In a typically red-blooded Boxing Day derby it looked as though Neath were going to land their first win of the season until acting skipper Davies, who had picked up a yellow card in the first-half, crashed over for a try that levelled the scores and even gave Aberavon a shot at victory.
Up stepped James Garland to kick for glory, but the strong wind held back his kick and the honours ewer shared. It was the Wizards’ outside half who had given them an early lead with two successful penalties out of three attempts
Then Matthew Jenkins raced over for a try which Garland converted to give the visitors a 12 point lead. Osprey wing Kristian Phillips then replied for the home side with an interception try than Iwan Evans improved, but a penalty try for the visitors, following a yellow card for Neath skipper and second row Jonny Griffiths, made it 20-8 to the Wizards.
But Aberavon then lost Davies to a yellow card and Neath replied with a penalty try of their own to leave the game hanging in the balance at the break at 20-16. A penalty from Evans cut the gap to two points five minutes after the break before Neath took the lead for the first time in the match with 10 minutes to go when replacement prop Ieuan Dobbs rounded off a great break by Rueben Morgan-Williams to cross for a try which Luke Price converted.
There was just time for one last forward drive from Aberavon and that took them up to the line to allow Davies to grab the vital try that enabled his side to leave with a share of the points.
Pontypridd climbed back to the top of the Principality Premiership table as they defeated Cardiff for the third weekend running at Sardis Road.
Scrum-half Tom Williams was the hero for the home side as he helped himself to a brace of tries for the reigning champions, with half-back partner Lewis Williams adding a conversion and two penalties to make it three wins on successive Saturday’s against the Blues & Blacks.
Cardiff had led through an early try from Richard Smith, converted by James Thomas, but it was not enough to help them gain revenge for their back-to-back defeats to Ponty in the Foster’s Challenge Cup.
With the top of the table clash between Cross Keys and Newport being postponed due to the heavy rainfall in south Wales, Ponty knew a victory would be enough to see them leapfrog the two Gwent clubs and take over top spot in the standings. They started positively with Lewis Williams kicking a second minute penalty, giving them the ideal opening, but they were stung when the visitors hit back.
Despite the difficult playing conditions, Cardiff produced some smart build up play to work the opening for Smith to get over the line, with Thomas adding the extras. The game was proving to be a fierce forward arm wrestle on the heavy playing surface, making it difficult for both sides.
But it was the home side who began to get the upper hand when scrum-half Tom Williams capitalised on good work by his pack to sneak over, with his half-back partner adding the extras for a 10-8 lead. The No 9’s second score, another sniping effort, stretched their advantage to eight points, with Lewis Williams’ second penalty sealing the win.
Ebbw Vale made it third time lucky as they beat Bedwas 24-10 on Boxing Day at Eugene Cross Park. It was the third time in 14 days that the two sides had met each other – the previous two coming in the Foster’s Challenge Cup.
The first fixture resulted in an exciting 22-22 draw, with Bedwas thrashing the Steelmen 36-6 a week later. In the mid-table clash, the sixth placed home side made the brighter start and soon hit the front.
Flanker Ronny Kynes crossed for a try with Bedwas going down to 14 men after a yellow card during the play. The Steelmen then added to their lead immediately from the restart as Nathan Preece set up winger Jared Rosser for a try which Dai Langdon improved.
Midway through the first-half, Bedwas narrowed the gap as Geraint Thomas scored with captain Richard Powell adding the conversion. Powell soon made it a four point game with a penalty.
But the hosts extended their lead on the stroke of half-time when Dan Haymond finished off a great team move to give Ebbw Vale a 20-10 interval lead. The second half struggled to get going as neither side took a hold of the game.
Iain Smerdon added two penalties to put the game out of reach of Bedwas and gift the Steelmen a 24-10 victory.
Ebbw Vale play bottom of the table Neath on 2 January, whilst Bedwas will look to cause a shock when they travel to Cross Keys in their next game.
Llanelli turned on the style as they ran in seven second-half tries to leave Bridgend with the worst possible Boxing Day hang-over after a 64-8 home defeat.
The power and pace of the visitors’ back division was too much for the Ravens defence to handle and, after holding back the tide in the first half, the floodgates opened in the second as wave after wave of Llanelli attacks brought points.
Joe Scrivens kicked the home side into the lead and there was little to suggest the game would turn into such a one-sided affair in the opening exchanges. But a string of penalties allowed Llanelli to work their way into the corner, where skipper Adam Powell was driven over for the first try.
When they got into the kill zone again midway through the first-half the visitors used their back line to conjure up a second try for wing Josh Lewis. A brilliant break by home full back Marc Bennett then paced the way for wing Mike Powell to cut the gap to 12-8 at the break, but it was all one way traffic after that
Ex-Bridgend player Nathan Edwards was next on the score sheet at the start of the second half and Josh Lewis added the conversion. Then Lewis weaved his way over for another try and that was the cue for the floodgates to open.
Five more tries flowed and Lewis ended up with 22 points with five conversions and two tries to crown a magnificent solo-performance in difficult conditions.
Torrential rain ruined what was predicted to be one of the best games in the Premiership on Boxing Day as the clash between the two teams tied on 44 points at the top of the table, Cross Keys and Newport, was postponed.
A big crowd was expected at Pandy Park to see which of the Gwent sides would be top of the table after Christmas, but the poor state of the pitch left the referee with no other option than to call the game off – and enabled Pontypridd to go back to the top.
“It’s always a big game, the best fixture in the year, and with us both sitting at the top of the league it just made even more exciting – it was going to be all about Gwent bragging rights,” said Cross Keys head coach Greg Woods.
