After a difficult start to the season, with Bridgend losing all six of their opening fixtures, the Ravens have been rejuvenated of late.
A bonus point in a home humbling to Newport got the club off the mark in the league and since they have taken three straight wins – against Neath, Cardiff and Bedwas. The SSE SWALEC Cup champions welcome Pontypridd to the Bridgend Ford Brewery Field in a rich run of form.
Pontypridd only lost one league game last campaign, this fixture, in a 23-17 win. The Ravens were also the only team to beat Pontypridd in a domestic cup, winning their first Welsh Cup in 35 years with a 19-15 victory at the Millennium Stadium. Bridgend will need more of the same when Ponty come to town on Saturday if they are to be in with a chance of victory.
Pontypridd are again on top of the Premiership with 7 wins from their 9 games to date. After a promising start, which included a comprehensive 50-0 humbling of the Ravens, Pontypridd have suffered a setback in the past few weeks. An away defeat at Cross Keys was followed by a narrow win against Neath at the Gnoll. Ebbw Vale became the latest side to inflict pain on Ponty as they stormed Sardis to win 26-18 as Pontypridd lost their first home game since 2013.
Bridgend Ravens continue to freshen up the starting lineup which has seen them win their last three games. Joe Gatt comes in for Morgan Jones and Mike Powell returns to the wing. In the pack, Adam Hillier Rees makes his first Premiership start of the season and Matthew Dodd lines up for his Bridgend debut.
Pontypridd will have hopes of recovering from last week’s defeat against Ebbw Vale, with the final score being 18-26.
This game is an important one for Ponty as they will aim to get back on to a winning track and to complete a season’s double over their opponents, having won by 50-0 in the reverse fixture at Sardis Road on 12th September.
Ponty go into the game carrying a heavy injury list. The walking wounded are centre Gary Williams (shoulder), winger Lewis I Williams (rib), scrum half Lloyd Williams (concussion), prop Chris Phillips (arm) and no8 Owen Sheppeard (concussion). These latest casualties are added to long term absentees, prop Pat Palmer (shoulder), lock Alex Jones (ankle) and flanker Jake Thomas (Shoulder). Fly-half Ceri Sweeney is in the meantime away playing in the Bermuda Classics tournament.
Drafted into the squad are scrum half Dane Blacker from Coleg y Cymoedd, prop Mitchell Auger from Bedwas and flankers Rob Jones from Llanharan and Lloyd Evans, former captain of Ponty Youth.
Bridgend: 15 Marc Bennett 14 Ryan Griffiths 13 Joe Gatt 12 Ryan Evans 11 Mike Powell 10 Joseph Scrivens 9 Geraint Watkin; 1 Nicky Boyce 2 Dale Rogers 3 Cai Lewis 4 Ashton Evans 5 Matthew Dodd 6 Adam O’Driscoll 7 Zac O’Driscoll (Capt) 8 Adam Hillier-Rees
Replacements: 16 Iestyn Merriman 17 Lewis Francis 18 Liam Jenkins 19 Dewi Parry 20 Sam Treharne 21 Will Baird 22 Morgan Jones 23 Alex Fenton.
Pontypridd: 15 Geraint Walsh 14 Alex Webber 13 Gavin Dacey 12 Dafydd Lockyer (capt) 11 Mathew Nuthall 10 Lewis K Williams 9 Joel Raikes; 1 Corey Domachowski. 2 Ashleigh James 3 Keiron Assiratti 4 Hemi Barnes 5 Shaun O’Rourke 6 Wayne O’Connor 7.Rhys Shellard 8 Dan Godfrey.
Subs: 16 Dane Blacker 17 Harry Millard 18 Chris Clayton 19 Jack Dando 20 Lloyd Evans 21 Rob Jones 22 Mitchell Auger 23 Huw Dowden.
