YOUNG ACES EARN PRAISE FROM COACH
PONTYPRIDD.....................21 MERTHYR...........................14
PONTYPRIDD head coach Justin Burnell hailed the performances of his son Ben and his fellow Wales Under-20 international Evan Lloyd after a comeback win over rivals Merthyr.
The latest generation of the Burnell dynasty kicked a conversion and three penalties as Pontypridd recovered from 14-5 down at half-time to keep their opposition scoreless in the second period.
Home tries at Sardis Road came from Dale Stuckey and Lloyd Rowlands, with Ben Burnell kicking the rest of the points.
“It was a good win,” said Burnell senior. “With the way the game started we were under the cosh, but we’re a young and inexperienced team who don’t roll over. We’re lucky with the players we have.
“Evan and Ben were outstanding and we must remember these are young players. Those two boys are coming into us from a national under-20 campaign from the summer.
“We never fear the worst and anybody could see Merthyr were all about the catch-and-drive. Once we got our house in order, we were able to play with width and we were on the front foot with Ben’s kicking.”
Ben Burnell got things moving when he kicked to Stuckey, who scored out wide. The conversion was missed and then Pontypridd’s Ben Stephens was yellow-carded.
It allowed Merthyr to strike with a penalty try when Pontypridd brought down an away driving line-out just two metres from the line. Nathan Huish joined Stephens in the bin.
Gareth Thompson scored a try for Merthyr which he improved and it left Pontypridd with plenty to do in the second half. The home side needed to turn the tables and they did just that.
Rowlands crossed just two minutes after the break and Burnell converted.
The young fly-half then took his game up a notch with two more quickfire penalties. It set up a tight finale but Merthyr couldn’t come back.
And the final nail in their coffin was yet another kick from Burnell.
Merthyr head coach Dale McIntosh said: “We had our chances. We tried to grind them down but it didn’t work because we made errors at crucial times. In the second half we had five bad moments.
“The game was in our hands but when you come to Sardis Road it’s never plain sailing and a young Pontypridd side got among us and frustrated us.”
PONTYPRIDD – Tries: D. Stuckey, L. Rowlands. Con: B. Burnell. Pens: B. Burnell (3).
MERTHYR – Tries: Pen try, G. Thompson. Con: G. Thompson.