Match Report: Pontypridd 15 - 9 Cardiff

By Webmaster
October 27 2002

In the fianl pool match of this seasons Celtic League, Pontypridd played host to Cardiff in a match that would determine who plays at home in the quarter finals. For a full match report read on

Pontypridd 15 - 9 Cardiff

Saturday 26th October - 17.30

Celtic League Pool B

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        Pontypridd extended their unbeaten run to eight matches after a hard fought victory over local rivals Cardiff. The result gives them a home quarter final against Neath and looking further ahead, a possible home semi final against either Cardiff or Edinburgh should we overcome the challenge that Neath will present.

        Ponty started brightly with an early penalty from full back Brett Davey after Ken Fourie collapsed the scrum. Ponty continued to attack the Cardiff defence and in the 20th minute the game came to life. The Ponty  forwards were driving near the Cardiff line when Fourie, the Cardiff tighthead landed a series of punches on Ponty second row Robert Sidoli which resulted in him leaving the field for stiches. Fourie didn't go unpunished and after some consultation with the linesman, Ian Rammage showed him the red card. Ponty failed to gain any further points after a long period of pressure and it was Iestyn Harris of Cardiff who knocked over a penalty to bring ther Blue and Blacks back into the game. 

    Minutes later, the seven man scrum of Cardiff collapsed and Rammage, who had previously warned Peter Rogers, sent him to the sin bin. This you would have thought would have been the end for Cardiff but, in the ten minutes that Rogers was off the field, all Ponty could manage was a second Brett Davey penalty.

    Just before half time, Rammage tried to even things out by sending Richard Parks to the sin bin for a technical offense and to end the half, Davey and Harris traded penalties to leave the score 9 - 6 in Ponty's favour.

    After the break it was the defences that dominated and thanks to some clever thinking from Dai Young, the Cardiff coach who took the decision to take off Anthony Sullivan and replace him with a forward Cardiff nearly got back into the game. The Ponty pack got sucked into a forward orientated battle and as a result there were very little chances for the backs to show what they could do. 

    Two penalties from Davey and one from Harris was all that the teams could manage in the second half although Ponty came incredibly close to scoring a try in the dying minutes thanks to some powerful forward play but somehow Cardiff managed to hold them out.

    The match ended 15 - 9 to Pontypridd but both teams will at least be satisfied that they are through to the quarter finals. Pontypirdd will play host to Neath whilst Cardiff make the trip up to Edinburgh as they look for places in the semi fianls.

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Score Summary

 Pontypridd team: Davey, Wyatt, Parker, J. Lewis, E. Lewis, Sweeney, John, G Jenkins, Davies, Bell, Cockbain, Sidoli, G Lewis, Parks, Owen.

Subs used: Hennessy (for G Jenkins)