Photos by Riley Sports Photography
Words by: Paul Hopkins
The All Whites shipped 40 points for the second successive match as they fell to a clinical Pontypool side who were full of pace and adventure.
In the opening exchanges a high kick by fly half Josh Phillips was fielded by full back Huw Anderson, and the visitors were awarded a penalty when the home side entered the breakdown offside.
Fly half Kieran Meek found touch inside the Swansea half but number eight Mogan Allen dropped a regulation pass, although the visitors regathered possession and were awarded a second penalty.
This time Meek chipped deep inside the 22 and flanker Callum Davies took the lineout, but an outstanding counter by the home forwards secured a turnover.
Lock Joe Davies took a lineout inside the Swansea half and scrum half Morgan Lloyd broke through a tackle, handing a pass to winger Ioan Duggan, who touched down under the posts. Meek converted.
Allen spilled the restart forward to gift the Whites a scrum on the opposing 22, but the home side were unable to make any advancement and also gave away a penalty at the resulting scrum.
Callum Davies took a lineout, but an infringement by the home side gave away a penalty, so Meek chipped to touch. The Whites stole lineout ball, but flanker Mike Herbert reclaimed possession, although he knocked forward soon after.
Winger Brandon Wood did well to evade a few tackles, but a fight broke out between Callum Davies and opposite number Dan Gemine, although play was brought back for a late challenge. Phillips chipped to the corner and flanker Joe Greaves took the lineout, with the Pooler forwards offside at the maul.
Phillips again kicked deep into the corner with the penalty, although the Whites were penalised for obstruction following the lineout.
A well worked move by the home side saw full back Harri Houston race clear on the wing, but he was tackled and the visitors managed to gain a turnover and clear.
The home side were awarded another penalty when Pontypool were guilty of offside. Greaves collected the lineout and came close to scoring at he next phase, but the visitors gave away another penalty. This time Phillips chose to kick at goal, getting his side’s first points of the evening.
Winger Harvey James collected a restart and made a break before Houston popped up in midfield and sprinted through, only for a Jordan Thomas high tackle to stop him in his tracks, and he was promptly yellow carded.
Phillips chipped to the corner and a strong rolling maul by the home side saw Wood come off the blind side to sneak in for a try. Phillips converted.
Anderson fielded a high kick and ran back at the visitors, but his side were penalised for crossing in midfield, though Phillips’ penalty touch finder sailed over the dead ball line.
Herbert then raced clear from a rolling maul but failed to spot two players outside and the move broke down. Play was brought back for an earlier offside though and Meek chipped up to the 22 with his penalty.
A superb link up between Lloyd and Herbert almost resulting in a try, but play was again brought back for a penalty, this time for taking a man out in the lineout.
Meek chipped deep into the corner and this time an unstoppable rolling maul saw hooker am Scarfe drive over for a try. Meek’s conversion attempt was taken wide by a swirling wind.
The home side were awarded a penalty at the breakdown and Phillips found touch deep inside the Pontypool 22. A poor lineout throw by hooker Jamie Cox enabled Pooler to clear though.
Wood made a break over half way but Scarfe stole possession at the breakdown, although Duggan was well tackled out wide and Meek chipped out of play to signal half time.
Half-time:- Swansea 10-12 Pontypool
Anderson and Duggan combined to run the ball up to the Swansea 22 from the restart, but a poor pass out wide by Scarfe sailed into touch.
Swansea gave away a penalty at the scrum and Meek kicked into the 22 with his touch finder, although the subsequent maul was driven into touch.
Lock Matt Dodd stole a lineout against the head for the All Whites and Greaves charged through, with lock Sam Pailor showing great power, but Anderson fielded an Iwan Temblett box kick, and a huge hit on Allen earned the Whites possession back.
A powerful drive forward by Cox got the Whites back on the front foot, and they got the ball out to James, but he was well tackled and held on for too long.
Replacement flanker Scott Matthews burst through the middle to set up a Pooler attack and centre Joel Mahoney threw a superb dummy as he looked destined to score, but Thomas dropped the ball with the line at his mercy.
