A Tale of Two Flankers

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There has been a spirited debate at Ponty this week regarding the way Rhys Shellard was, then was not, required by the Blues after the injury to Sowden-Taylor. We thought we would be losing him, then we learn that Dai Young has signed a 22 year old Aussie called Ben White (on the recommendation of Justin Burnell, Cardiff and Academy coach). We didn't think this was a very progressive mood in relation to Welsh rugby but it might have been good for the Blues.
Well, today proved a very, very big point. Rhys Shellard captained Pontypridd today against an envigorated Cardiff side which lay one place above us in the table. He was awesome - as were the rest of the pack. He led from the front, acted in a mature and responsible manner and, although he went off injured before the end, must have been proud of the boys' display in beating the old enemy 20-18 (with a number of missed chances along the way just to keep us biting our nails until the final whistle)

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The Big Battle

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On Saturday we 'welcome' Cardiff, our arch enemy, to Sardis Road for a big game. They currently lie 5th in the Premiership Table, we are one place behind them. Everything was set for a really huge game and we were really looking forward to a large, vocal crowd and lots of money being taken behind the bar. Despite our old rivalry, we really love the 'city slickers' trekking up the valley to Ponty and they seem to enjoy it too!

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A Perfect Day

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It's taken me over 24 hours to recover from yesterday's match against Swansea and an evening celebrating a fantiastic win! The whole team (and the subs) were brilliant and, although it took 30 minutes to wear down a spirited Swansea side, the tries we scored before half time certainly cheered the Ponty fans and seemed to demoralise the Swansea boys.

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Contract Confusion

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There seems to be general confusion about the type of contracts offered to our players by the Blues Region. There are Development Contracts, Academy Contracts and goodness knows what else!
On the first weekend of the season, Pontypridd RFC had 3 players from the Blues - Duane Goodfield, Tom Riley and Dai Flannagan - playing for us. My understanding (and I may be wrong) is that when these players (and others under contract) are released by the Blues we have a duty to play them. The Blues pay their wages so the Blues call the tune.

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We're back on track!

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What a super win yesteday. I was a bit worried at half time but, good on the lads, they stuck at it and came away with an impressive result.

No one expected it - the Aberavon fans were shocked and our supporters were over the moon.

I don't think it would be fair to single out any one player as it was truly a team effort - the pack gelled and held their own after a shaky start, the backs looked sharp and hungry for work and the late consolation try by Aberavon made the result look less impressive than it actually was.

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'We never walk away from a challenge'

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.........that's what coach Simon King is saying prior to our trip to Aberavon today and they are fighting words, although he admits it will be difficult to beat the Wizards in their own back yard. But, there again, it could happened. Rugby is a strange game - that's why I love it so maybe the boys will surprise us all this afternoon and put in a performance that will save our blushes and give us some badly-needed points. Languishing second from bottom of the table is NOT where we want to be!

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Oh dear, what a start to the season!

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After the 'high' of winning the Cup in May, we at Ponty have certainly returned to earth with a bump this month and the season is only 2 weeks old!

So what has gone wrong so soon? Granted we lost some key players but we were assured by the team manager in the summer that their replacements were quality players. Mmmmm, sounds like hollow words now, doesn't it? What led you to believe that, Mr Cullen?

I'm not writing the team off, mind, I'm not that foolish but immediate action is needed so that these lads don't become totally demoralised. Losing can become a habit; we need to foster winning ways and soon.

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Cup Wins

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1996, 2002, 2006 - Ponty's finest moments?

I wouldn't dare to try to compare the three teams who won the Cup for us but I do have some fantastic memories of the days when the Valleys 'invaded' our Capital City.

1996 was an iconic team - Baz, Rowley and Prosser (you can't say one name without mentioning the other), Jinks, Manley, oh they were special, weren't they? I must have lost track of the time during the match itself because I never panicked, I had every confidence we would win, although our success was in part due to Neath's poor goal kicking, I have to admit. I saw old men cry after the final whistle and the image of Baz taking his daughter up with him to accept the Cup was magic. Grabbing the Ponty badge on his shirt showed how much the win meant to him (and to us too, Baz)

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This is the beginning!

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Hi there

This is my new blog and I just want to introduce myself. I'm a Ponty fan (as you probably guessed) and I'm really excited that I am going to be able to share my views on, my hopes and dreams for, Ponty Rugby Club! The best Club in the world! The best supporters in the world - the black and white army!

We may not be in the top flight any more (groan, groan), we may no longer be The House of Pain (did people really call us that?), we don't appear on Scrum V every week (did we ever?) but the heart still beats loudly, the enthusiasm for the game is strong and vocal and if you too follow Ponty, you'll know what I mean.

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