Pontypridd v Llanelli Scarlets, Sardis Road
Llanelli and their well renowned away following arrived at Sardis road. The self labelled House of Pain. Someone obviously forgot to give Stephen Jones the memo....enjoy.
Pontypridd V Bristol - BIC Semi Final - 23rd April 2011
British & Irish Cup - semi final preview
Pontypridd's triple assault on silverware continues this weekend as they welcome Bristol Rugby to Sardis Road in the semi-final of the British & Irish Cup.
Known as the 'House of Pain' because of its intimidating atmosphere, Sardis Road has become a fortress for Pontypridd over the years.
Dale McIntosh's men have not lost on home soil in 21 games and have taken some notable scalps there in European days gone by -- not least Leicester.
Pontypridd go into the tie with Bristol as Welsh Premiership league leaders, as well as looking forward to an appearance at the Millennium Stadium in the Swalec cup final against Aberavon on May 2nd.
Victory on Saturday will guarantee that they will be back at Sardis Road five days later, on May 7th, for the final of the British & Irish Cup where they will meet the winners of the Bedford vs Worcester tie.
Following his side's humiliating 81-13 defeat to fellow semi-finalists Worcester Warriors on Saturday in the RFU Championship, Bristol Head Coach Paul Hull says the British & Irish Cup semi-final is a chance to not only secure silverware, but pride.
Saturday is going to be a real opportunity for us to come away from this season with something, both mentally and in terms of a trophy. It's no secret that this past year has been a real challenge for the club, but we want to go out on a high, and the British & Irish Cup offers us a chance to do that.
A few of the players will be making their last appearance for Bristol either on Saturday or hopefully, in the final, so it will be quite an emotional game for us and we'll look to use that to go out and play with everything we have.
Going to Sardis Road is always a challenge - the atmosphere there can be very intimidating. Pontypridd haven't lost a single match in twenty-one games which is quite a record, but we will be doing all we can to make sure it doesn't reach twenty-two.
In what is a curtain-raiser to the Championship semi-final between the two sides on May 1st, the other B&I Cup semi-final pits together the sides that finished second and first in the table during the regular season.
Worcester won both the previous encounters, including a 28-18 success at Goldington Road in mid-October, however the Blues can take heart from the fact that the result was in the balance until Marcel Garvey raced away for an intercept try right at the death. Worcester won 32-0 in the return game at Sixways at the beginning of 2011.
Irish Praises First Half Display At Sardis Road
Academy Forwards Coach Mark Irish tells Bristol Rugby TV he was delighted with the squad's performance in the B&I Cup victory over Cardiff Premiership Select.
Ponty celebrate historic season | WRU TV
WRU TV goes behind the scenes at the Principality Premiership Awards Dinner.
The Ginger Monster entertains the crowd..
Andrew Harry entertains the crowd before the Ponty V Glasgow match due to the lights failing at Sardis Road
Pontypridd - Leeds Carnegie 25:8
Date 15.12.2012 14:30
Competition British & Irish Cup
Location Sardis Road
The game got underway on a paddy field of a pitch in deteriorating conditions, but Ponty making the most of their early opportunities to advance and winger Owen Williams going close to scoring in the corner.
Maintaining some form of momentum in the mud, Ponty mauled from an attacking line, hooker Huw Dowden peeling off to score a try wide out with just six minutes gone. Working off an effective forward platform the home team continued to press forward, instigating an overlap back line move for winger Williams to cross for another corner flag try which again went unconverted.
As outside half Dai Flanagan drilled over a penalty just coming up to the half hour mark, Ponty looked well in control but then conceding points as Leeds outside half Christian Georgiou responded with a penalty of his own.
The visitors were now edging their way into the game, pressing to the home line but guilty of committing costly errors in doing so, the interval score-line remaining 13pts to 3 in Ponty's favour.
The rain was falling even harder as the second half commenced, exacerbating the gluepot conditions out on the pitch. A surging break by winger Chris Clayton gave Ponty some momentum upfield but Leeds then picking up the tempo of their game and advancing up the middle of the park.
A period of concerted pressure by the visitors culminated in a fist fight which saw flanker Wayne O'Connor of Pontypridd and prop Ben Hooper of Leeds both sent off and scrum half Carl Thomas of Pontypridd and lock Matt Smith of Leeds both yellow carded. The teams were down to thirteen men each but the game continued to be played with plenty of gusto.
Leeds launched another concerted attack, working an overlap for winger Curtis Wilson to cross for a try in the corner. As the game seemed to be slipping away from Pontypridd they responded with a crucial comeback score, a deft cross kick from Dai Flanagan gathered by Chris Clayton who darted in for a try, converted from wide out by Flanagan.
