Pontypridd 28 - 14 Ebbw Vale - Champions Again!

As now is becoming traditional on my birthday weekend, Ponty wrapped up their fourth league title on the trot, with a hard fought but in the end convincing win over Ebbw Vale.

There has been a tumultuous back drop to the build up of this game regarding Regional A Teams and the role of the Principality Premiership, I will deal with that in a future blog when I have gathered my thoughts on the subject. But for the record, I think the Ponty fans that protested nailed it! All the protest was before the game, and there was nothing during the game, it was all about supporting the boys.

Ponty started brightly and when they run in eight unanswered points in the first eight minutes I did wonder if it was going to be a cricket score. All credit to Ebbw Vale they dug deep and knocked Ponty off their stride. Their fans, who had arrived by the bus full, really got behind their team, and I would say it was honours even in the cowshed!

Ebbw had got themselves back in the match with three penalties to make it 11-9 juts before half time. The turning point game just before the interval with Ebbw having a player yellow carded and we capitalised with a try from Rhys Shellard making 18-9 at half time.

Ebbw Vale needed to score first in the second half, they threw the kitchen sink at us, and Ponty's repeated infringing eventually lead to us being reduced to 14 men. A further spell of heroic defence followed, and Ebbw finally got their try, but it had eaten far too much time out of the clock. Their concerted effort had also left them struggling for the pace in the final quarter, and Ponty seized on this. 

Our departing number ten Simon Humberstone crossed under the sticks, and with Ebbw throwing caution to the wind in the final minutes, Garin Jenkin's son Owen plucked a simple interception to close the game out.

I suspect this is the end of an era for the core of this team, with the changes being over the closed season. There will be a lot more vitriol spewed through the media, both social and printed. No one will be a winner .. more people will become disenfranchised. 

I am not entirely sure what I am doing next season. I love photographing rugby, so I will be out and about somewhere, and no doubt regular visits to Sardis will be on the card. I want to try and photograph some more grassroots games, so keep your eye out for them after September.

Today was a great advert for the Premiership level of rugby .... shame that there are those who want this stopped.