Ystrad Rhondda RFC v Pontypool RFC

Leighton Jones is predicting a strong finish to the season now that Pontypool RFC have a consistent run of fixtures for the first time this season.

Pooler have played six games since the opening day of the season, back in November last year, but are due to play six times over the next six weekends, starting with tomorrow’s trip to Gelligaled Park to take on Ystrad Rhondda RFC.

Jones and his players have frequently shared their frustrations about the stop-start nature to the season all while understanding why fixtures have been postponed.

However, the head coach believes that the busy schedule ahead will allow the squad to build momentum and rediscover the free-flowing rugby.

“It took us a while to get into Trebanos RFC,” he said.

“We’ve had a look at our game and put a couple of things in place on the training field.

“The boys have had a good training session, they’ve reacted well and are looking forward to Saturday.

“When you’re in and out it’s hard to get the fluidity going in rugby.

“But we’re looking forward now to finishing the season with regular games, places in the team being up for grabs and the boys showing what they can do as a team.

“With the way the fixtures have gone we’ve tried to train quite intense and we’ve picked up a few injuries as you do.

“Sam [Cochrane] is coming back in, he hasn’t played for a while so it’ll be nice to see him.

“Curtis [Gregory] played well against Trebanos so it’ll be nice to see him back that performance up.

“We’ve got [Adam] Stratton and Mikey [Herbert] both coming into the back row, they’ve got a history of playing together at [Pontypool] United RFC so it’s nice to see them two taking the field together again.”

History is on Pontypool’s side as they are yet to to taste defeat in the five fixtures they have played with Ystrad Rhondda but Jones has urged caution with memories of tough battles at Gelligaled Park.

“We’ve been over there a few times now and it’s a difficult place,” he continued.

“They are a tight-knit bunch of boys and they like their own ground. We have found it difficult in the past.

“We’ve been there before and been on the money with everything and enjoyed our rugby but then we’ve been on the end of some battles where we have lost a bit of discipline and gone down in numbers and they’ve probably deserved to nick it.

“It’ll come down to how the boys react on Saturday and how we stamp our authority on the game.”

Ystrad come into the game on the back of a hard-fought 21-15 victory at Narberth RFC and will be looking to carry that performance on against Pontypool, who had to come from behind to beat Trebanos 45-14 a fortnight ago.

Jones has made seven changes for the 27-mile trip with Sam Cochrane, Garin Price, Adam Stratton, Ieuan Jones, Owain Leonard, Joel Mahoney and Ethan Davies all coming in to the side.

Lloyd Lewis, who grabbed a hat-trick in the last fixture against Ystrad Rhondda, keeps his place.