Dodd stole another Pontypool lineout, but Allen powered through two tacklers to make 30 metres upfield, and the ball was worked out to centre Pat Lewis, but the move broke down when replacement number eight Ellis Fackrell went down injured near the ruck.
Meek chipped deep into the corner with a penalty kick and Dodd superbly snuck in to disrupt a third lineout. The Whites gave away a penalty for deliberate offside and Pooler opted for a five metre scrum. The set piece was unstoppable and Allen picked up at the base of an advancing scrum to score. Meek converted.
Greaves took a lineout inside the Pontypool half but Pailor threw a mis-timed pass that was gobbled up by the Pooler forwards.
Replacement flanker Owain Leonard made a superb break through a weak tackle, but a fantastic stop by substitute scrum half Aron Hemmings prevented a certain try in the corner.
The visitors scored a third try when Matthews popped up in midfield and powered past three would-be tacklers to score a superb individual effort. Meek converted.
The home side gave away a penalty in the dying seconds and Meek chose to rub salt into the home side’s wounds with a successful three pointer.
Wearing all black for the game, Pontypool saved the best until the penultimate score in a move reminiscent of the more famous New Zealand All Blacks, when an outstanding move by the backs with flip passes galore, saw Meek score under the posts for a try that he also converted.
In the dying seconds the visitors ran riot through midfield with the home side falling off countless tackles, and the latest edition saw Ryan Jones race clear to score. Meek converted.
Full-time:- Swansea 10-43 Pontypool
Swansea:
Tries:- Brandon Wood (24)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (25)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (22)
Yellow cards:- Sam Matthews (69)
Pontypool:
Tries:- Ioan Duggan (7), Sam Scarfe (34), Morgan Allen (71), Scott Matthews (78), Kieran Meek (80+6), Ryan Jones (80+9)
Cons:- Kieran Meek (8, 72, 79, 80+7, 80+10)
Pens:- Kieran Meek (80+5)
Yellow cards:- Jordan Thomas (23)
Match facts:
Venue:- St Helen’s, Swansea
Weather:- Clear, 13C
Referee:- Ben Whitehouse
Man of the match:- Scott Matthews
Attendance:- 700
Swansea team:
15 Harri Houston
14 Harvey James
13 Callum Dodd
12 Sam Matthews
11 Brandon Wood (rep: Marcus Brown 75)
10 Josh Phillips (rep: Harri Williams 61)
9 Iwan Temblett (rep: Aron Hemmings 68)
1 Ed Thompson
2 Jamie Cox
3 Kian Hire (rep: Chris Davies 38)
4 Sam Pailor
5 Matt Dodd ©
6 Joe Greaves
7 Dan Gemine (rep: Cai Davies 45)
8 Luca Giannini (rep: Geraint Powell 45 (rep: Ellis Fackrell 61 (rep: Freddie Chapman 67)))
Replacements:
16 Ellis Fackrell
17 Freddie Chapman
18 Chris Davies
19 Geraint Powell
20 Cai Davies
21 Aron Hemmings
22 Harri Williams
23 Marcus Brown
Pontypool team:
15 Huw Anderson
14 Jordan Thomas
13 Pat Lewis (rep: Amosa Nove 72)
12 Joel Mahoney
11 Ioan Duggan
10 Kieran Meek
9 Morgan Lloyd (rep: Owain Leonard 72)
1 Sam Cochraine
2 Sam Scarfe (rep: Connor Chapman 72)
3 Kelvyn Williams (rep: Owain James 55)
4 Dan Hill
5 Joe Davies (rep: Ieuan Jones 63)
6 Mike Herbert © (rep: Scott Matthews 55)
7 Callum Davies (rep: Ryan Jones 55)
8 Morgan Allen
Replacements:
16 Connor Chapman
17 Kyan Best
18 Owain James
19 Ieuan Jones
20 Ryan Jones
21 Scott Matthews
22 Owain Leonard
23 Amosa Nove