The Gogs beat Ponty at the Principality Stadium to win the WRU National Cup for the first time in 2017, while Justin Burnell’s team ran out 25-20 winners in last season’s clash at the ‘House of Pain’. So there will be something for everyone when they both try to put behind them narrow defeats in Round 3.
Ponty went down 25-19 at Aberavon, while the rampant Steelmen of Ebbw Vale were 19-12 victors’ at Parc Eirias. With both teams lock on 11 points, there will be a top four place on offer to the winners.
It is the first of two successive live TV outings for RGC, who host treble-chasing Merthyr in Colwyn Bay in next week’s Friday night BBC2 Wales offering. The two games could be season defending for the north Walians with both teams above them in the table.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries at the moment and our final selection will be made as late as possible. Some of the players didn’t train on Monday or Tuesday so their fitness will need to be closely assessed,” said RGC head coach Mark Jones, who is at least able to welcome back skipper and hooker Evan Yardley.
“We’re both coming off defeats after winning our opening two matches. We were quite good in the first-half last weekend, but we weren’t clinical enough.
“We were disappointing at the set-piece and in the tackle area in the second half and we’re looking for a better performance all-round at Pontypridd. We know it a very difficult place to go and we’ll have to be our best.
“As a team we can’t compete if we drop 20-30% off our level – we are not good enough as a team to under perform. Our attitude needs be better and it is no use playing for 40 minutes, we need to compete for the full 80.”
Jones’ opposite number, Burnell, also has a few injury worries. Wing Alex Webber, scrum half Huw Rees, lock Chris Dicomidis and flanker Rhys Shellard are all ruled out and that means first starts of the season for centre Tom Riley and scrum half Dai Francis.
Pontypridd: Gary Williams; Dale Stuckey, Tom Riley, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Alex Knott; Ceri Sweeney, Dai Francis; Ian George, Huw Dowden, Gareth Smith, Sean Moore, Shay Smallman, Rhodri Jones, Ross Morgan, Morgan Sieniawski
Reps: Joe Page, Huw Owen, Joe Popple, Josh Hawkins, Sion Edwards, Joel Raikes, Jordan Rees, Tom Hannah
RGC: Dion Jones; Sam Jones, Tom Hughes, Rhys Williams, Afon Bagshaw; Billy McBryde, Efan Jones; Joe Simpson, Evan Yardley (captain), Jordan Scott, Bryn Jones, Robin Williams, Andrew Williams, Dan Owen, Tim Grey
Reps: George Roberts, Curtis Reynolds, Joel Ringer, Josh Leach, Ilan Rowlands, Cam Davies, Bailey Rae, Danny Cross
Principality Premiership – Round 4
Friday, 21September
Pontypridd v RGC 1404
Saturday, 22 September
Bargoed v Cross Keys
Carmarthen Quins v Cardiff
Ebbw Vale v Bridgend
Llandovery v Llanelli
Merthyr v Aberavon
Swansea v Neath
Sunday, 23 September
Newport v Bedwas
