The club’s league campaign resumes this evening with an away tie against Bridgend Ravens, kick-off at the Brewery Field at 7.15.
In Pontypridd’s absence from action, the defending Premiership champions have slipped to fourth with Carmarthen Quins forging ahead at the top with a 100 per cent record.
That will not unduly worry the Sardis Road club though and with new head coach Geraint Lewis now at the helm, they have plenty to look forward to. After all, they too are still unbeaten.
Pontypridd have also been boosted by the return of a number of players from injury. Flanker Jake Thomas and hooker Huw Dowden are the only absentees with long term injuries. One player returning from injury is wing Lewis Williams who will make his long awaited seasonal debut at Bridgend.
Dai Flanagan returns to the pivotal fly-half position, and with Simon Humberstone called up to the Blues senior squad for their LV Cup tie against Worcester Warriors, regional academy player Jarrod Evans covers the position on the bench. The hooker’s berth is taken by the versatile Tom Hetherington with Aled Davies drafted in on permit from Glamorgan University as replacement.
In the return fixture earlier this season, the Ravens pushed Pontypridd all the way and should have come away with the victory. In the end, a last minute try secured a 27-23 win for Pontypridd.
Bridgend: 15 Owen Howe 14 Luke Morgan 13 Steve Winn 12 Adam Williams 11 Ashley Evans 10 James Dixon 9 Chris Williams, 1 Gary Carpenter 2 Ash James 3 Cai Lewis 4 Owain Lloyd 5 Scott Hicks
6 Adam O’Driscoll 7 Jonathon Vaughan (c) 8 David Barry.
Replacements: Greg George, Jon Bamsey, Dai Edwards, Bill Carey, Lloyd Evans, Sion Hopkins, Ryan Evans, Ryan Owen.
Pontypridd: 15 Adam Thomas 14 Lewis Williams 13 Gavin Dacey 12 Dafydd Lockyer 11 Matthew Nuthall 10 Dai Flanagan 9 Tom Williams, 1 Chris Phillips 2 Tom Hetherington 3 Keiron Jenkins 4 Craig Locke 5 Chris Dicomidis (c) 6 Luke Crocker 7 Rhys Shellard 8 Dan Godfrey.
Replacements: Joel Raikes, Jarrod Evans, Garyn Smith, Aled Davies, Owen Sheppeard, Lee Williams, Lewis Jones, James Howe.
