Into the final two months of a season which promises much for the Valley Commandoes, but which will test the squad to its very limits before anything is delivered in terms of trophies won, the intense routine of playing games on the weekend and midweek has already been set.
In defending their current status as Premiership leaders, Ponty will face a rejuvenated Cardiff team who are on a six match winning run in league and cup. As ever there will be an edge to a fixture that is steeped in tradition as well as having a huge bearing on the here and now of the current campaign.
When the two teams met at Sardis Road in the reverse fixture back in October, Cardiff battled out a 16-16 all draw – the only team to have taken anything from the House of Pain this season.
Wing Owen Williams is the only fresh casualty in the Ponty squad, having pulled up in last Saturday’s bonus point home win over Llandovery with a calf strain. There are nine changes made from the line up that started that game.
Pontypridd: 15.Gareth Wyatt. 14.Lewis Williams. 13.Gavin Dacey. 12.Dafydd Lockyer. 11.Chris Clayton. 10.Simon Humberstone. 9.Lewis Jones; 1.Ken Knaggs. 2.Huw Dowden. 3.Ryan Harford. 4.Craig Locke. 5.Matthew Screech. 6.Jake Thomas. 7.Wayne O’Connor. 8.Chris Dicomidis (capt)
Replacements: Garyn Lucas; Dean Gunter; Gary Williams; Tom Hetherington; Lewis Smout; Calum Thomas; Ed Siggery.
