This was Cinderford’s opening pre-season game against an unbeaten Pontypridd, who have won their previous two games. Both sides fielded a lot of new faces.
After the opening foray with both sides sounding each other out Pontypridd took the lead in the 7th minute, with a converted try. Cinderford then went straight down the other end and a swift move saw Will Baldwin score, converted by Luke McMahon. After some heavy Pontypridd pressure the ball was turned over by Cinderford. Then followed a slick move from inside the Cinderford 22 with Sam Allford scoring under the posts, converted again by Luke McMahon and giving Cinderford the advantage.
The game leveled up in the 25th minute when Pontypridd scored an excellent try in the corner with a superb conversation from the touchline. Pontypridd then took the lead with a converted try, but yet again Cinderford bounced back on the stroke of half time with a converted try, to end the half all square.
The 2nd half saw a raft of changes from both sides, but it was Pontypridd who drew first blood with an unconverted try, to lead 26-21. But Cinderford fought back yet again with an excellent try in the corner of their own, but this went unconverted, and the game wasl level at 26-26. As thew game moved in to the final 15 minutes it was Pontypridd who nudged ahead with another unconverted try after a some sustained pressure, and this turned out to be the winning score.
Final Score Pontypridd 31 Cinderford 26
This was an excellent game of rugby played in front of a sizeable crowd at Sardis Road.