Ebbw vs Ponty

[marshomano]

Glad to see Harry Keddie back at 8 and also will talbot Davies on the bench... Fresh from Wales u20... Should be a good game... Looking forward to it

Premiership are Pontypridd RFC. The sides meet at Eugene Cross Park this Friday, kicking off at 7:15pm. The fragmented season then restarts on April 8th at Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay, when Ebbw make their second visit of the season to play RGC 1404, kicking off at 3pm and live on S4C.

The Ebbw team is:

Dan Haymond, Chris Levesley, Nathan Preece, Dominic Franchi, James Lewis; Joshua Lewis, Robert Lewis; Ian George, Joe Franchi, Gethin Robinson; Damien Hudd (capt), Joe Bartlett; Lance Randall, Ronny Kynes, Harri Keddie. Bench: Jonny Bowen, Rob Sevenoaks, Ross Jones, Dawid Rubasniak, Michael Preece, Dai Jones, Dai Langdon, Will Talbot-Davies.

[marshomano]

Taken from the pontypridd website

Pontypridd travel to face Ebbw Vale in the Premiership on Friday evening 17th March, the match at Eugene Cross Park kicking off at 7:15pm.

The two opposing teams have enjoyed a good start to the post-split league campaign and stand on ten points apiece at the top of the Tier 1 table, albeit with Ponty having a game in hand.

In the reverse fixture back in late October, the Steelmen came away from Sardis Road with an emphatic 25pts to 41 victory. The sides have also met twice in the Foster's Challenge Cup with Ponty claiming a double, winning away by 31pts to 17 and at home by 63pts to 14.

A campaign hit by injuries continues for Pontypridd, winger Chris Clayton and flanker Jake Thomas both with knee ligament damage and back rowers Dan Godfrey and Owen Sheppeard with neck problems being the latest long term casualties.

Hooker Huw Dowden is also out of contention due to illness, with winger Lewis Williams away on leave. Drafted in on permit are hooker Ethan Coombes from Beddau, prop Keelan Marney from Glynneath and flanker Lewis Young from Aberdare.

The Pontypridd squad selected to face Ebbw Vale is as follows:

15.Gary Williams. 14.Joe Davies. 13.Bradley Coombes. 12.Dafydd Lockyer - cpt. 11.Dale Stuckey. 10.Ceri Sweeney. 9.Wayne Evans.

1.Sam May. 2.Liam Belcher. 3.Mitch Auger. 4.Lee Evans. 5.Chris Dicomidis. 6.Dafi Davies. 7.Rhys Shellard. 8.Hemi Barnes.

Subs: 16.Joel Raikes. 17.Callum Hall. 18.Lewis K Williams. 19.Ethan Coombes. 20.Lewis Young. 21.Peter Sidoli. 22.Joe Popple. 23.Keelan Marney

[Malpas69]

In total control for the first 15 minutes and should have scored at least 20 points. Dominant in the scrums and well organised. Then Josh Lewis goes off and we were then absolutely clueless as to how to play the conditions. We tried to play dry condition back play in monsoon conditions. We should have just run straight and hard and our kicking game was particularly poor. It was a daft yellow card for Harri Keddie and where were our backs for Ponty's second try? They had a five to two overlap without having to do anything! I know that it was our lineout and we were expected to win it, but we should have reacted better than what we did to losing the lineout. Second half as worse as I've seen for a good few seasons, we didn't have a clue!

[jadegoodiesfridge]

I went to Beddau....went to the Merthyr game ,and tonight I witnessed that ! Three clueless performances on the bounce .I 'm gonna post something a tad controversial now .Think it's time for a change of coaches .We have been found out and are going backwards at a rapid pace .Nige has been great.No question.But I think its time to move on,both us and Nigel ( and sadly Lee)
We are crying out for fresh ideas.Too much kicking away hard earned possession in my opinion.Forgive me if I've rocked the boat,but I feel Ebbw are going nowhere .

[chris]

I have to agree with the posts above. Thought we were completely clueless last night and, having been in complete control early on, threw the game away. Josh Lewis has gone off early a few times recently, don't honestly remember the last 80 mins he played for us - as soon as he departed we fell apart.

Our second-half performance in particular was abysmal, and our kicking game throughout was just dull. We didn't once play to the corners, every kick was aimed to be contestable (which let's face it only gives a 50/50 chance of retaining posession) and many went out on the full. If our sole intention is to kick the ball away for 80 mins then we may as well just give up!

I genuinely have no idea what our tactics are at the moment. Not sure the players know either! I've thought for a while that we have gone backwards, but recently that rate seems to have accelerated.

Unfortunately, I agree with the above post and think that it might be time for a change of coaching staff. For whatever reason they are not having any (positive) influence on our tactical play at the moment. I am also completely fed up with our use of the bench, we just seem to bring people on at set points in the game irrespective of how the game is actually panning out. Last night we systematically weakened our team with some of the substitutions, I just don't get it!!!

If we don't finish in the top 4 this season, then I think it will be a huge under-achievement and has to be the final nail in the coffin for Mr. Davies and co. In my opinion we probably already need a change and a shake up. At the moment we are playing without any direction and going backwards.

[david brown]

Well at last fellow supporters have written honest comments on my pet argument .There has been something missing all season .We are not a shadow of last years team and unfortuanately the buck must lie with the coaches.I also saw our last three games and am still shocked over the BEDDAU performance.What hurts the most is we are losing to sides who there for the taking Not over impressed with either MERTHYR or PONTY ,indeed we would have beaten both if we had played with last seasons commitment For my sins I am travelling up to see us playing the GOGS and staying for the weekend Well as the saying goes ;there is no fool like an old fool.must be a glutton for punishment.

[shaunspikey]

Big result for us bedwas turning over rjc ...cementing 4th place

[Malpas69]

... and Merthyr beat Llandovery 75 -14! Yes, you did read that score correctly.