Trailing 19-17 at the break at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, Pontypool gave their army of fans plenty to shout and sing about as they won the second half 19-13 to send the home side’s miserable season into further free-fall and give the Championship a formidable presence in the quarter-finals.
Everyone knew this was going to be a banana skin for Luke Ford’s men. They had won only once in their last 10 competitive matches, and had lost six of their last seven games at home, but they more than met their match in the power-packed Pooler.
The first half was nip and tuck as Gareth Thompson grabbed all 19 points for the home side with four penalties, the last in the seventh minute of added time at the end of the opening 40 minutes, a try and a conversion. An interception try from Nathan Brooks sent Pontypool on their way and Josh Hurley also squeezed in at the corner.
Former Wales outside half Matthew Jones converted both and kicked a penalty to cut the gap to two points at the break. It didn’t take long, though, for the visitors to assert their authority after the re-start and a Clatyon Gullis try gave them a lead they would never surrender.
Jones ended up with 23 points, Rob Nash added a third try and there was no way back for the Blue & Blacks, despite a late consolation score from hooker Ethan Lewis.
Llandovery’s impressive season to date continued at Church Bank as the defending WRU National Cup champions made it through to this year’s quarter-finals with victory over Bargoed. The Drovers were 25-18 winners over Carmarthen Quins in last season’s final at Principality Stadium, and remain in with a shot of more silverware.
Euros Evans’ side scored three tries in another home success, meaning they have now lost only one of their last eight games. Against Bargoed, Llandovery were convincing winners, going into half time with a 17-5 lead.
Promising young centre Corey Baldwin, who is already being watched by Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac, got their first try of the day and fellow back Aaron Warren added a second.
It gave them a comfortable interval advantage, but it hadn’t all gone to plan early on. James Davies booted a seventh minute penalty for Llandovery, though Alex Herbert’s try then put Bargoed into a shock lead. In the end, that proved to be the visitors’ only score. Baldwin and Warren soon hit back, with Davies adding both conversions, and the second half was a tight affair with Bargoed refusing to go away.
It took until the 70th minute for a further score, with Jack Maynard extending Llandovery’s advantage with a penalty. That took the steam out of Bargoed’s sails and late on former Wales Sevens and Cardiff Blues winger Richard Smith crossed to put the stamp on victory.
Maynard converted to seal the win and it looks like it will take a good team to stop Llandovery making it back-to-back titles.
Merthyr remain in reach of a historic league and cup double after they outshone Premiership Tier 1 rivals Bedwas in a tight affair to win the first of two successive battles 25-14. This weekend they return to the same venue for a Principality Premiership game.
The Ironmen have tasted Principality Stadium glory in recent years after they edged Rhiwbina 29-26 in the National Plate final in 2014. But Lee Jarvis’ side will be determined to seal the blue riband cup victory on finals day in May and hope they are there or thereabouts in the league come the same time.
They remain on course after tries from Terri Gee and Gary Powell as well as a penalty try proved enough to knock out a Bedwas side already through to the semi-finals of the Foster’s Challenge Cup. Merthyr made the brighter start and went ahead with the penalty try, but Richard Powell booted two penalties in quick succession to close the gap.
No 8 Robson Blake then put the hosts into the lead, crashing over from the back of a scrum. Full back Matthew Jarvis hoisted Merthyr back ahead with two penalties of his own before Gee crossed seconds before the half-time break.
Powell put the hosts within reach with another three points, but Merthyr hit back through veteran prop Powell who touched down with Jarvis spot on with the conversion to secure the victory.
Carmarthen Quins remain on course to go one better than last season’s runners-up effort after beating Championship side Narberth 52-19. Richard Kelly’s team, beaten 25-18 by Llandovery in last year’s National Cup final, showed their Premiership Tier 1 class to run in eight tries.
The Otters, though, made the better start and went ahead through two, quick-fire Ianto Griffiths penalties. The lead did not last long as the Quins got on the board through Rhys Williams who touched down with masses of space ahead of him.
Griffiths edged the hosts back ahead with another three points before Carmarthen were awarded their first penalty try of the afternoon. And it soon got better for the visitors as they added a third score through a brutal, catch and drive from a lineout 15 minutes out.
