Ponty turn tables on the Welsh Cup kings

Llanelli 17 Pontypridd

The incessant singing of "Olé, olé, olé Ponty'' almost raised the roof of the Millennium Stadium and, if not quite achieving that, the vociferous fan-base helped propel Pontypridd to a popular and well-deserved Principality Cup win against the Welsh Cup kings, Llanelli. Welsh Cup kings they may have been over the years but on this action-packed occasion Pontypridd turned the tables on them at the death just as Leicester did in the Heineken Cup earlier last month.

Brett Davey, their talented full-back was the hero, scoring all 20 points, and most crucially a seventh-minute injury-time penalty, which secured their hard-fought victory.

After an arduous and often tortuous nine months of domestic club rugby, the best was arguably save for last. The best in this case was another cup cliff-hanger with Pontypridd's pacey all-action approach almost wrapping up an exhilarating season for them. Almost, that is, until next Sunday when they take on Sale in the final of the Parker Pen Shield, and on this form and with such emotion then look out Sale.

Ponty's efforts this season have been nothing short of magnificent. They have recruited astutely, not on big name players, but guys who feel at home in a close-knit, often intrusive, but always intimate and homely environment. Their midfield trio of Ceri Sweeney, Jon Bryant, and Sonny Parker are as influential as any and ensure that the excellent and high-tempo approach of their young forwards is always used to telling effect.

The heat was on from the start, as was the physical intent, with both fly-halves, Sweeney and Stephen Jones, prostrate on the ground like tenpins within the first minute of play. Llanelli's rumbling pack was their early bridgehead with Pontypridd giving the ball some width and attacking through their outside backs. Davey kicked the opening point on eight minutes when Jon Davies, the Llanelli tight-head prop, was adjudged to drop a defensive scrum, with fly-half Jones equalising in time following Scott Quinnell's first rampaging run of the afternoon.

With much petty squabbling and off-the-ball incidents masking the positive, the final needed a try, delivered superbly after 20 minutes by the Scarlets. A scorching three-quarter attack up the left was continued with superb interpassing by their mobile pack going right, and ending with Leigh Davies squeezing in at the corner. It was now game on, and by the half-hour Pontypridd had retrieved the lead with two further Davey penalty goals.

Only a desperate Davey interception kept Llanelli out and despite a glut of possession and pressure positions for the Scarlets, their only reward came through a second Jones penalty.

Within 10 minutes of the restart Jones had added his third penalty and a neat goal, with Davey slotting a penalty for Pontypridd. Both sides missed tries, with Martyn Madden dropping the ball over the try line and Davey being recalled for a midfield knock-on, before Davey latched on to another scintillating break by the increasingly potent Parker in midfield.

Davey's conversion attempt in typical dramatic fashion hit the upright, but deep into injury time the cool full-back perfectly dissected the posts to notch a personal and team triumph for Pontypridd. It also earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Llanelli: B Davies; M Jones, M Cardey (N Boobyer 79), L Davies (G Bowen 45), S Finau; S Jones, G Easterby (D Peel 47); M Madden, R McBryde, J Davies (P Booth 70), V Cooper, C Wyatt (L Gross 70), D Hodges, S Easterby, S Quinnell (capt).

Pontypridd: B Davey; G Wyatt, S Parker, J Bryant, M Nuthall; C Sweeney, P John (capt), G Jenkins, M Davies, D Bell, B Cockbain, R Sidoli, N Kelly (C Harris 58), R Parks, M Owen.

Referee: G Simmons.