Newbridge 22-38 Pontypridd – Match Report

Pontypridd travelled to the Gwent Valleys seeking a league double over their hosts, and ultimately did so but only after a real dogfight, a high risk game of cards during which the lead changed hands on numerous occasions.

Ponty made a bright start with the ball in hand only for Rhodri Smith to pull wide an early penalty attempt. The visitors carried on undaunted, hammering the gain line, and it was Smith who was at the end of a wide attack to cross for a try which he then converted. That lead was however short lived as Newbridge stole line-out ball and played through the ensuing phases allowing full back Reegan Davies to slice through for a try and to add the conversion from in front of the posts. The penalty count was rising in Ponty’s favour, offering an opportunity for Rhodri Smith to kick for goal which he successfully did. It was nip and tuck as Newbridge advanced up to their opponents’ line then scrummaged strongly, going close in the corner. Their persistence finally paid off from a turnover, moving the ball wide to put centre Harry Jarvis over for a try which Davies again converted.  Despite edging the lead the home side were being serially penalised, their captain given a talking to by the referee and from an ensuing penalty, Ponty launching a line-out drive from which hooker Connah Hughes emerged as the try scorer.

To the tune of the referee’s whistle Ponty continued to advance only for Newbridge to wrestle a turnover to clear. The contest remained evenly balanced as the home side threatened on the counter, before a crazy three minute period when three Ponty players in succession were sin-binned for infringing, scrum half Lloyd Dennett, flanker Cai James and then wing Rhodri Smith. The Ponty twelve were now under intense pressure and finally ran out of defenders as Newbridge shipped the ball wide for scrum half Matthew Davies to snipe over in the corner. Tempers were frayed and following a brawl between the two packs, Ponty were awarded a penalty which outside half Logan Jones gratefully kicked, trimming his side’s deficit at the interval to 19pts to 18.

HALF TIME: Newbridge 19-8 Pontypridd

Ponty were soon back to full quota as play resumed but Newbridge then seeing yellow as both prop Harry Drane, for foul play, and centre Josh Thomas were dispatched to the cooler, and the visitors edging back into the lead courtesy of a Rhodri Smith penalty. The contest remained full blooded and feisty with both captains again lectured, and with points at a premium it was the host team who now elected to kick for goal, the penalty converted by Reegan Davies. There was much going on off the ball, there were injury delays, there were attacks and counter attacks but it was Ponty who yet again regained the lead as Smith put over another penalty just past the hour mark.

Into its final quarter the contest was a real dogfight for supremacy, physical and at times frenetic on the heavy surface but Ponty able to launch a dynamic foray spearheaded by Joel Raikes, then playing through the phases to put centre Stuart Floyd-Ellis over wide out, his try well converted by Logan Jones. The home team again advanced but the Ponty defence claiming a turnover to clear. There were by now bodies all over the place as the physical battle took its toll, with Newbridge striving hard for a score to ensure a losing bonus point. Ponty however stood their ground then from a line-out drive made advances for centre Callum Coxley to charge over from close range, his try converted by Logan Jones, rounding off a hard fought bonus point win by 22pts to 38.

FULL TIME: Newbridge 22-38 Pontypridd

Match Report – Guto Davies (14/2/2026)

NEWBRIDGE:

15.Reegan Davies. 14.Aneurin Patterson (Sammy Watkins). 13.Harry Jarvis. 12.Josh Thomas. 11.Cian Jones. 10.Simon Veall (Robbie Turley). 9.Matthew Davies.

1.Gareth Young (Michael Kavanagh). 2.Mikhail Blake (Aneurin Jenkins). 3.Harry Drane (Luke Keddington temp / Luke Evans). 4.Jakob Duffy. 5.Gavin McDonnell (c). 6.Even Ozbilen. 7.Lewis Hill (Kian Williams). 8.Zach Stuart (Luke Leddington).

Subs: 16.Aneurin Jenkins. 17.Michael Kavanagh. 18.Luke Leddington.  20.Luke Evans. 21.Kian Williams. 22.Sammy Watkins. 23.Robbie Turley.

Tries: Reegan Davies (7); Harry Jarvis (15); Matthew Davies (34)

Cons: Reegan Davies (7, 16)

Pens: Reegan Davies (52)

Yellow Cards:  Harry Drane (43); Josh Thomas (44)                                                                                                    

PONTYPRIDD:

15.Jorge Lucey. 14.Louis Rochefort-Shugar. 13.Stuart Floyd-Ellis. 12.Callum Coxley. 11.Rhodri Smith (Jude Williams). 10.Logan Jones. 9.Lloyd Dennett (Joel Raikes).

1.Ben Drew (Dan Cotterell). 2.Connah Hughes (Louis Tovey). 3.Kian Mattravers (Finian Murray). 4.Lloyd Riley (Jordan Coxley). 5.Joe Miles. 6.Cai James. 7.Cally James (c). 8.Iestyn Harris (Ben Bora).

Subs: 16.Louis Tovey. 17.Dan Cotterell. 18.Finian Murray. 19.Lucca Alexander-White. 20.Jordan Coxley. 21.Ben Bora. 22.Joel Raikes. 23.Jude Williams.

Tries: Rhodri Smith (4); Connah Hughes (21); Stuart Floyd-Ellis (68); Callum Coxley (78)

Cons: Rhodri Smith (5);  Logan Jones (69, 79)

Pens: Rhodri Smith (11, 45, 61); Logan Jones (40)

Yellow Cards: Lloyd Dennett (29); Cai James (31); Rhodri Smith (32)                                                                                                       

Referee:  Marcus Caudle             AR3: Lee Parry

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