Venue: The Memorial Ground
Dunvant RFC U13s went into their first-ever meeting with Pontypool United knowing it would be a stern test—and the home side lived up to their reputation, running out 64-12 winners in a tough encounter at The Memorial Ground.
Pontypool, Dragons Cup finalists last season, came into the match off the back of a thumping win over Whitchurch. Right from the off, their physicality in the forwards and superb game management from their outside half set the tone. By halftime, the home side had stormed into a 28-12 lead, with Dunvant struggling to gain a foothold.
Despite losing their outside half to a fractured wrist early on, Dunvant never stopped battling. Back rower Van Carlsen was immense throughout, carrying hard and putting in a huge defensive shift. His efforts earned him Dunvant's man of the match.
In the second half, Pontypool’s organised defence and relentless pressure told, as they ran in several more tries. But the young Dunvant side can hold their heads high after pushing Pontypool hard in the last ten minutes, forcing the hosts into some desperate defending to maintain their clean second-half sheet.
Dunvant's coaching staff praised Pontypool’s well-drilled performance but noted that their pack's dominance and a lack of possession cost the visitors dearly. "We didn’t always get the decisions we wanted, but the reality is their forwards starved us of the ball, and we rushed things when we had it," a Dunvant coach admitted post-match.
Dunvant now look forward to a home clash against Treherbert at Broadacre next weekend, eager to bounce back from a tough day at the office.
Final score: Pontypool United 64 - 12 Dunvant RFC
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