Pontypridd vs. Cardiff

By Webmaster
December 21 2002

This weekend Cardiff are the visitors to Sardis Road. After a poor showing against Northampton they will be hoping to get back on track although they will find it difficult against a Pontypridd team who beat Leeds on aggregate to progress to the Parker Pen Quarter Finals. Read on for more...

Pontypridd vs.Cardiff

   Pontypridd face Cardiff at Sardis Road for the second time this season when the two sides meet on Saturday night. In the first encounter the supporters saw a red card, numerous yellow cards and five Brett Davey penalties but there were no tries. Ponty had a one man advantage for most of the match however they were lucky to come away with the win after a strong Cardiff effort.

   Coach Lynn Howells will be hoping the Ponty pack continue their impressive recent form although they could be without Nick Kelly and a few others. Howells said "We are struggling with our back row. Michael Owen is still out and Nick Kelly picked up an injury against Leeds. Richard Parks has dislocated his thumb and there are another five players carrying soft tissue injuries. We have to leave it right up until the last minute to decide if they are fit enough to play."

    Some Ponty fans may be worried by this but we only have to look back to the first Cardiff match where Duncan Bell was struggling with a back injury yet he was named in the starting line up. I wouldn't be surprised if the starting fifteen is similar to the one that started at Leeds.

Probable Pontypridd team:

Davey, Wyatt, Parker, Bryant, E Lewis, Sweeney, John, G Jenkins, Davies, Bell, Cockbain, Sidoli, Kelly/Owen, Parks/ O'Connor, G Lewis.

Probable Cardiff team:

Rhys Williams, Nick Walne, Jamie Robinson, Matt Allen, Craig Morgan; Iestyn Harris, Richard Smith; Peter Rogers, Andrew Lewis, David Young, Heino Senekal, John Tait, Rob Appleyard, Dan Baugh, Martyn Williams