London Irish 27 Pontypridd 33Jonathan Bryant, the 25-year old Wales A centre, had planned to spend the weekend of the Parker Pen Shield final next month on his stag party in Spain along with 10 of his team-mates. But he will have to find an alternative date before his wedding in July while he has also played himself into contention for Wales's summer tour of South Africa.
After being knocked back in one tackle by Bryant, Irish's player-coach Brendan Venter wagged his finger at his opposite number. "He told me that there was a long way to go and that they were going to win," said Bryant, whose performance brought to mind Scott Gibbs on the 1997 Lions tour to South Africa with his totemic tackling.
"I replied that he was the one on the floor. I do not think Irish showed us enough respect. They expected to do to us what they had done to Northampton the previous week and they paid the price."
Pontypridd are the Welsh equivalent of London Irish, a team of few current internationals whose whole is considerably greater than the sum of its parts.
Six months ago their goal was to avoid relegation from the Welsh-Scottish League but the return of Lynn Howells as coach helped galvanise them from whipping boys to winners and they have two cup finals to look forward to next month.
London Irish expected Pontypridd to tire but not only did Ponty finish the stronger, they earned the distinction of scoring more points against the Exiles than any other side had managed this season, passing the 30 accumulated by Leicester at the Madejski Stadium last December.
Irish had only lost one match this year, at Gloucester back in February, but they never held the lead on Saturday. They trailed 14-0 after 20 minutes and 21-7 in the third quarter before rallying to 21-21. Their three tries resulted from Pontypridd mistakes but when the Welshmen, as they had in the Principality Cup semi-final against Cardiff earlier this month, tightened up in the second half and prevented the key Exiles' runners Chris Sheasby and Venter from crossing the gainline, the favourites became shapeless.
London Irish were six points down with 12 minutes to go and pounded the Pontypridd line. A number of last-ditch tackles kept them out before the flanker Declan Danaher lost patience and kneed an opponent in front of the touch judge. The attacking momentum was lost and with it the match.
The game in Wales has been shrouded in gloom this season but the Welsh Rugby Union reacted indignantly last week to the demand from Wales's first minister Rhodri Morgan that it reform itself.
It will cite Pontypridd's victory as evidence that Morgan was wrong but the governing body had such faith in Ponty beating London Irish that it called a special general meeting of its clubs on the date of the Shield final to debate the way ahead.
LONDON IRISH: Horak; Sackey, Appleford, Venter, Bishop; Everitt, Martens (Edwards, 37); Hatley (Wheatley, 49), Kirke (Drotske, 45), Halford, Strudwick (capt), Williams (Delaney, 13), Halvey, Danaher, Sheasby. Tries: Halvey, Kirke, Horak. Conversions: Everitt 3. Penalties: Everitt 2.
PONTYPRIDD: Davey; Wyatt, Parker, Bryant, Baber; Sweeney, John (capt); Jenkins, Davies, Bell, Cockbain, Sidoli, Kelly (McIntosh 72), Parks, Owen.
Referee: R Dickson (SRU).
With just two minutes remaining in the other semi-final, and his team trailing Sale 28-27, Gloucester's Ludvic Mercier lined up a penalty which would have won the game. But from a straightforward position 30 metres out, he somehow managed to pull his kick across the face of the uprights.
