Collection Today’s bucket collection will be in aid of ‘RSD Action’. RSD Dance, Cheer & Gymnastics is based in South Wales, covering the areas of Rhondda, Pontypridd, Llantrisant, Aberdare and Bridgend. The programme is a very popular one with both parents and children, as it provides tuition in a relaxed friendly environment and yet achieves top class results, evident from the British Championship titles pupils from the programme now hold. A large variety of styles are taught at RSD. www.rsd-danceandcheer.com Please give generously. P r i d e | P a s s i o n Club Shop Christmas is over - there’s nothing like a bit of retail therapy to help you get through January! The Ponty RFC Club Shop is stacked full of replica kit, leisure and training wear, gifts and accessories. Browse around the shop today, or make your purchase at the click of a mouse by logging on to: www.ponty.net/e-shop Worcester Trips - Payment Due Supporters who have booked on the overnight and day return trips to the BIC quarter final tie at Worcester on Saturday 24th January are reminded that full and final payment is now overdue. Supporters’ Club officials will be in attendance at today’s game to collect payments. w w w . p o n t y . n e t 31 Pontypridd RFC Bargoed RFC Geraint Walsh Lewis I Williams Garyn Smith Dafydd Lockyer - cpt Dale Stuckey Lewis K Williams Tomos Williams James Howe Huw Dowden Pat Palmer Seb Davies Alex Jones Luke Crocker Wayne O’Connor Dan Godfrey 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jordan Purcell Lewis Prothero Darren Humphries Phil Price Lee Pearson Josh Prosser James Pizey Kieron Brown Leigh Meades - cpt Craig Nutt Geraint Edmunds Darren Lynch Adam Coupe Steffan Jouxson Ross Coombes Replacements 16. Joel Raikes 17. Simon Humberstone 18. Aled Summerhill 19. Aled Morris 20. Rhys Shellard 21. Craig Locke 22. Chris Phillips 23. Keiron Jenkins 16. Craig Wilson 17. Chris Mapps 18. Callum Jones 19. Ian Jenkins 20. Lewis Lippiat 21. Grant Rogers 22. Mark Gwilt 23. Nicky Coughlin Match Officials Referee: Sean Brickell Touch Judges: Club Touch Judges O l é , O l é , O l é , O l é . . .
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