Pontypridd lost their grip on the SSE SWALEC Cup to Bridgend Ravens at the Millennium Stadium last weekend, while Ebbw Vale were beating Cross Keys to reach the Premiership Grand Final for the first time. That win earned the Steelmen the right to travel to Sardis Road to play the reigning champions.
On the face of it Jason Strange’s team face an uphill task in trying to add to their two Division 1 East and two Championship titles they have amassed over the past four seasons. Ponty have lost only once in the Premiership this season and have won the title for the past two years and the Cup for the two years prior to that.
Perhaps the best measure of the task ahead of Ebbw Vale, who finished in second place in the Premiership table on their first season back in the top flight for five years, is the fact that no Welsh club side has won at Sardis Road in the Premiership or Cup since 3 December, 2013, when Cross Keys were 38-17 victors. Since then Ponty have won 23 successive games against Welsh opposition at the ‘House of Pain’.
The two teams have met three times this season already, with the champions coming out on top in all of them – 27-19 at Eugene Cross Park in the Premiership, 22-10 away in the Cup and 27-0 in the return Premiership fixture at Sardis Road.
Yet despite all the facts and figures pointing in Pony’s favour, there has to be a nervous twitch in the camp after they were beaten by Bridgend at the Millennium Stadium. Success is measured in silverware and, despite only losing two domestic games this season, a campaign without any trophies would render it a failure.
The Ponty coaches have made six changes to the side hat played in the Cup final for a game that will see outside half Simon Humberstone make his 112th and final appearance for the club before departing to join English Championship side Doncaster Knights next season.
“There is pressure on us to succeed and we know that Sunday’s game will decide the destination of the Premiership trophy. We can cope with that and training in the lead up to the game has been business as usual,” said Ponty forwards coach Rob Sidoli.
“We’ve reflected on our last performance and we need to improve. We were all disappointed with the way we played that day, the errors we committed and how we failed in our attacking ploys.
“We’ve been addressing that in training and our focus has been on all the good things we’ve done through the season. Ebbw Vale will pose a threat and we need to be up to facing that challenge and to put in a big performance.
“We finished as clear leaders in the table and we have quality players. Home advantage will be a bonus for us and we know we can rely on a big crowd and an intense atmosphere which can give us renewed confidence.”
Ebbw Vale coach, Jason Strange, believes the winning mentality built up over the past four season out of the top flight will come to the surface on Sunday and help his side cope with the pressure of the occasion.
“The past five years couldn’t have gone any better for us at the club and I couldn’t be prouder of the achievements of the players in that time. The players have really developed in that time and I’m quietly confident about how they will perform at Sardis Road,” said Strange.
“This Ebbw Vale team won’t want to go away and simply make up the numbers. They are a talented and very committed group and my message to them all week has merely been to go and enjoy the day.
“All the pressure will be on Pontypridd in front of their own fans and there is no real expectation on us, other than imposed by ourselves.”
Pontypridd: Matthew Nuthall; Lewis I Williams, Gavin Dacey, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Owen Jenkins; Simon Humberstone, Tomos Williams; Chris Phillips, Liam Belcher, Dillon Lewis, Craig Locke, Chris Dicomidis, Wayne O’Connor, Rhys Shellard, Jake Thomas
Replacements: Joel Raikes, Jarrod Evans, Alex Webber, Huw Dowden, Dan Godfrey, Alex Jones, James Howe, Pat Palmer.
Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond; Owen Williams, Jordan Howells, Carl Meyer, Tom James; Iain Smerdon, Chris Thomas; John Lavender, Mathew Williams, Rob Sevenoaks, Damien Hudd (captain), Ashley Sweet, Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes, Cameron Reagan
Replacements: Ross Jones, Rhys Francis, Luke Leddington, Gareth Williams, Gareth Rusby-Davies, Rhys Downes, Dai Langdon, Adam Jones.
