Pontypridd ended their 11-year wait to taste glory again at the Principality Stadium after defeating Cross Keys to lift the WRU Premiership Cup with a comprehensive 43-12 triumph at #RTP25.
After a tight first half, which Ponty edged 10-5, they cut loose in the second half. Wing Joe Davies touched down in each half, while centre Stuart Floyd-Ells, hooker Rob Jones, player-coach Kristian Parker and replacement scrum-half Lucas Welsh also scored after the break.
Ioan Evans added four conversions and a penalty, while replacement kicker Jaydan Pugh also added a conversion. Captain Corey Nicholls scored before the break for Keys, who were then awarded a penalty try in the second half but by then it was mere consolation for the Gwent men.
This was the Valley Commandos’ seventh cup triumph and their first since beating Keys in 2014. It was also the third final showdown between these two proud clubs, with Keys winning the first in 2012.
“Ponty has got a vast history in the cup; the others have written their history in the books, and it was about time a new group did that and fortunately we did it today. The boys turned up, I can’t fault the effort they put in,” said Parker.
“I think we could have scored a few more tries in that first half but, fair play to Keys, they threw everything at us for that sort of middle 20 and got back in with their try.
“But we said at half time we had to come out second half and make sure we scored the first points. To bring silverware back to Ponty for the first time in over 10 years is a huge achievement and this is also for our supporters because it means a lot to them as well, not just us as players and coaches.”
Ponty scored first with less than three minutes on the clock when Davies sprinted in for the opening try. It was converted by Evans – who sent over a penalty to extend the lead just before the half-hour mark after Keys were pinged for a deliberate knock-on.
Keys responded with a try through Nicholls although Rhys Jones missed with the conversion attempt. With the game well poised heading into the second half, four tries in a 13-minute spell from the 51st minute.
That burst swung the final firmly Ponty’s way, with Keys also left to rue their own indiscipline with centre Duan Thomas sin-binned for a high tackle on wing Louis Rochefort-Shugar. Parker powered his way over on 73 minutes before a late penalty try for Keys.
The victory meant it was third time lucky in a Principality Stadium final for full-back Dale Stuckey, who was part of the Ponty teams who lost cup finals in 2017 against RGC and 2015 at the hands of Bridgend.
“I know what it feels like to be on the other side having been here twice and lost. So, I’m over the moon for a new group of boys to come here and put in a performance like that,” said Stuckey, who is in his benefit season at the club along with scrum half Joel Raikes.
“It’s massive for us. Previous teams I’ve played in have been in amongst it, but we hadn’t been there for about 10 years, so it’s great to be back on that pedestal now.”
Keys director of rugby Morgan Stoddart, a winner with Pontypridd in the 2006 cup final, admitted his men were well beaten on the day.
“We’re obviously disappointed. When it comes to a final you’ve got to play your best to ultimately win,” said Stoddart.
“Ponty were excellent, they were clinical and just a bit too good for us throughout the 80 minutes and deserved it.
“We’ve got a good group of boys who train hard and play hard together, so we were never going to give up whatever the score was. They kept going until the end – but it just wasn’t our day.”
SCORERS
Pontypridd: Tries: J Davies (2), S Floyd-Ellis, R Jones, K Parker, L Welsh; Cons: I Evans (4), J Pugh; Pen: I Evans. Cross Keys: C Nicholls, Penalty try.TEAMS
Pontypridd: Dale Stuckey; Louis Rocheford-Shugar, Stuart Floyd-Ellis, Garyn Smith, Joe Davies; Ioan Evans, Joel Raikes; Ben Stephens, Rob Jones, Morgan Bosanko, Mitch Barnard, Kristian Parker, Lloyd Riley, Cally James (captain), Joe Miles
Reps: Jeff Young, Ben Drew, Garyn Daniel, Oliver Lewis, Aled Evans, Lucas Welch, Jaden Pugh, Sam TalbotCross Keys: Ben Roberts; Ralph Miller, Tom Sullivan, Duan Thomas, Laurence Donnelly; Rhys Jones, Dan Babos; Jake Wisniewski, Connah Hughes, Richard Cornock, Harvey Reader, Jon Verrier, Sam Lewellyn, Louis Pullen, Corey Nicholls (captain)
Reps: Nathan Huish, Rhys Hunt, Tom Burnham, Callum Hague, Will Morgan, Ben Murphy, Tom Bridge, Adam Tetley