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CHAMPIONSHIP: Pooler take title with five games to go

Pontypool

Pontypool stun Swansea

Pontypool have been crowned WRU National Championship winners for the second season in a row and now they are targeting a hat-trick of titles in a bid to return to the top-flight in 2019.

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You had to go back to 25 March, 2017, for the last time Pooler had lost in the Championship and they more than made up for that upset by returning to the scene of the crime last weekend and beating Cardiff Met 56-10.

It had been the students who became the only side to lower their colours last season with a 30-22 victory at Cyncoed in Round 19. Pooler recovered to win their final three fixtures and they completed a successful defence of their crown with their 17th win of the season.

That made in 20 Championship wins in a row over two seasons and now they will have five matches in which to extend that mark and challenge the 114 tries and 98 points they finished with last season. They have currently scored 107 tries and are on 83 points.

“Winning back-to-back championships is a special feeling and something the group has worked hard to achieve. It was a tough week with the Merthyr loss in the cup, but I think we bounced back really well against Cardiff Met and scored some great tries,” said Clayton Gullis.

There were eight tries in all for the champions as they turned a 19-0 interval lead into a second half avalanche of points. Gullis, Owen Williams, Aaron Coundley, Lewis Ball, Kieron Meek, Jordan Thomas, Martin Luckwell and Joel Mahoney all crossed the students’ line with Matthew Jones converting all of them.

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