Ebbw Vale were just
moments away from one of the greatest ever Swalec Cup shocks yesterday before
Pontypridd captain Chris Dicomidis scored a last minute try and Dai Flanagan
completed the turnaround with a tough conversion.
The Steelmen had given as good as they got throughout, and
will be disappointed they couldn’t see this quarter-final out and put
themselves just 80 minutes away from the final at the Millennium Stadium.
Ponty’s Simon Humberstone and Vale’s Josh Lewis traded early
penalties, before Dafydd Lockyer continued his recent try scoring run on 24
minutes, converted by Humberstone.
Lewis kicked over again for the Championship leaders, before
setting up a 30-metre Luke Davies try after 35 minutes with a brilliant kick
behind the Ponty defence, and then converting it.
But Humberstone again slotted over on the stroke of
half-time to leave the score at 16-13 to the hosts.
Lewis kicked three more penalties in the second half, with Flanagan
replying with one for Ponty as the Steelmen’s supporters dreamt of the semis
going in to the dying moments holding a 22-16 lead. But injuries seemed to take
their toll and the resistance crumbled with Dicomidis crossing and Flanagan
keeping his nerve from out wide to send Ponty through.
The Premiership leaders will now face Carmarthen Quins in
the last four, but Vale can be immensely proud of their showing, victorious
coach Dale McIntosh saying after: “I am pleased we won because that must have
been one of the hardest games we have played in all season. From the kick-off
you could see they were up for it.
“Ebbw Vale were more accurate than we were in a number of
phases of play, which was a surprise, and as expected they played with a lot of
passion and commitment. But all credit to our boys who stuck with it and got
their reward in the end. I thought it was a cracking game from start to
finish.”
Ponty’s absence from Premiership action meant other sides
could take some of the limelight. At the Brewery Field, Ashley Evans inspired Bridgend Ravens to a second half
comeback to deny Bedwas a win that
would have aided their quest to secure a play-off place.
The winger notched two tries, with Jamie Murphy and Nathan
Edwards adding two more to secure the Ravens a bonus point.
Evans crossed on three minutes, but Bedwas went on to
dominate the remainder of the half. Ethan Davies kicked a penalty, then
converted a Stuart Thomas try after some good work by winger Matthew John.
Centre Lewis Robling kicked a further Bedwas penalty from
half-way, but then the Ravens hit back with a try by full back Murphy, despite
being down to 14 men after flanker Arthur Ellis was sent to the sin bin.
Scrum half Josh Davies then crossed for Bedwas after a
quickly taken penalty, and Ethan Davies converted and added a penalty to make
it 23-10 at the interval.
Back came the Ravens, and Murphy booted over a long-range
penalty of his own, followed immediately by a try from centre Edwards.
Ethan Davies kicked a penalty as Bedwas sought to regain
control of the topsy-turvy encounter, but the Ravens secured the bonus point as
Evans crossed over again on 57 minutes. Lewis Williams added the extras, but
Bedwas still had a one-point lead going into the final quarter.
Then, Williams took centre stage in the 62nd minute with a
25-metre penalty after Bedwas were penalised at a scrum, and the Ravens held on
to complete the turnaround.
Llanelli were
made to work hard by Swansea at St
Helen’s but won a try-fest with the league’s bottom side 38-35 courtesy of a
late Justin James try.
The visitors out-scored the host by six tries to four,
ensuring that Swansea at least picked up two bonus points from this
entertaining encounter which saw the lead swap hands four times.
Richard Williams opened the scoring for the Whites after
four minutes, before Dan Thomas crossed for his first score of the day, which
Jordan Williams converted. Then, two minutes later, Kyle Evans added another
score, which Williams again converted, for a 14-5 lead.
Dan Baker brought Swansea back in to it on 28, which Nicky
Thomas converted, but just before the break Dan Thomas grabbed his second try for
Llanelli and a 12-19 half-time lead.
Baker crossed for his second, and Swansea’s third, on 53
minutes, but just three minutes later, Thomas grabbed his hat-trick, converted
by Williams, to stretch Llanelli’s lead. They then looked to have it sewn up on
58 when a converted second try for Evans put them 19-33 ahead.
But the Whites refused to lie down, and Nicky Thomas kicked
three penalties in nine minutes before converting when Jamie Thomas dived over
on 72 for a 35-33 lead with eight remaining.
But just as their fans may have been beginning to think of victory,
James broke their hearts with three left on the clock to give Llanelli a 35-38
win which sees them climb above Cross Keys in to third.
In the day’s other game, Ponty’s Cup semi-final opponents Carmarthen Quins triumphed 17-12 over Llandovery at Carmarthen Park.
Quins prop Rob Evans and Llandovery’s Shaun Miles traded
first half tries, before Alex Pickersgill crossed again for the home side on 45
to put them 14 ahead as Dan Newton added the extras.
Kieron Murphy scored for Llandovery on the hour, but six
minutes later a Newton penalty made the ending more comfortable for the home
side, who climbed above their visitors in the table as a result.
On Friday, Newport triumphed in the Gwent Derby over Cross Keys, winning 18-13 in a result that really dents Keys' hopes of securing a play-off place.
Centre Dominic Franchi crossed for Newport in the first-half, which Geraint O’Driscoll converted, while all Keys managed in the opening period were two Dorian Jones penalties.
Leon Andrews went over for Keys early in the second-half, which Jones converted to put the visitors in the lead. It looked as though they would get the result they needed, but Newport who have improved as the season has gone on, had other ideas.
O’Driscoll landed two splendid penalties and Elliot Frewen, who came on as a replacement, crossed for an unconverted try to complete the late turnaround.
