Justin Burnell has returned to Ponty to take over the coaching reins this season, while Ian Gardner has stepped up to fill the void left by Steve Laws’ departure at Bedwas. Gradner was the one wearing the biggest smile after his side ran in five tries to complete the perfect opening to the new season with an historic first win at Sardis Road.
Pont’s recently re-laid artificial pitch contributed to a breakneck start and it was the visitors were were ahead 17-13 at the break thanks to tries from Mathew John and new recruit Morgan Allen. Steffan Jones, back in Welsh rugby after three years playing in England at Bedford Blues and Ampthill, converted both and then added a penalty.
The former Cross Keys and Dragons outside half, who also played for Wales Sevens, ended the game with 19 points as he added a second half try, two more conversions and a second penalty. Not a bad debut for the 26-year-old, who will be filing the boots at No 10 of Richard Powell, who has headed to Merthyr.
Wales Under 20 back row man Shane Lewis-Hughes scored the first of Ponty’s three tries with outside half Diggy Bird adding the conversion and kicking two penalties to keep the gap to four points at the break. But Bedwas were in no mood to be denied and Wales Under 20 hooker Ellis Shipp crashed over from a driving maul for a try that Jones converted to stretch the visitors’ lead. Ponty hit back with a try from wing Lewis Williams.
Bird added the extras, but Jones struck with a 10 point salvo as he landed a long range penalty before cutting through a gap to score a try which he also converted to bag the bonus point. With the gap now 14 points the home sided needed to respond – and they did!
Dale Stuckey crossed in the left corner for a try that replacement Ceri Sweeney expertly converted to make it a one score game, but Bedwas wrapped things up with a 50 metre run to the line for the fifth and final try.
Another new boy, Lewis Dennett stepped off the Ebbw Vale replacements bench and became an instant hit for the Steelmen as he kicked eight second half points to help clinch a 24-20 away win in the East Division of the Principality Premiership.
Bargoed were good value for their 10-8 interval lead with centre Jordan Howells marking his debut with a smart try against his former club. Full back Matthew Lewis converted that try and kicked a penalty in the first half before adding a second penalty just after the break to make it 13-8
But the Steelmen, the champions two seasons ago, stayed in the fight thanks to a Callum Hall penalty and then a great try by No 8 Jonathan Davies as he just managed to hang on to an old fashioned cross kick by Hall.
Dragons full back Carl Meyer began reducing the deficit with a monster penalty from half-way and then Dennett chipped in with a penalty and a drop goal to give his side a 17-13 lead. Lewis then fatally missed with a penalty for the home side and the visitors went in for the kill.
Left wing Toby Fricker weaved some magic to cross for a vital try and Dennett kept his cool to add the extras. Bargoed battled back with a penalty try in injury time to earn a losing bonus point.
Reigning champions Merthyr had to dig deep in the final five minutes to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Cross Keys. Unbeaten at The Wern since 27 December, 2016, the Ironmen were trailing 29-17 with six minutes left to play.
But Matt Dwyer and Ed Siggery crossed for the vital scores to haul the ironmen men back from the brink and turn what looked like an opening day defeat into a 31-29, bonus-point triumph. Had Keys Outside half Josh Prosser had his usually reliable kicking boots on, the visitors would surely have been out of sight.
They drew first blood with the first of their four tries from centre Lewis Barnett, but Merthyr hit back to lead 17-10 at the break with tries from No 8 Phil Rees and outside half Ben Jones. Then came the Keys purple patch.
Prosser, who converted the try and kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time, was wide with two further shots at goal before inspirational skipper Scott Matthews stole a home line-out and ended up with a try at the posts.
Matthews then kicked through to allow wing Matt Powell to score a try that gave his side a 22-17 lead. Better was to come when Nathan Buck trundled over for the bonus point score and Prosser added the extras to open up a 12 point gap with eight minutes left to play.
Then came the Merthyr rearguard action and Matthew Jarvis kept his nerve to kick the matchwinning conversion.
A hat-trick of tries from former Bedwas wing Pat Lewis steered Cardiff to a 31-19 win over arch-rivals Newport at Rodney Parade to give new coach Steve Law the perfect start. Lewis combined with new full back Llywarch ap Myrddin to score twice in the early stages and Gareth Thompson converted both of them and kicked a penalty to open up an early 17 point lead for the visitors.
The Black & Ambers hit back with a Will Evans try, but Lewis’ hat-trick try allowed Cardiff to go into the break with
a handy 24-7 lead. Thompson then latched onto a home error and danced away for his side’s bonus point try.
Newport rallied to score two consolation tries through Harri Lang and Henry Palmer, but they ended the game empty handed.
