Pontypridd had to dig deep in a game that was in the balance right to the final whistle, but victory was theirs and with it came progression into the semi final draw of the British & Irish Cup.
In his post match reaction, Ponty assistant coach Paul John showed his relief at gaining the vital win.
“That was a typical full blooded cup tie” said John, “a real topsy-turvy game and a tough one to win. We played some good rugby but failed to capitalise on those situations.
“On the overall balance of the game I felt we deserved to win as we just got the better of Llanelli.
“We can’t specifically target the British & Irish Cup as a must win competition as we have so much else to play for. The big games are coming up one after another from week to week and we have to take them one at a time and just try to keep on winning”.
Llanelli skipper Craig Hawkins had mixed feelings after the game: “I’m proud of the commitment shown by the team, but disappointed with our discipline and the penalty count against us especially in the second half.
“To lose in that manner, having worked hard for seventy-nine minutes, was difficult to take, but we expected a tough time of it up here at Pontypridd”.
Hawkins could also see the irony in two Welsh clubs coming face to face in a cross border competition knock-out round. “We’ve done well in beating top sides like Munster A and Nottingham, and we have thrived on playing outside the goldfish bowl of Welsh Rugby. It’s a shame that one team from Wales had to go out of the competition today”.
