Ystrad Rhondda v Pontypridd – Match Preview
On Saturday 26th April Pontypridd RFC make the short trip up the road for a local derby against Ystrad Rhondda RFC at Gelligaled Park. The Admiral Premiership match between the two sides kicks off at 2:30pm.
Matches between the two clubs goes back 140 years with the first known encounter taking place on 24th September 1885, at Ystrad Rhondda. This Saturday’s match marks Ponty’s first visit to Gelligaled Park since pre-season 2016, when on Saturday 20th August that particular year it was the Valley Commandos that came away with a 38-0 win.
However, there’s no doubt that tomorrow afternoon’s clash will be a much closer affair as the evidence suggests when the two teams last locked horns earlier in the season. In the ‘festive derby’ at Sardis Road on Saturday 21st December, played out in front of a sizeable crowd it was Pontypridd that earned an extremely hard-fought late win by 26 points to 17.
As well as local derby bragging rights, for Pontypridd there’s also the the double-incentive of league points and Mid District Cup points on offer to firstly keep the pressure on Merthyr at the top of the Premiership table, and secondly to try and qualify for the Mid District Premiership Final on 17th May.
All the best for Saturday, lads.
The Team News…
Ponty have made three changes to the XV that played Newcastle Emlyn at Sardis last Saturday alongside a positional switch, and one new face on the bench.
The sole change in the backs is Louis Rochefort-Shugar being drafted back into the XV on the wing. Whilst in the forwards Joe Miles returns from injury to start at no.8, and Niall Moore earns his first start for the club in the boiler house house with Mitch Barnard. The switch in the pack sees player-Head Coach Kris Parker move onto the blindside flank.
The only new face on the bench is Joel Raikes following his return from injury.
The Pontypridd casualty and unavailability list remains a long one. Aside from long-term absentees like Cai James, Joe Davies is now in the treatment room whilst Lloyd Riley is unavailable. All the other players that are not involved Saturday are either injured or unavailable.
The Pontypridd team selected to play Ystrad Rhondda is as follows:
15. Dale Stuckey. 14. Sam Talbot. 13. Stuart Floyd-Ellis. 12. Garyn Smith. 11. Louis Rochefort-Shugar. 10. Jacob Symes. 9. Lucus Welch.
1. Ben Stephens. 2. Rob Jones. 3. Morgan Bosanko. 4. Mitch Barnard. 5. Niall Moore. 6. Kristian Parker. 7. Cally James (c). 8. Joe Miles
Subs: 16. Kian Mattravers. 17. Ben Drew. 18. Garyn Daniel. 19. Ethan Evans. 20. Rhys Emmott. 21. Joel Raikes. 22. Rhodri Smith. 23. Josh Jackson.
A NOTE FROM OUR CLUB TO ALL PONTY RFC SUPPORTERS –
A polite notice for Pontypridd supporters – you will not be able to park/leave your cars in front of the Sardis Road Clubhouse or in the ground on Saturday due to the Women’s Mid District Final that’s being held at Sardis Road – thank you for your cooperation.
GROUND AND CLUBHOUSE ADDRESS –
The postcode for Gelligaled Park is CF41 7SY. However, Ystrad’s clubhouse is just back in the town and the address for that is 82 Gelligaled Road, Ystrad Rhondda, CF41 7RQ.
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