Going into the last ten minutes of play the contest remained keenly fought and abrasive, with Ponty showing plenty of aggression in attack and defence, forcing their opponents into committing errors. As replacement Craig Locke led a home charge into the heart of the Leeds defence, the ball was shipped wide for winger Chris Clayton to cross for a bonus point try wide out.
An afternoon's hard graft in difficult conditions had secured for Ponty a crucial home win by 25pts to 8 keeping their hopes of qualification in the British & Irish Cup very much alive.
Pontypridd:
15.Gareth Wyatt. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Gavin Dacey (Adam Thomas). 12.Dafydd Lockyer. 11.Owen Williams. 10.Dai Flanagan. 9.Carl Thomas.
1.Scott Roberts (Chris Phillips). 2.Huw Dowden (Darran Harris). 3.Bradley Thyer (Keiron Jenkins). 4.Cory Hill (Craig Locke). 5.Chris Dicomidis -- cpt. 6.Ed Siggery. 7.Wayne O'Connor. 8.Dan Godfrey (Owen Sheppeard)
Golden Bob man of the match -- Huw Dowden.
Chief's Try
Ponty V Neath Challenge Cup 1996
Dale Chief McIntosh is a rugby union player. Born Dale Lynsey Manawa McIntosh on 23 November 1969 in the King Country, New Zealand, he has become a cult hero in his adopted country of Wales. He received the nickname The Chief (or Chiefy) because of his physical resemblance to the Chief Bromden character in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
He first arrived in the country in 1989, settling in the Coed-y-Cwm area of Ynysybwl (near Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff), following the path taken by his older brother Shane McIntosh. Very soon afterwards he joined Pontypridd RFC as a promising young forward.
Not content with simply being another squad member, however, McIntosh made a great impression in his first season at Sardis Road. Thanks to his Scottish father he was selected to play for the Scotland A side in 1992, but later opted to wait until his residential status meant he could play for Wales. He achieved this goal, playing for both Wales A and the full Wales international team, winning his one full cap against South Africa in 1996. Further international honours include several appearances for the world-renowned Barbarians team.
By the mid 1990s Dale had become one of the focal points of the Pontypridd RFC team both on and off the pitch. A strong back-row forward with good handling skills and a superb tackle, notably against Andy Robinson the former England Coach in a European Match against Bath Rugby Club at Sardis Road. He was a leader on the pitch and a hero on the terraces. He is also noted for the work he did within the youth structure of Pontypridd RFC, inspiring many of the current crop of young talent from the south Wales valleys.
Dale McIntosh was still at the forefront of his game when Rugby Union in Wales became a professional sport in the late 1990s. He was awarded his club captaincy in 2001. However, the changes in Welsh rugby came somewhat too late for McIntosh: the strength of the Celtic Warriors' back line meant that he would have had to move to another region to gain a contract. Instead, he chose to stay in Pontypridd and help develop the next generation of regional players.
Following the liquidation of the Celtic Warriors regional set up by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), McIntosh accepted a role as the WRU's Rugby Development Officer for the South Wales Valleys, allowing him to continue to inspire young players in his adopted home. Alongside this he has continued as club captain at Pontypridd RFC, helping to nuture and develop the young team and leading them to successive finals of the Welsh cup in 2005 and 2006. However, personal circumstances (2005) and injury (2006) meant he was unable to play in either final.
Dale McIntosh is best known for his immense ability on the rugby field, but is also popular for his charity and development work off the field.
Pontypridd - Leinster A
British & Irish Cup
Sardis Road
2:00 pm
Wales Vs England Under 18s Welsh Attack
Wales Vs England Under 18s Sardis Road Pontypridd
Pontypridd v Mid District XV - 07/08/2013
Pontypridd got their pre-season warm up off to a good start, running out as 69pts to 0 winners over a Mid District XV at Sardis Road.
After a cagey opening to the game it was a break by full back Geraint Walsh that got Ponty moving up a gear, Dafydd Lockyer then forging ahead with fellow centre Sam Edwards, stepping up from the youth ranks, up in support to claim a debut try which Dai Flanagan converted.
Lockyer once more spearheaded a Ponty attack rounded off with flanker Wayne O'Connor crossing for a try, quickly followed by a close range score from Geraint Walsh. The game was into its second quarter before the District kept up a concerted phase of pressure, but Ponty retaliating on the counter for centre Lockyer to score a try which Flanagan converted.
