Ponty Looking To Bounce Back

Pontypridd coach Lynn Howells believes that Saturday’s Parker Pen Challenge Cup game against Leeds Tykes will give his players the perfect opportunity to erase the memories of Friday night’s disappointing Celtic League defeat.
The Sardis Road crew crashed out of the competition going down 13-12 against Neath in the quarter-final of the competition.
He said: “Losing on Friday has annoyed us all and we’ll be looking to make up for it against Leeds.
“It’s going to be a tough game as they are a good side. They’re flying high domestically and our preparation have been far from ideal but they won’t relish coming here.
“Losing always upsets me but the manner in which we were defeated is especially hard to take. We didn’t play to our full potential and we didn’t show our true colours and that’s what hurts the most.
“The players are keen to get the game out of their heads as quickly as possible and luckily they have an opportunity to do that relatively quickly.”
Howells has had Leeds watched on several occasions and singled out their pack for special praise.
“They are formidable and will be ready to do battle. We can’t give away possession and will have to cut down on our unforced errors if we are to win the game.
“It should be quite entertaining though as both teams will be looking to keep the ball in hand.
“I used to coach Tristan Davies when he was a youngster and he is also a very good player so we’ll have to keep a close eye on him.”
The match is of course played over two legs and while many would prefer to play the second leg at home Howells is happy that the first leg is to be played at Sardis Road.
He said: “I think it’s dangerous to start thinking about scoring enough points at home as an insurance for when you travel away.
“You should aim to win both games and that’s what we’ll be doing. Playing at home first is an advantage as it gives us a better chance of getting off to a winning start at psychologically that is very important.”