PONTYPRIDD 17 LONDON WASPS 27
London Wasps completed the double over Pontypridd to progress to the PARKER PEN CHALLENGE CUP final.
The Londoners had a 15-point advantage as they went to the second leg of the semi-final against the Welsh side, and Warren Gatland’s men powered their way to a 27-17 victory in the spring sunshine at Sardis Road to book their place in the final in May.
Pontypridd’s Gareth Wyatt, for a long time the most under-rated winger in Welsh rugby, opened the scoring with a superb try in the eighth minute. He chipped one defender, regathered the ball, chipped another would-be tackler and ripped the ball out of Rob Howley’s hands to go over for a memorable score.
But the Ponty faithful barely had time to regain their seats before England backrower Joe Worsley was pushed over by an unstoppable Wasps rolling maul, converted by fly-half Alex King.
Soon after King kicked a 15th-minute penalty goal to give his side the lead, and England fullback Josh Lewsey’s opportunistic try three minutes later took the score to 17-7 and Wasps’ two-leg lead to a daunting 25 points.
Lock Simon Shaw barged over the try-line and King kept the goals coming, but quick hands in the final minute of the opening half saw Pontypridd fly-half Ceri Sweeney over for a try.
Wasps went into the changing rooms at halftime with a 24-17 lead, although Kiwi prop Craig Dowd was there waiting for them after being yellow-carded for persistent infringing.
The second half saw Wasps consolidate on their overall 22-point lead in the two-match series, and Pontypridd continually failed to break the Londoners’ defence – King’s 67th-minute penalty goal proving the only score. But Wasps had done enough, they had proved they could shut down a ferocious Ponty pack, and will fear no-one in the forthcoming final.
Pontypridd: Tries – G Wyatt, C Sweeney; Pen – B Davey; Cons – B Davey 2.
London Wasps: Tries – J Worsley, J Lewsey, S Shaw; Pens – A King 2; Cons – A King 3. Halftime: Wasps 24-17.
Pontypridd: B Davey (J Lewis 54); G Wyatt, S Parker (S James 8), J Bryant, M Nuthall; C Sweeney (N Jenkins 62), G Baber; G Jenkins (N Hennessy 83), M Davies (capt) (M Rees 76), D Bell, B Cockbain, R Sidoli (M Lewis 56), R Parks, D McIntosh, W O’Connor
London Wasps: J Lewsey; J Rudd, A Erinle, M Denney (S Abbott 54), K Logan (M van Risbergen 66); A King, R Howley (M Wood 40); C Dowd, P Greening (T Leota 67), W Green (A McKenzie 67), S Shaw (P Scrivener 74), R Birkett, J Worsley, L Dallaglio (capt), P Volley (A McKenzie 40-50, M Lock 74)