Griffiths’ penalty closed the gap narrowly before the break for the hosts, but the second half belonged almost exclusively to the Quins. The visitors unleashed their charge after the break with another penalty try and minutes later made it five tries for the afternoon through Kieran Jones.
Morgan Griffiths brought up the sixth, before the Quins capped a dominant second half with two late scores through Chris Banfield and Lawrence Reynolds. Callum Tree crossed for a late, consolation try for the hosts.
Ebbw Vale had to dig deep to hold off a spirited Beddau side and progress to the last eight. The reigning Premiership champions are enduring a testing season having scraped through to the newly formatted Tier 1 of Welsh rugby and were happy to escape with a 7-3 victory against Championship opposition.
But the Steelmen are still fighting for a league and cup double after this gritty win. Their last cup final appearance was in 1998, when they finished runners-up to Llanelli.
Beddau, sitting third in the Championship, turned the game into a fierce contest. It was a whole-hearted display that only lacked the scoreline the home fans felt the game deserved.
Ronny Kynes was on the end of a catch and drive from the lineout midway through the first-half – a move that saw him scorch to the most tries scored in the Premiership last season with 19. Outside-half Dai Langdon added the extras, but that proved to be the visitors’ only score of the afternoon.
After the break Hywel Chatham reduced the deficit with a penalty as the Championship side caused problems and made the Steelmen sweat. Midway through the second-half, Langdon missed the chance to ease Ebbw’s nerves, but it did not prove decisive as Nigel Davies’ men held on for the victory.
Josh Prosser booted Cross Keys into the quarter-finals with a virtuoso goalkicking performance that earned him 19 points and the Man of the Match award, and his side a 29-10 victory over Neath.
It was the perfect way for two Pandy Park stalwarts to celebrate reaching significant landmarks as
Danny Hodge made his 200th appearance and Richard Cornock notched-up his 250th. For the visitors, the defeat ended their recent run of good away form that saw them pick up league wins at Cardiff and Llanelli.
Keys got the scoreboard moving when wing Matthew Powell skipped away to cross for a try that gave Prosser his first shot at goal. He hit the mark and then added four penalties to give his side a 19-7 interval lead.
Neath responded to that early score with a wing try of their own from Alec Jenkins, which Ed Howley converted, but the string of penalties they conceded proved their undoing as they got on the wrong side of referee Gareth John.
Howley cut the gap to nine points with a penalty at the start of the second half, but Prosser was quick to respond with his sixth successful shot at goal. Howley hit the upright with another attempt and that was as close as Neath got to closing the gap.
In the end, a final try from back row man Ieuan Jones confirmed Keys’ place in the quarter final. Prosser conversion underlined that fact.
Newport got off to a flying start at Sardis Road, with Matt O’Brien kicking a first minute penalty, but then failed to score for the next 56 minutes. In the meantime, Pontypridd edged into a 12-3 interval lead before stretching out to 31-3 with three second half tries.
At that stage there looked like only being one winner, but the Black & Ambers mounted a fierce rearguard action and rallied to cut the gap to 14 points and then finally to five before falling just short in a 34-29 defeat.
Hooker Huw Dowden and wing Lewis Williams crossed for Ponty’s first half tries and replacement No 8 Hemi Barnes, scrum half Wayne Evans and Williams again grabbed second half tries. Ceri Sweeney converted three of them and Lewis K Williams added a 64th minute penalty.
After their first minute penalty, Newport ran in four tries in a 14 minute purple patch. Centre Chay Smith, full back Llywarch ap Myrddin, wing Elliott Frewen and hooker Henry Palmer scored the tries and Geraint O’Driscoll converted three of them.
Bridgend Ravens’ hopes of adding a National Cup quarter-final appearance to their Foster’s Cup semi-final place were dealt a bitter blow when skipper and flanker Adam O’Driscoll was sent off for a swinging arm tackle in the second half against RGC 1404.
The north Walians were ahead on the scoreboard, but used their extra man to control the game and take the win 31-20. Jacob Botica won the battle of the two, talented No 10’s as he outscored Joe Scrivens 16-15.
The Kiwi outside half helped himself to a charge down try, four conversions and a penalty, while Scrivens scored the first of Bridgend’s two tries, kicked two penalties and two conversions. Jonathan Kenny scored the other home try.
Tiaan Loots crossed for two tries for RGC, while Rhys Williams picked up the fourth shortly after O’Driscoll’s dismissal.
