The pool five clash, which kicks off at 7.30pm on Friday, was originally scheduled for January but was postponed due to heavy snow at Sardis Road. Neither side are able to qualify for the quarter-finals, which also take place this weekend, but both clubs agreed to honour the fixture.
Jersey’s starting XV includes 13 players who have featured in the club’s Championship campaign so far. These include experienced campaigners Ross Broadfoot, Ashley Maggs and Donovan Sanders in the backs, plus Talite Vaioleti, Paul Rodgers and skipper Graham Bell in the pack.
Scrum-half Joel Dudley is set to make his first competitive appearance in a Jersey shirt after a season plagued by injury, while there is a welcome return to the for prop Myles Landick, the Jersey Groundsman, who is now fully recovered from the knee injury sustained towards the end of last season.
Jersey’s bench includes young scrum-half Harry Cochrane, flanker Tim Corson and a stalwart of Island rugby, prop Jim Brimelow.
The two clubs battled out a physical 20-20 draw in Jersey in the reverse fixture and while both have their eyes on bigger prizes – Pontypridd gunning for a domestic double and Jersey battling for survival in the English Championship – the tie between them still stands to be highly competitive.
Pontypridd have gone for a mix of experience and youth in their selection policy. Debuts are given to Blues Academy and Wales Youth full back Aled Summerhill, formerly of Ponty Youth and second row Simon Williams on permit from Llantrisant.
The team will be skippered by centre Dafydd Lockyer who resumes a midfield partnership with Wales Under 20 prospect Tom Pascoe.
Sidelined with recent injuries are full back Geraint Walsh and flanker Wayne O’Connor, who suffered a broken nose at Ebbw Vale last weekend.
In the other pool game taking place, Bridgend welcome Ulster to the Brewery Field looking to carry on the form that saw them get the better of Bedwas last weekend.
Pontypridd: Aled Summerhill, Matthew Nuthall, Dafydd Lockyer (cpt), Tom Pascoe, Owen Jenkins, Dai Flanagan, Carl Thomas, Stuart Williams, Jack Dando, Bradley Thyer, Simon Williams, Cory Hill, Ed Siggery, Tom Hetherington, Owen Shepperd.
Replacements: Gareth James, Simon Humberstone, Gareth Wyatt, Huw Dowden, Jake Thomas, Jordan Sieniawski, Keiron Jenkins.
Jersey: Glenn Bryce, James Copsey, Donovan Sanders, Ashley Maggs, Chris Levesley, Ross Broadfoot, Joel Dudley; Myles Landick, Charlie Clare, James Gethings, James Voss, Paul Rodgers, Graham Bell (capt), Eoghan Nihill, Talite Vaioleti
Replacements: David Felton, Jim Brimelow, Kingsley Lang, Tim Corson, Harry Cochrane, Brendan O’Brien, Sam Fuller.
Bridgend: 15 Jamie Murphy 14 Lewis Reece 13 Nathan Edwards 12 Sam Campbell 11 Glen Lewis 10 Ross Jones 9 Tom Grabham, 1 Mark Thomas 2 Ashley James 3 Dan Suter 4 Owain Lloyd 5 Lee Davies
6 Andrew Waite 7 Jonathan Vaughan (c) 8 Lloyd Evans.
Replacements: Jonothan Thomas, Owen Williams, Gary Carpenter, Scott Hicks, Dai Griggs, Ben Thomas, Chris Williams.
Ulster: 15 A D’Arcy 14 R Andrew 13 M Allen 12 S McCluskey 11 C Cochrane 10 N O’Connor 9 M Heaney, 1 K McCall 2 N Annett 3 D Fitzpatrick 4 J Simpson 5 N McComb 6 A Birch 7 M McComish 8 S O’Connell.
Replacements: J Andrew, J Caulfield, L Connolly, N Faloon, B McIlroy, T Acheson, L McGillan.
