Celtic League Update

Pontypridd secured a much needed first win of the season with a 21-16
victory over Newport.
And there was a further boost for the Sardis Road crew as Neil Jenkins made
his first appearance for the club after three years away.
Tries from Ceri Sweeney and John Bryant secured the victory for Ponty, with
Nathan Palmer scoring on his debut for the Black and Ambers.
Bridgend are proving the surprise package of the Celtic League, and go into the third week of the competition as one of only two unbeaten Welsh teams.
The Ravens today took Borders apart in a comfortable 41-9 win which proved last weekend’s shock victory over Newport was no fluke.
Winger Craig Warlow kicked 16 points as Bridgend proved too good in all
departments, earning a bonus point for scoring four tries.
Young flanker Corey Harris had a superb game, and the club’s major summer
signing Andy Moore proved excellent value in the second row.
Kevin Utterson kept Borders in touch early with three penalty goals, but the
newest rugby club in Europe were simply outclassed in their first visit to
Wales.
Llanelli were given a surprisingly tough time before winning 43-34 at
Caerphilly, despite bagging a bonus point for four tries inside 30 minutes.
Scarlets winger Mark Jones is in great touch, and had two tries inside the
opening 10 minutes today.
National captain Scott Quinnell was in dominant form for Llanelli but a brave
Caerphilly refused to lie down, and their cause was helped when Scarlets coach Gareth Jenkins dragged Quinnell and Stephen Jones off at the break.
An intercepted try to winger Holo Taufahema midway through the second half gave the Virginia Park hopeful a glimmer of hope, but the class of the
visitors told in the end.
Caerphilly thoroughly deserved their bonus point for four tries, and would
have had a second for finishing within seven points if Luke Richards’ last-
second conversion had flown true.
On Friday night, the all-conquering Irish sides suffered mixed fortunes.
Connacht beat Cardiff and Munster thumped Ebbw Vale, but Leinster fell to
their first loss in 12 Celtic League matches – losing away to Glasgow – and
Edinburgh snatched a one-point win over Ulster in Belfast.
In the all-Welsh affair, Neath beat Swansea 20-16 in the rain.