Wing Dale Ford scored a try in each half for the Quins with centres Josh Batcup and Iestyn Gwiliam also on the scoresheet to secure maximum points. Outside half Charlie Titcombe kicked 15 points to inflict a fifth league defeat in seven matches on Pooler in the Indigo Premiership.
Right wing Marcus Jones bagged himself a brace while there was a try on debut for left wing Iwan Price-Thomas. Outside half Matthew Jarvis added 13 points from the tee – including a penalty with the last kick of the match – to at least secure the Gwent men a losing bonus point for their efforts.
“I think they did their homework and stopped our power game and a bit of our physicality and made the breakdown heavily contested, so they thoroughly deserved their win,” said Pooler boss, Jones.
“We’ve had a look at Quins and we thought we could have come here and got a bit more change out of the power game and the set piece but, fair play, Quins stepped up and they nullified us there and arguably as coaches we’ve got our game plan wrong there.”
Meanwhile, for the Quins it made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Buoyed by their win at Bridgend five days earlier which ended a nine-match losing run in the league, it’s now nine points from two matches for Lyndon Lewis’ men.
It also marked Carmarthen’s first win at the Park this term, with their only other victory to date coming away at Neath back in September.
“I thought it was a fabulous game,” said Quins head coach Lewis, who has his first pair of wins since joining the club at the back end of 2023. “We went out to play fast, fluid rugby and scored some nice tries. It was a great performance from us.
“The boys are working hard in training and we’ve had some reward in the last two games. “I thought we played well up in Llandovery as well before that where, even though we lost, it was a good performance to build on.
“It’s tough when you’re at the bottom of the division; you’re scrambling for a win but we’ve just had two. We’ve got a break next week, so we’re going to work the boys really hard for the next four sessions in preparation to go up to Newport in a fortnight’s time.”
Pontypool will now look to bounce back when they welcome Merthyr to Pontypool Park on Saturday and bidding to complete a league double over the Ironmen this season.
Scorers: Carmarthen Quins: Tries: D Ford 2, J Batcup, I Gwiliam; Cons: C Titcombe 3; Pens: C Titcombe 3. Pontypool: Tries: M Jones 2, I Thomas; Cons: M Jarvis 2; Pens: M Jarvis 3.
