Lewis leads spree

Pontypridd 54

Swansea 22

PONTYPRIDD achieved their biggest win over Swansea and took three valuable bonus points to keep their League title hopes alive. They have never won any Welsh silver, but are going for gold as they attempt to win the cup and league double this season. However, Neath also got maximum bonus points yesterday for their third game in succession and are now in pole position to win the league.

Pontypridd again owed much to the power of Neil Jenkins at stand-off, to the fine running of the centre Jason Lewis, who was man of the match, and also to Geraint Lewis on the left wing, who scored a hat-trick of tries.

After all the dry weather the bone-hard ground meant a lively ball and a fast, high scoring game. Nevertheless the opening scores were penalties, two byJenkins and one by Aled Williams. But then an opportunistic try by Richie Collins, converted by Jenkins and another penalty by Jenkins saw Pontypridd pulling away and it was became a matter of how many bonus points they would score. Pontypridd soon showed both their hunger and their capacity to plunder points with a sweeping, high-speed try from left wing Geraint Lewis.

Swansea were being put through the grinder by the Pontypridd pack and Jason Lewis put them further ahead from a beautiful crash-ball move involving Jenkins. Boobyer scored an individual try for Swansea to make it 28-8 at half-time.

The early stages of the second half were untidy as Pontypridd became too frenetic in their chase for points, but they steadied and Jenkins made a powerful run for a try, which he converted to take his points tally this season to more than 200.

Although Richard Shaw scored a try for Swansea converted by Aled Williams, Pontypridd continued their merry way and scored their fifth try when full- back Crispin Cormack scored from an outrageous dummy. Another try by Geraint Lewis was followed by a Swansea try from Colin Charvis which also gave them a bonus point, but Geraint Lewis again scored to give Pontypridd the final say.

Pontypridd: G Jones; D Manley, J Lewis, S Lewis, G Lewis; N Jenkins, P John; N Bezani (capt), Phil John, N Eynon, G Prosser, M Rowley, M Spiller, R Collins, D McIntosh.

Swansea: S Jones; A Harris, H Thomas, R Boobyer, S Davies; A Williams, R Jones; K Colclough, G Jenkins, R Shaw, M Evans, P Arnold, R Appleyard, D Thomas, Stewart Davies.

Referee: D R Davies (WRU).