It was a dream weekend for Gwent sides with Dragons RFC’s 22-14 away win at Newcastle capping off a trio of Super Rygbi Cymru wins, along with some of our young stars shining for Wales under 20s against Scotland.
Ebbw Vale led the way with a superb second half comeback to overhaul league leaders Cardiff RFC in a top of the table clash at the CINER GLASS Community Stadium.
The Steelmen kept their grip on the SRC Challenge Shield with a bonus point win but needed a second half fightback having gone into half-time with a 10-point deficit.
Their sole try of the first half came through young centre Cameron Davies, who played a big part in the comeback, setting up Ryan Jenkins’ first of two second half scores before fly-half Evan Lloyd rounded out the scoring with a try of his own.
Lloyd, brother of Dragons Academy scrum-half Morgan, scored with the last play of the game to seal a 32-20 win and a 17-point haul for himself, as Ebbw leapfrogged Cardiff to go three points clear at the top of the SRC table.
Elsewhere, Newport kept hold of third place with a hard-fought 33-28 win at home to Swansea.
Newport had plenty of Dragons talent on show including the returning Harri Ackerman following injury, senior players Will Reed and Barny Langton-Cryer along with Academy scrumhalf Logan Franklin.
First-half tries from hooker Wade Langley, Luke Crane and then Reed gave the Black and Ambers a 19-7 half-time lead, but quick tries from Swansea gave the visitors the lead early in the second forty.
A penalty try, for repeated Swansea indiscretions at scrum time, and a Chay Foster-Smith try sealed the game and bonus point before the visitors scored with the last play of the game.
Newport’s Seren y Gêm, Dai Richards, who shone for Dragons A last month said post-match: “We started really well, but probably didn’t get enough points as we should have done for the pressure we put them under.”
“That probably came back to haunt us at the end of the first half and start of the second half when they made a fightback and took the lead.
“We made it very difficult to get the win and it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, we’ll probably look back and think we should have taken six points.”
With the other two Gwent sides coming through tight encounters, there were no such nerves for Pontypool, as a superb second half blew away Bridgend at Pontypool Park.
Again, there was plenty of current and future Dragons talent on show with senior player Jordan Williams alongside Academy wing Walker Price in the back three, with fellow youngsters Sam Scarfe at hooker and Harri Ford on the bench.
After a slow start, Walker Price gathered a crossfield kick to score in Pontypool’s only try of a first half where they were second best.
However, in the second, centre Joel Mahoney made a great break and pass to set up Price’s second before a brace from Scott Matthews and another from Ieuan Jones off the back of a maul gave the home side a 37-20 lead.
Inside the final 10 minutes, Jordan Williams’ break from his own 22 set up Owain Leonard before a team try was finished off by Ford and Dylan Davies scored with the last play of the game, earning Pontypool a 58-25 win.
Those six points helped them extend their advantage on sixth place as they look to keep pace with the top four, now five points behind Llandovery.
Next up, Pontypool host Ebbw Vale on the 21st of December in the first of a Christmas double-header, with the second game played the following Saturday at the CINER GLASS Community Stadium.
Meanwhile, Newport face a double of their own, facing Cardiff RFC away on the 22nd and then home on the 28th either side of Dragons’ home game against their East-Wales rivals.
Not to be forgotten, a Wales under-20s side including some future Dragons thumped Scotland Development U20s on Friday 31-7.
Dragons Academy players Harry Rees-Weldon and Ryan Jones both scored tries with Sam Potter also getting a chance to show his abilities in a resounding win for Wales’ youngsters.
The game, played at Merthyr’s Y Wern stadium, is part of preparations ahead of the 2025 U20 Six Nations.
