Prem Review - 22nd Dec

By Zippy
December 23 2004

Round up of last nights action in the Welsh Premiership. There were pre-Christmas wins for both Bridgend and Pontypridd and the players go into Christmas on a high.

Newbridge 3-13 Bridgend

By The Western Mail

MIKE POWELL and his Bridgend outfit pulled off a comfortable if unspectacular victory over struggling Newbridge.

The Brewery Field men were on the offensive for most of the match and only brave defending from the home side kept the scoreline respectable.

Wing forward Dean Fitzgerald, inside-half Nick Griffiths and centre David Bishop all made sparkling breaks, but too many final passes went astray.

Both teams were also guilty of wasting good possession by ill-directed kicking.

Bridgend lock Huw Alford scored the only try of the game in the 50th minute after a clever line-out ploy featuring Powell.

Outside-half Gareth David converted the try to add to his first-half penalty, while full-back Anthony Carter slotted a 10th-minute dropped goal.

Newbridge's only points came from a Jonathan Williams penalty after seven minutes.

Bridgend had much the better of a lively first-half but only led 6-3 at the interval. Bishop and flanker Fitzgerald both had clear-cut chances to cross for tries but Newbridge somehow managed to scramble back and save their line.

In the end, all of the first-half points came from the boot.

Carter and David kicking a dropped goal and penalty respectively in response to Williams's penalty.

But Williams also missed two relatively simple kicks at goal, one hitting the upright in the 16th minute.

Bridgend dominated the second period and Newbridge's cause was not helped when home lock Paul Watkins was shown the yellow card in the 76th minute after a late tackle on David.

Newbridge		3-13		Bridgend	FT
				Tries: Alford
				Cons: David
Pens: Williams				Pens: David
				Drops: Carter

Pontypridd 21 Swansea 16

By www.PontypriddRFC.co.uk

Swansea made inroads into the home half, testing the Ponty midfield defence to the full. Responding with a counter attack from deep, Ponty  put together some impressive phases of support play, allowing outside half Dai Flanagan to slot over a penalty. The All Whites were next up on the offensive, some concerted pressure culminating with a penalty kicked by Luke Richards, with eleven minutes gone.

The contest so far was evenly balanced, and played at a frenetic pace, with both sides ready and able to try their hand in attack, despite the sticky conditions. With Ponty pinned back in their own half, and following a lengthy period of advantage from the referee, outside half Luke Richards stroked over another penalty to edge Swansea into the lead by 3pts to 6. Taking scrum ball against the head, Ponty set up a platform to attack, a deft chip from lock Dale McIntosh almost putting Chris Clayton in for a score. The home team kept up their momentum, good handling skills and good angles of running taking them right up to their opponents' twenty-two, but without reward.

Showing excellent awareness and support skills, Ponty continued to be the dominant force, but finding little favour from the referee's whistle. Pile driving a path into the visitors' twenty-two, Ponty kept up an intense period of pressure, and finally rewarded with three points from a Dai Flanagan penalty. A brief incursion by Swansea into the home half allowed Luke Richards to slot over a penalty, giving the visitors an interval advantage of 6 pts to 9.

Ponty resumed the second half, fired up and forcing play into their opponents' twenty-two. A neat half break by Dai Flanagan found full back Morgan Stoddart up in support to cross for a deserved try. Having soaked up a brief period of pressure from Swansea, the Valley Commandos reverted to attacking mode, ever eager to press forwards. A chip through from Dai Flanagan was not gathered by the Whites defence, the Ponty outside half picking up and darting over for a try which he then converted, hoisting the home team into an 18 pts to 9 lead, with fifty-two minutes gone.

Although now giving ground in the scrums, Ponty were grafting away in the loose, doing just enough to set up a position for outside half Flanagan to stroke over a successful penalty kick. With the game being played out almost exclusively in the visitors' half, Ponty kept up their momentum, scrapping for every morsel of possession to keep in the ascendancy. A substitution saw Dale McIntosh replaced by Craig Hughes, as Ponty continued to press forwards, probing hard through their midfield runners.

Much against the run of play, Swansea forged a path upfield, their pack driving on from a line out take for replacement back rower Noel Thomas to claim a try, converted from a wide angle by Richards. Ponty regained their territorial advantage through the line kicking of Flanagan and Stoddart, as Carl Thomas came on for Paul John with five minutes remaining of a tense encounter. Ponty continued to scrap for loose ball in the mud, taking play into their opponents' twenty-two, as Geraint Liddon came on for Gerald Cox. Valiant in their efforts, in defence and attack, to the very end, Ponty held the upper hand to emerge as thoroughly deserved victors by 21 pts to 16.

Pontypridd.

15.Morgan Stoddart. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Tom Riley. 12.Dafydd Lockyear. 11.Richard Fussell. 10.Dai Flanagan. 9.Paul John (Carl Thomas).

1.Gerald Cox (Geraint Liddon). 2.Duane Goodfield. 3.Ryan Harford. 4.Dale McIntosh (Craig Hughes). 5.Chris Martenko. 6.Wayne O'Connor. 7.Rhys Shellard. 8.Dan Godfrey.

Pontypridd		21-16		Swansea	FT
Tries: Stoddart Flanagan				Tries: Thomas
Cons: Flanagan				Cons: Richards
Pens: Flanagan 3				Pens: Richards 3

The Table

Welsh Premiership December 23, 2004
		P	W	D	L	PTS
1	Neath	16	15	0	1	45
2	Llanelli	18	15	0	3	45
3	Newport	17	12	0	5	36
4	Aberavon	15	11	0	4	33
5	Cross Keys	16	11	0	5	33
6	Ebbw Vale	17	10	0	7	30
7	Swansea	17	9	0	8	27
8	Carmarthen	15	9	0	6	27
9	Bridgend	16	9	0	7	24
10	Pontypridd	17	7	1	9	22
11	Cardiff	16	6	0	10	18
12	Bedwas	17	6	0	11	18
13	Llandovery	15	5	0	10	15
14	Pontypool	17	4	1	12	13
15	Llanharan	16	3	0	13	9
16	Newbridge	15	4	0	11	9
17	Caerphilly	18	2	0	16	6