What a magnificent game of rugby football ! Neath and Pontypridd have been playing each other for around 130 years but few ties can have matched this for scoring and drama in what was a high-octane splendid advertisement for the WRU Premiership.

Ultimately, Neath adherents were left to rue the fact that the All Blacks did not have the rub of the green and did everything but win in this 33-34 midweek thriller at Sardis Road.

Sweltering early evening conditions greeted the two teams who entered the game locked on 86 points behind already-crowned champions Merthyr.

Neath made six changes from the side which won at Bonymaen last Saturday with lock Matthew Davies making his 100th appearance and centre Sean Wilcox his 50th while winger Morgan Meaclem came in for his debut.

After losing at Ystrad Rhondda last time out, Pontypridd made a similar number of changes and, among others, brought in wing Iwan Griffiths (Bridgend), scrum-half Joey Williams and flanker Will Jamieson (Cardiff).

The game got off to poor start for Neath when Ponty centre Stuart Floyd-Ellis dabbed down for the opening try although Neath full back Iestyn Morgan appeared to be impeded in the chase to get back. Small margins !

Neath hit back with some strong driving by the forwards from a penalty-line-out routine in the 22 and hooker Josh Clark peeled off the back of the maul to score at the posts for Steff Williams to convert and it was 7-5 to the All Blacks.

Then came a magical moment and Neath’s second try. From a rock-solid scrum on the left in their own 22, Steff Williams’ pin-point kick was gathered by right wing Rhodri Wall who sprinted clear and handed inside to supporting centre Jon Bayliss who got over in the right corner for Neath’s 100th league try of the season – in modern rugby, to score from first phase is a wonder; to score from first phase in your own 22 all the more so !

Outside-half Steff Williams converted and it was 14-5 to the All Blacks who were bubbling with prop Elis Hopkins putting in a couple of huge hits and the big men in the front five carrying strongly alongside him.

Pontypridd  outside-half Jayden Pugh reduced the odds when he landed a penalty but Neath’s third try came when Josh Clark scored his second off another line-out drive. To make it 19-8.

But Pontypridd came back strongly after Neath flanker Gethin Tremlett was yellow-carded in the lead-up to half-time. Their outstanding No.8 Joseff Miles twice crossed and there was an air of similarity about his efforts as both came via the tried routine of penalty to the corner-line-out take-forward rumble-with backs rushing to assist. Not aesthetically pleasing but mighty effective !

Pugh converted the former and Pontypridd went in at half-time with a slender one-point advantage

Half-time – Pontypridd 20 points, Neath 19 points

The second-half got off to an explosive start when debutant winger Morgan Meaclem intercepted and made ground into the Pontypridd 22, centre Sean Wilcox was up in support but his pass to Jon Bayliss was dropped with a clear path to the posts ahead.

That chance and its elementary conversion would have put Neath in command but it was Pontypridd who struck next at the other end and increased their lead. Again, it was the penalty to the corner-line-out take-forward rumble which did the trick as Neath conceded a penalty try and lock Jon Barley was yellow-carded for attempting to stop it and Pontypridd led 19-27.

But Neath were far from done. The pulsating nature of play continued and the visitors bagged two more tries through flanker Jacob Blackmore and full back Iestyn Morgan, Steff Williams adding the extras to both to put Neath in front at 33-27.

The frantic pace continued and it was Pontypridd who got the next score, levelling the try-count at five each as Miles went over for his hat-trick from – yes, you’ve guessed it – another penalty- line-out drive. Pugh’s conversion from the touchline was as majestic as it was vital and Pontypridd led by a point.

So intense was the climax that both sides forgot to use their full bench compliments ! And, in a pulsating finish, Neath threw everything at Pontypridd – not so much the kitchen sink but the fridge and the washing-machine too.

Somehow, the forwards found the energy to launch a series of drives into the belly of the Pontypridd defence but a snap drop at goal by Steff Williams sailed wide and Pontypridd held on.

It was not a straightforward chance and older supporters might recall a similar effort not far away from the same spot by the mercurial Arwel Thomas whose left boot won Neath the championship in 2006/07. Fine margins indeed !

Probably neither side deserved to lose for Neath had given as good as they got in a high-quality game – in the end it was perhaps Pontypridd’s greater accuracy that tipped it. Because well as the All Blacks played from 1 to 15, more often than not when Pontypridd hit the 22 they came away with points and Neath did not quite match that – a lesson to be learned for next year.

Neath now move on to the last game of the season – it could not be much tougher as it is away to champions Merthyr but this Neath team has proved time and time again this season that they relish a challenge and will need to dig deep again.

The top of the table now reads :-

P        W       D        L         For    Agst          Points

Merthyr                                       21       19       0        2      1051      354        97

Pontypridd                                  23       18       0        5        762     445        91

NEATH                                        23       17       1        5        696     500        88

Bargoed                                      22       14       1        7        608     475        73

Brecon                                        24       11       1        12       683     684        62

 

PONTYPRIDD – D Stuckey; L Rochefort-Shugar, S Floyd-Ellis, G Smith, I Griffith (S Talbot); J Pugh, J Raikes (J Williams); B Drew (K Mattravers), R Jones (J Young), G Daniel (M Bosanko); M Barnard (L Riley), K Parker; W Jameson, J Miles, Cally James (capt)   Repl rested – J Symes, E Evans

NEATH – I Morgan; M Meaclem (K Morgan), J Bayliss, S Wilcox, R Wall; S Williams, R Cole (E Lewis);  M Morgan, J Clark (K Jones), E Hopkins (B Uphill);  M Davies, J Barley; J Blackmore (C Williams), B Williams (capt) (M Kneath), G Tremlett  Repl rested – M Jenkins, R Taylor

Referee – Mr M Caudle (Pontypridd)

Images courtesy of Len Kowalski www.lensworkphotography.co.uk