Rumney : 15.A.Solomon 14.L.Plummer 13.P.Niblett (Capt) 12.S.McIntyre 11.T.Daley 10.D.Clark  9.C.Miller 1.J.Leadbeatter  2. M.Feneck  3.C.Fitzpatrick  4.M.Kelly   5.J.Mills  6.R.Sutton 7.M.Way  8.S.Coles  Replacements :  G.Manning  S.Greedy   E.James G.Kemble C.Maynard

Pontypool : 15.D.Pearce 14.J.Henthorne 13.P.Price 12.R.Jenkins 11.G.Ferguson 10.S.Lawrence (Capt) 9.G.Betts 1.N.Giles 2.J.Jeunne 3.N.Blake 4.C.Edwards 5.J.Noble 6.L.Edwards 7.C.Treherne 8.N.Coughlin Replacements : J.Cross B.Salt N.Chapron A.Quick N.Daniels

Referee : Huw Williams, Neath

Scorers for Rumney : M.Feneck try, J.Mills try, E.James try, D.Clark conversion

Scorers for Pontypool : D.Pearce try, R.Jenkins try, penalty try, C.Edwards try, S.Lawrence 2 conversions and 2 penalties

The players and the big crowd at Riverside Park fell silent in tribute to Pontypool legend Steve Jones, the universally liked and greatly respected contributor to Welsh rugby, whose passing has saddened so many. Huw Williams' whistle signalled the end of the minute's silence and the teams lined up for the kick off.

The opening period of the game found Rumney in powerful form, upsetting the Pontypool pack and forcing turnovers and penalties. Home flanker Ryan Sutton controlled the lineout from the start and would continue to do so for most of the afternoon, and concerted drives from second rows Joe Mills and Michael Kelly and number eight Stuart Coles took play into the visitors' half for the whole of the first ten minutes. With Sutton ruling the line, outside half Danny Clark was able to cut loose and cross the gain line but suddenly a magnificent counterattack led by Pooler centre Phil Price took play to the other end of the field and started a series of close range drives. In the twelfth minute visiting number eight Nicky Couchlin picked up at the base of a scrum, fed outside half and Captain Stuart Lawrence and quick recycling put fullback Darren Pearce over in the corner for the first try. Rumney immediately returned to the offensive through hooker Michael Feneck with support from props John Leadbeatter and Craig Fitzpatrick, and scrum half Chris Miller's accurate kicking soon returned play deep into Pontypool territory. In the eighteenth minute Sutton secured more lineout possession to set up a rolling maul and with Coles, flanker Matthew Way, Mills and Fitzpatrick controlling the drive, Feneck touched down under the weight of two packs to bring the scores level at 5 - 5. The home side rapidly regained their impetus, Mills grabbing good possession to bring in centre Paul Niblett whose incisive break almost brought a try for Way. Sutton again obliged in the lineout and following another controlled drive, Mills grounded the ball for his side's second try. Rumney once more took play to the opposition but now Pontypool flankers Lee Edwards and Cae Treherne, and scrum half Gareth Betts were starting to ask questions of the home defence and in the twenty eighth minute Lawrence slotted his first penalty kick. Pooler were becoming far more methodical in their approach and when Lawrence started a counterattack, his clever chip through led to winger Jamie Henthorne being tackled without the ball and Mr Williams awarding a penalty try. The outside half's conversion put his side back into the lead at 10 - 15 and just before the interval Betts siezed on a penalty offence to take a quick tap and supply mobile second row Chris Edwards with a try scoring pass. Pontypool closed the half with a series of dangerous attacks and breakouts, reaching the break with a 10 - 20 lead.

The restart proved to be a shaky period for Rumney and eight minutes into the half Lawrence kicked another penalty, and although they were still getting into the Pontypool half, errors in attacking positions were increasing. Rumney wingers Tom Daley and Lincoln Plummer looked very dangerous when in possession, and centres Niblett and Ian McIntyre, along with full back Anthony Solomon battled hard in midfield, but the visitors cleared any threats with careful kicking and increasingly effective counterattacks. Back rows Simon Greedy and Emyr James came on for Rumney and along with replacement front row player Calvin Maynard, battled upfield with Leadbeatter, Coles, Mills and Kelly all finding small gaps, but when Pooler countered they won a penalty under the posts and caught the home side napping as Lawrence tapped and sent in centre Richie Jenkins to score. Following the conversion, Pontypool were ahead by 10 - 30 and exerting more and more control but from a scrum on the Rumney twenty two Miller broke wide and linked with full back Geraint Manning whose great pass sent Plummer racing down the tramlines. The winger was stopped just short of the line but quick thinking by hooker George Kemble resulted in a snap lineout leading to James cruising in for an opportunist try, Clark's conversion bringing an intense and exciting game to a close with the scoreboard reading Rumney 17 Pontypool 30.

Steve Ford, Coach Rumney 1st XV : "We knew all week that this would probably be our biggest home game of the season so we prepared well and were confident going into it. For the first thirty minutes we did well, taking the game to Pontypool and doing well at the kick offs, lineouts and scrums. From a good platform and having the upper hand, we showed naivety by trying to run it rather than shutting it down. We do play a fifteen man game but there are certain times and places to do it, I was screaming to kick it down the tramlines and then Pontypool scored two tries. At half time I told the boys that they had to believe in themselves and play to patterns, but we lost our way in the second half and Pooler showed why they are the top team, they didn't panic and make mistakes, they relied on us making errors and they capitalised on it. We let ourselves down, our passing was very poor and when we got into attacking positions we didn't create anything. It was a very frustrating second half, we made nine clear line breaks and expected to win the game because our set piece was so good, but obviously we are not doing something quite right. It is early days yet but we have got to learn a lot from this game and take things on board, we have to be clinical and streetwise, but hats off to the boys, they never gave in and the Man of the Match was Danny Clark."

Danny Clark, outside half Rumney 1st XV : "It was very physical and we let ourselves down in the penalty area, we gave away penalties on the try line when we should have been finishing moves off. The pack was superb, especially the front three, everything was done well in the scrums and lineouts, but it was the same old story of games that we should be winning, in the next couple of weeks we have got to come together. Tom Daley had a great game today, his defence was strong and he ran very well."

Danny Clark