As winger Chris Clayton gathered a cross kick he fed prop Scott Roberts who arced in under the posts for another try again bettered by Flanagan's conversion. Ponty were finishing the first half in dynamic mood, both Geraint Walsh and Sam Edwards going over for second individual scores, both converted by Flanagan.
Numerous changes in personnel were made at the interval, but Ponty maintaining momentum with centre Gavin Dacey powering through for an early try converted by Simon Humberstone. A scrappy period of play ensued, but Ponty still making ground and eventually benefitting from a wide attack by winger Owen Williams, centre Humberstone up in support to cruise in for another try which he also converted.
The Mid District team continued to offer a threat in attack, but failing to break through for a score, before Ponty scrum half Lloyd Williams sniped away from the base of a scrum to send Owen Williams over for a try. The Ponty try-fest was rounded off by winger Matthew Nuthall who touched down from a wide attack at pace, registering the final score of 69pts to 0 in his side's favour.
Pontypridd:
15.Geraint Walsh (Gareth Wyatt). 14.Chris Clayton (Matthew Nuthall). 13.Sam Edwards (Gavin Dacey). 12.Dafydd Lockyer (Simon Humberstone). 11.Owen Williams. 10.Dai Flanagan (Dion McIntosh). 9.Joel Raikes (Lloyd Williams).
1.Scott Roberts (Keiron Jenkins). 2.Liam Belcher (Tom Hetherington). 3.Keiron Jenkins (Lewis Jones). 4.Lee Williams (Jordan Sieniawski)). 5.Jordan Sieniawski (Chris Dicomidis). 6.Jake Thomas (Liam Belcher). 7.Wayne O'Connor. 8.Owen Sheppeard.
05 Pontypridd V Llandovery 29th August 2009 League Game
Pontypridd 36 Llandovery 21 Principality Premiership
10:52am Thursday 3rd September 2009
Pontypridd have not lost a Premiership match at Sardis Road since November 2007 and never looked like surrendering that record to the disappointing Drovers, writes Huw S Thomas.
Llandovery started with five new signings and used two more as replacements but apart from a promising beginning, they played second fiddle to a more composed and well-organised Pontypridd.
Llandovery were not good enough up front and were powerless to stop the Ponty forwards mauling their way over from short-range line-outs on three occasions.
Coach Rob Appleyard has much work to do to get the Llandovery forwards more disciplined and forceful in the rucks and mauls.
Protection of the ball carrier was poor while there was a marked inability to front up to the rugged competitiveness of the home eight.
Appleyard bemoaned his sides inability to establish any parity in the battle of the loose.
We looked threatening early on when we had a bit of ball but when Ponty took a grip up front, it was always going to be hard.
The set pieces were fine but unless we can compete more out in the open spaces, we will suffer, he said. And suffer the Drovers did, losing no end of ball in the contact area.
It had all started well for Llandovery with good lineout ball from lock Louie Tonkin and on-loan Scarlet No 8 Josh Turnbull giving the backs chances to probe.
Centres Rhys Williams and Dan Rogers all but got clear but the Drovers took a 5-3 lead when wing Ifan Evans made good use of an overlap on the right before a failure to keep their discipline in their own 22 then started to cost the Drovers dearly.
Penalties from fly-half Aaron Bramwell and a try from scrum-half Rhys Downes gave Ponty a 14-8 lead, fly-half Cerith Rees having kicked an angled penalty for the Drovers.
Despite two more Rees penalties after the break, the home forwards took firm control and driven lineouts fashioned tries for lock Chris Dicomidis and replacements Rhys Lloyd and Kristan Baller.
The little ball they had was poorly used by the Llandovery backs and it was only when little Lee Rees went on at scrum-half that the pace of the Llandovery game quickened.
Tonkin ran well to make use of an overlap for a try, well converted by replacement Dan Etteridge, to make the scoreline suggest Llandovery had pushed Ponty hard but it was far from being the case.
02 Pontypridd V Milan - 22nd November 1995
The first European Cup game played in Wales was at Sardis Road between Pontypridd and Milan.
Also it was the first time the familiar cry Ole Ole Ole Ponty was used and the first appearance of the Ginger Monster!
Jenkins' boot wins ugly contest
TIM GLOVER
Thursday, 23 November 1995
Pontypridd 31 Milan 12
Exotic days in Wales: Jonah Lomu appearing in Blaina; a galaxy of stars in Llanelli for Ieuan Evans' testimonial and last night Milan in Pontypridd for the inaugural Heineken European Cup. It was the first such match in the Principality and Pontypridd became the first Welsh club to record a victory but what a desperate, ugly affair it was.
