All three Gwent sides have made it into the semi-finals of the Super Rygbi Cup after Pontypool secured their spot with a bonus-point win at Cardiff on Thursday night.
Newport ensured top spot in Pool A with their win at home to RGC last time out and will face Ebbw Vale, who’s game against Llandovery ended in a draw after the match was postponed.
The Steelmen needed just two match points to see them into the semi-finals but could have secured top spot with a four-try win with a 15 point or more margin.
Therefore, there will definitely be a Gwent side in the final as Newport host Ebbw Vale, while Pontypool have the tough task of travelling to reigning champions Llandovery.
Pontypool secured their place in the Super Rygbi Cup semi-finals courtesy of a hattrick from Dragons scrum-half Morgan Lloyd on his 50th appearance for Pooler.
Despite trailing early doors at the Arms Park, as Cardiff scored through ex-Dragons man Ben Fry and hooker Evan Nicholls-Ngasseu,
Pooler fought back with Lloyd capping off a team move, converted by Kieran Meek.
Fewer than ten minutes later and Lloyd had his second capitalising on a break from Morgan Allen to score, adding his third before half-time with a textbook show-and-go, with both converted by Meek.
Pooler’s flyhalf increased the visitors’ lead with a penalty a quarter of an hour into the second half with Allen grabbing his sides bonus-point 10 minutes later.
Cardiff grabbed a try with the final play of the game through Nicholls-Ngasseu’s second, to deny Pooler a second bonus point, however it was not enough to overturn the result, with Pontypool marching on to the semi-finals.
Pontypool Team v Cardiff: Huw Anderson; Carrick McDonough, Pat Lewis, Joel Mahoney, Marcus Jones; Kieran Meek (c), Morgan Lloyd; Dylan Kelleher-Griffiths, Sam Scarfe, Owen Popple, Joe Davies, Liam Antrobus, Scott Matthews, Callum Davies, Morgan Allen.
Replacements: Aneurin James, Jake Wisniewski, Kyan Best, Buster Bookin, Dan Hill, Logan Franklin, Louis Rees, Ryan Jones.
