A Championship Winning Birthday

Well this is getting a bit habit forming isn't it .. another year old, another trophy in the Sardis Road cabinet. In fact it was almost a carbon of copy of last year. Pontypridd v Llanelli for the third and final time in the Premiership Grand Final. In fact, the three play off finals have been contested by the same two teams, and Ponty ended with two titles and Llanelli one. The play offs are scrapped next year (thank god), and if Ponty keep the core of that squad there is no reason why we won't go on and make it triple champions.

The buzz word of the lead up to the match was "travesty". Rugby writers and fans by and large agreed it would be a travesty if Ponty hadn't run out winners. We only lost two games all season. One in the British and Irish Cup (to eventual champions - so no embarrassment there), and one league game to a last minute kick by Newport away. We finished 29 points ahead of Llanelli the league, so it would have been a nonsense if Ponty hadn't been crowned best team in Wales on the basis of one result. Fortunately we needn't have worried.

Ponty came out fired up and flying out of the traps. Two quick penalties and a Chris Dicomidis try had Ponty scoring a point a minute from the first whistle. Llanelli hit back with a penalty, but that concluded their scoring for the half, and the match was decided as a contest effectively by half time, with tries by Humberstone and Shellard making it 30-3 to the home side. All Ponty had to do was not panic or get a silly yellow card in the second half and the title was ours. This team has matured in the last few years, and those two red cards of the past two finals long forgotten. We soaked up a lot of Llanelli pressure in the second half, and scored two more tries, Llanelli got a couple of consolation tries to make the final score 47-15, and a historic league and cup double was finally ours.

Just like our cup final win of a fortnight ago we celebrated in Mouchak next door. A perfect end to my 42nd year on the planet!

WelshSi blipped the only Ponty defeat if you want to look!