Neil Jenkins kicked eight penalties and converted the only try of the match while the visitors had a player sent off. For Milan, already beaten by Leinster, it was arrivederchi.
An extraordinary row before the start must have left the sponsors wondering whether they had entered a brave new commercial world or amateur night in the sticks. Heineken, as they have done in the other matches in the Cup, expect the teams to play with a Gilbert ball marked with the company's logo. Pontypridd stubbornly refused, arguing that they had not had a chance to practice with the Heineken version even though their own was also a Gilbert.
One of the central figures in a dire first half was the referee Brian Campsall as he issued a flood of penalties in attempting to keep an ill- tempered game under control. The result was simply a display of goal-kicking between Jenkins and his opposite number Dominguez.
Jenkins kicked five penalties, Dominquez three as Pontypridd led 15-9 at the interval. Jenkins, who also hit the post with yet another attempt, was assisted in his role by Italian indiscipline.
The second half was not much better with another spate of penalties. Campsall finally lost his patience, sending off Giovanelli in the 68th minute for butting. Mercifully, Pontypridd, having put the boot in through Jenkins, finally applied the stiletto with a try from David Manley.
Pontypridd: Try Manley; Conversion Jenkins; Penalties Jenkins (8). Milan: Penalties Dominguez (4).
Pontypridd: C Cormack; D Manley, J Lewis, S McIntosh, G Jones; N Jenkins, Paul John; N Bezani (capt), Phil John, N Eynon, G Prosser, M Rowley, M Spiller (R Collins, 20), M Lloyd, P Thomas.
Milan: F Williams; M Platania, F Gomez, M Tommasi, Marcello Cuttitta; D Dominguez, M Bonomi; Massimo Cuttitta (capt), A Marengoni, F Properzi, P Pedroni, F Berni, D Beretta, G Milano, M Giovanelli.
Referee: B Campsall (Halifax).
02 Pontypridd V Doncaster Knights - 8th August 2009
Pontypridd stalwarts in a return to Sardis Road
Aug 8 2009 by Simon Thomas, South Wales Echo
THERE will be some familiar faces back at Sardis Road this weekend in the shape of former Pontypridd stalwarts Lynn Howells and Brett Davey.
The duo are now back working in tandem as coaches of English Division One outfit Doncaster, who provide the opposition for Pontys opening pre-season friendly at Sardis this afternoon (4pm).
Howells had two spells coaching the club during their heyday in the pre-regional era and was also at the helm of the now-defunct Celtic Warriors which was born out of a merger of Ponty and Bridgend.
Following the disbanding of the Warriors, former Cardiff boss Howells moved to Italy to take charge of Leonessa ahead of a stint as Edinburghs head coach.
Since 2007, he has been director of rugby at Doncaster Knights, where hes now assisted by Davey.
Former full-back Davey made 116 appearances for Ponty, having joined the club from Caerphilly, where he had made his reputation as a prolific goal-kicker.
Coming in as a replacement for the Swansea-bound Kevin Morgan in 1999, he continued to rack up the points, enjoying his finest hour in the 2002 Welsh Cup final under Howells coaching.
He scored all of Ponty's points in a thrilling 20-17 victory over Llanelli at the Millennium Stadium, including the last-gasp injury-time penalty that sealed the cup.
Davey left Sardis in 2003 to join the newly-formed Dragons and, after a brief stint with Bristol, returned to coach his home village club of Beddau.
He then had coaching spells with Coventry and the Cornish Pirates before being re-united with Howells at Doncaster earlier this year.
Reflecting on working again with his former boss, Davey said: You could say hes been quite influential during my career.
I enjoyed the best day of my life under Lynn when I won the Principality Cup final with Ponty.
I really enjoyed working with him as a player and its great to be working alongside him again.
Doncaster have also been drawn against Ponty in the new British & Irish Cup, so todays match will give both teams an early chance to test each other out.
Ponty have named a strong line-up, with full-back Matthew Nuthall and centre Dafydd Lockyer both making comebacks for the club.
Theres a debut for Aaron Bramwell at outside-half, with Kristian Baller slotting into his new role of scrum-half.
Among the forwards, Kristian Dacey returns from long-term injury to play at No 8 with the versatile Chris Dicomidis packing down beside him in the back-row.
Pontypridd: Matthew Nuthall; Lewis Williams, Gavin Dacey (capt), Dafydd Lockyer, Chris Clayton; Aaron Bramwell, Kristian Baller; Stuart Williams, Huw Dowden, Ryan Harford, Chris Martenko, Grant Harrington, Chris Dicomidis, Kristian Dacey, Wayne OConnor.
