Rugby Union: I'm counting on Ponty

I BELIEVE Pontypridd will beat London Irish next Saturday to hopefully set up the best weekend of the season for Welsh rugby.

Llanelli take on Leicester a week today for a place in the Heineken Cup Final, but 24 hours before there is another massive Anglo-Welsh battle.

The semi-final of the Parker Pen Shield at Oxford may not carry the kudos of the Heineken tournament, but in terms of rebuilding Welsh rugby as a force it is almost as vital.

Ponty will be the underdogs because London Irish have had a magnificent season in England but I still fancy them to become the first Welsh club to reach the Shield Final.

At the start of the season it was hard to imagine Ponty would do so well. But their season began to turn around when Lynn Howells went back to the club as coach in December and the transformation has been incredible.

They reached their high point last week when they beat Cardiff to book their place in the Principality Cup Final. It was a great win based on guts, will power and a good degree of nous and skill.

Ceri Sweeney had a very impressive match and gave a display of tactical kicking which Iestyn Harris was unable to match.

Ponty have a very good centre partnership in John Bryant and Sonny Parker as well as the finishing ability of Gareth Wyatt on the wing. But it is in the forwards where I think Ponty will be too strong for London Irish - just as they were too strong for Cardiff.

Gethin Jenkins is the best front row prospect I have seen for years. He gave Cardiff a really tough time last week, both in the scrum and in the loose. Mefin Davies is having a marvellous season at hooker and Michael Owen and Robert Sidoli are also growing in stature. Richard Parks has been a great ball-winner in the back row, while Glen Remnant has given them a bit more bite.

London Irish have been transformed under their player-coach Brendan Venter and Steve Williams is playing the kind of rugby in the pack that leaves me stunned that he has not been brought into the Welsh set-up.

But I reckon Ponty can beat them - and that would put a huge smile back on the face of Welsh rugby.

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