Burnell is predicting a bright future for Ponty’s young guns
JUSTIN Burnell insists the future is bright for Pontypridd after his young side dug deep to open their Premiership Cup campaign with a narrow 19-16 win over Newport.
It’s a period of transition for Pontypridd who had a handful of teenagers in their starting XV and are adapting to life without club legend Dafydd Lockyer who recently retired. But former Cardiff and London Welsh head coach Burnell is confident his side will be successful this season.
“I think the positives for me are the youngsters who are coming through the system,” he said.
“We can’t get away from the fact we’ve got an 18-year-old in the back-three, a 19-year-old in the centre, and a few youngsters in the pack. Newport are a very good side and have a lot of experience in their side so we are really happy with this win.
“I thought we controlled the game well. I also thought we took our penalties and our points when needed.”
Dale Stuckey’s try was the decisive moment of the game with the winger showing tremendous pace to finish at the corner. Wales under 20s outside-half Burnell made it a two-score game with a penalty from 40 metres out on angle. Brodie Coghlan scored Newport’s only try.
A hat-trick of tries from former Wales under-20s scrum-half Ellis Bevan helped Cardiff thrash RGC 60-5 at the Arms Park.
But Cardiff ran in seven tries to one as they annihilated a poor RGC side. The first of Bevan’s three tries was a cracker as he sniped past a doglegged RGC defence to score, before Efan Daniels powered over from short range to secure the bonus point. Fish scored an interception try before a further two tries for Bevan.
Lewis Williams’ last-gasp penalty secured a notable 26-24 away victory for Ebbw Vale over Merthyr.
Ebbw Vale held a comfortable 16-3 lead at the interval with Matthew Flanagan crossing for the Steelmen’s try. But whatever Dale McIntosh said to his players in the changing rooms at half-time certainly worked as Merthyr mustered a tremendous comeback with Ben Jones slicing through the Ebbw defence for their first try.
Thompson converted and was soon celebrating a try of his own as he found himself at the end of a brilliant backs move to put the hosts into the lead for the first time.
But Ebbw Vale came right back at the Ironmen and after a period of intense pressure they were awarded a penalty try after Phil Rees’ deliberate knock on prevented a probable try being scored. Rees was also sent to the sin-bin, but Merthyr fought their way back into the game with Rhys Williams putting them back ahead. But up stepped Williams in the dying seconds to break Merthyr’s hearts.