Surely, the big news here is a certain number 22, potentially playing in ebbw colours this week!!
Team to play Pontypridd:
15) Dan Haymond
14) Steff Thomas
13) Carl Meyer
12) Dom Franchi
11) Toby Fricker
10) Rhys Jones
9) Dai Jones Lewis Young
7) Ronny Kynes (c)
6) Rhys Clarke
5) Lance Randall
4) Kristian Parker
3) Rob Sevenoaks
2) Rhys Francis
1) Joel Harries
16) Joe Franchi
17) Ross Jones
18) Curtis Hicks
19) Cameron Regan
20) Owen Young
21) Sam Ireland
22) Jacob Botica
23) Paul King
Don't think we should lose track of our goal for this season ,Yes ! We play Ponty away and then Merthyr.But Our focus at the start of the season was NOT to finish in the bottom five and according to Ronny prior to the start of the season,he wanted a top four finish .which would be fantastic in my humble opinion .Reading the Ponty forum ,they are treating tomorrow 's game as a cup final .I think we Ebbw supporters have a more realistic outlook .We are NOT going to be unbeaten throughout the season.If we lose tomorrow .no big deal .It would be nice to win at Ponty tomorrow .I'd love it ! But to be in the premiership next season would be even better.I shall be at Sardis tomorrow,shouting my Ass off. See you all there.
Had to happen at some point i suppose. Losing to the odious pontypridd of all sides is particularly galling but someone was going to beat us at some point.
The goal for this season was to avoid relegation. If you'd had offered most fans the option of 7 wins out of 8 before the season started they'd have bitten your arm off!
Maybe a little less pressure and expectation on us for future games now.
It was ironic that the biggest cheer of the night was when good old Craig Evans penalised Ross for illegal scrummaging under pontys posts at a very critical point of the game .What is it with Craig Evans and our scrum.I remember a game I think against Newport and he penalised us practically every scrum.He seems to be the only ref who's got a problem with us .In my opinion it was a sure fire penalty try,which probably would have won us the game .Spoke to a couple of the players last night and they felt Craig had a bad day at the office also.Oh well .Rant over .Thought the boys done well ,bit of a scrap,but it's never pretty against Ponty.Great atmosphere on the bank with a section of the Ebbw supporters ( was it the Dugout boys ? ) in brilliantly noisy form .FANTASTIC.Really rattled the ponty mob.Hope the injuries to Carl ,Rhys and Dom aren't too serious .Think we might need them against Merthyr.
What a game to watch, two good sides going at each other hammer and tongs. We had to lose at some point as I have said countless times every team in this league can beat another. Just look at Bargoed beating Aberavon , on paper would never happen but in reality it does.
Our boys did us supporters proud and could well have stolen the win towards the end of the game. Some great tackling from our centres . Dom Franchi pulled off a few beauties , every player gave their all and we cannot ask for more.
Having watched the game over twice now , I have to applaud both sets of fans during penalty kick time , there was silence . a show of respect by good rugby watching folk. Can t say I agree with the oo ah when a player is taking a high ball.
I think we have to regroup now for Friday and put in another huge shift against Merthyr, that said we should run them about and the their big pack will tire.
Back to Craig Evans, for a full time professional referee he should be taken to task over his scrum law interpretation, he has nt got a clue. Ebbw were in the ascendancy for most of the game yet he saw fit to give numerous penalties against us. I ve watched and can only see Ponty props going down under pressure. He was nt very good at ruck time , allowed Ponty player s to take the Ebbw players off the ball at every opportunity.
May be sour grapes from me as I think a draw was a fare result but Craig pick your socks up butt
A HUGE THANK YOU FROM VIEWFROMTHESTAND TO ALL OUR BOYS , YOU DID GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just reviewing the game and the incident that led to a penalty and then Ponty try was no way a high tackle and I don't know why it wasn't looked at again. For Dai Jones, probably the shortest man on the field, to tackle high is farsical. I also thought a few penalties against our scrum was dubious too, I think the Ponty crowd can sway a not so strong ref into giving them what could be 50/50 decisions.
Spotted on the Ponty forum.This little gem. "I suppose it is natural for Ebbw Vale supporters to pick the ref apart in such a close game.However having seen EbbwVale over the last 4or 5 seasons they still appear to be the same old flaws to their game.They always come well drilled ,organised,big aggressive pack,but their backs create next to nothing.After 8 rounds they may be 2nd but in tries scored they are behind Merthyr Ponty,llandovery,Aberavon,RGC,Newport,Bargoed,and Cross Keys,averaging just three tries a game despite their lofty position.If you can out maul & out scrum Ebbw Vale ( which according to the referee Friday ( sic) we did)you pretty much nullify them as a threat.They are the Rugby version of long ball football.....sorry that's the truth. "............wow!! I'm speechless!!..Think I'll spend my Saturday afternoons in the house watching Escape to the Country from now on .I mean , there's just no point in carrying on anymore is there ?!
61st minute scrum on Ponty 5 metre line, we get a slight nudge and they go up only for us to be penalised???? Watched it several times and it still baffles me. Dom Franchi penalised for not rolling away but their player in same situation allowed to lie there with no penalty. Baffles me.
Nevermind Nigel Owens is usually far more consistent.
61st minute scrum on Ponty 5 metre line, we get a slight nudge and they go up only for us to be penalised???? Watched it several times and it still baffles me. Dom Franchi penalised for not rolling away but their player in same situation allowed to lie there with no penalty. Baffles me.
Nevermind Nigel Owens is usually far more consistent.
67 minute scrum, on their line again, we going forward they go down and it's Ebbw's fault, can't win with you Craig.
There were plenty of other things that I would include in the 'dodgy' category.
Plus lots of cheap of the ball stuff ignored by the officials.
But I'm sounding bitter.
Lewis Young