Pontypridd V Llanelli - 5th March 2011
The British and Irish Cup Quarter Final
Sardis Road
Pontypridd
Tom Jones Pontypridd locations
A video showing the key locations that were important in Tom Jones' early years in Pontypridd and beyond
Gareth Thomas and Dafydd James combine to create try vs New Zealand
Wales A wingers Gareth Thomas and Dafydd James combine to create a long distance counter attack try during the match against New Zealand in November 1997 at Sardis Road in Pontypridd.
Road to Finals Day 2016: Pontypridd v Merthyr
Pontypridd and Merthyr played out a dramatic SSE SWALEC Cup quarter-final at a soggy Sardis Road.
ABANDONED TIN WORKS WITH ARMY VEHICLE GRAVEYARD TREFOREST - URBEX
Today, TopAbandonedPlaces travel to the home town of singer and songwriter Tom Jones in Treforest, at the old Treforest Tin Works which is right next to the old Rhydyfelin Viaduct, Treforest Tin Works Tunnel and a neat little Army Vehicle Graveyard in the grounds of the Old Tin Works.
03 Pontypridd V Llandovery 29th August 2009 League Game
Pontypridd - Llandovery 36:21
Date 29.8.2009 14:30
Match Principality Premiership
Location Sardis Road
The new season got off to a competitive and entertaining start at Sardis Road, and a winning start for Pontypridd, extending a seventeen month unbeaten run at the House of Pain.
The scoreline reflected Pontys overall dominance and Llandoverys ability to retaliate on the counter attack. Given the home teams arsenal of pace and guile in the back line, it was ironic that their crucial tries all came from close quarter drives.
With Aaron Bramwell having opened the scoring for Ponty with a penalty, Llandovery notched up a try by pacey winger Ifan Evans following a counter from broken play.
The kicking of Bramwell and Cerith Rees kept the scoreboard ticking over, but a crucial score coming for the home team as Rhys Downes burrowed over for a try following a driving maul.
Having just edged the first half contest, Ponty went into the interval holding a 14pts to 8 advantage.
A further exchange of penalties got the second period underway, before a frenetic phase of attack and counter attack saw the game move up a gear. Ponty were by now in the ascendancy, with scrum half Downes an effective trigger for their creative plays.
A strong set piece and a hunger for possession in the loose were the Ponty trademarks, further tries claimed by Chris Dicomidis, Rhys Lloyd and Adam Thomas, all emanating from powerful forward drives.
Despite a late consolation try for Llandovery scored by lock Louie Tonkin, the home team remained well worthy of their bonus point victory following a hard fought encounter.
Pontypridd
15.Matthew Nuthall. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Adam Thomas. 12.Dafydd Lockyer (Lee Thorne). 11.Lewis Williams. 10.Aaron Bramwell (Dean Gunter). 9.Rhys Downes (Kristian Baller).
1.Sam Hobbs (John Williams). 2.Huw Dowden. 3.Pat Palmer (Ryan Harford). 4.Ryan Savage. 5.Chris Dicomidis (Chris Martenko). 6.Kristian Dacey (Rhys Lloyd). 7.Wayne OConnor. 8.Nathan Strong cpt.
Pontypridd v Bristol 25/10/2014 Promo
Sell Out on Cards for Bristol Game
Tickets for Saturday’s British and Irish Cup game against Bristol Rugby are in high demand from both sides of the channel. Pontypridd’s last BIC game against Bristol in 2011 saw a crowd of 6000 fans descend upon Sardis Road - and this year’s fixture is set to be even bigger. Bristol are bringing a strong contingent with them up the M4. The clubhouse has already been inundated with ticket requests from the West Country fans. It is highly likely that tickets will be unavailable or extremely limited on the gates on Saturday – a pre-match dinner package has already sold out and grandstand tickets are limited. We expect to see the ground filled to capacity with fans of both teams.
Due to the high demand we recommend that fans purchase tickets in advance in order to avoid disappointment. Season tickets are not valid. The office is open every day this week from 9am to midday with tickets on sale. Tickets can also be purchased by phoning the office on 01443 405006 .A ticket collection point will be open outside the club after 12pm throughout the week.
We also advise that fans arrive well before the 2.30pm kick off on Saturday in order to avoid long queues. The bars will be open for business from 11am.
The atmosphere at Sardis is sure to be electric as the group leaders face each other. Secure your ticket as soon as possible - it is going to be an unmissable game!