Pontypridd 36-33 Beddau – Match Report
There’s a little over three miles between Pontypridd and Beddau rugby clubs, and with many links between them this derby clash had been hyped up for several weeks prior to this match at Sardis Road. It was 3rd versus 2nd prior to kick-off, and what unfolded on Boxing Day in front of the biggest crowd The House Of Pain had seen for many a year did not disappoint.
The visitors kicked off and Ponty spilled the kick off which gave Beddau a scrum just inside the 22. Beddau were awarded a penalty which they kicked into the corner, but an early scare was averted when the men from Mount Pleasant Park lost their lineout ball and Pontypridd cleared.
The early passages of play were mistake-ridden, a chasing Stuart Floyd-Ellis knocked on a Joel Raikes box kick and this was compounded when the knock on was upgraded to a penalty for off-the-ball niggle. Beddau kicked into the corner, threw into a lineout inside Ponty’s 22, and a couple of phases later scrum-half Callaghan Smith picked up from the base of a ruck and sniped over. Then a controversial moment, Ollie Wilde’s conversion looked to have drifted wide, which was also the opinion of one of the touch judges, but the conversion was later awarded and Beddau had an early 7-0, rather than a 5-0 lead.
Pontypridd responded well and with the team going through some phases they worked an opening down the right, only for Dale Stuckey to be tackled close to the Beddau try line. Beddau won back possession after a pass went into touch and they box-kicked clear.
Play was then stopped in the Beddau half with Ponty in possession due to an injury. From the scrum Niko Matawalu made a superb break but was hauled down short of the tryline. The ball was recycled quickly and passed to an on running Joe Miles who hit contact but was held up over the tryline.
From the goal-line drop-out Pontypridd gathered and went through multiple phases showing lots of patience, but for everything that was thrown at Beddau they replied in kind with strong defence.
The match was just entering the second quarter and Beddau threw into a lineout on halfway, they won their own ball but some superb work at the breakdown from Cally James saw his team awarded the penalty. Beddau were then marched back for dissent by referee Gareth Newman and Jaydan Pugh’s penalty-goal saw the home side open their account for the afternoon.
Five minutes later Pontypridd scored their first try after Beddau were penalised for being offside from an up-and-under. Ponty kicked into the 22 down the left, secured their lineout ball, spread the ball to the right and Dale Stuckey dotted down in the corner. Jaydan Pugh knocked over a superb touchline conversion to give his team a 10-7 lead.
In a match that would continue to swing one way then the other, it was the visitors who got the next points when Ethan Coombes crashed over at the back of a strong rolling-maul after Ponty had given away a penalty which allowed Beddau good field position. The conversion was missed but the away side were back in the lead 12-10 after 32 minutes.
The first half was drawing to its conclusion but there was still enough time for both teams to trade tries. Pontypridd did have the chance to go back into the lead virtually straight from the kick off. They won a penalty from a scrum after Beddau had spilled the ball, but Jaydan Pugh’s attempt drifted wide of the posts. The Valley Commandos wouldn’t be denied when from the restart, Dale Stuckey caught the ball, went on a trademark run and fed the supporting Stuart Floyd-Ellis. After Floyd-Ellis was tackled the ball was shifted along the line to his wing partner Joe Davies to score. The extras were missed but Ponty led 15-12.
There were now only a few seconds left in the first period and it would be Beddau that had the final say before the teams headed down the tunnel. Some gaps in Ponty’s defence around the ruck was once again exploited by scrum-half Callaghan Smith who picked and sniped over for his second try of the afternoon. Ollie Wilde’s conversion missed and Mr. Newman blew for the end of the first forty.
HALF TIME – Pontypridd 15-19 Beddau
Pontypridd kicked the second half off and Beddau gathered the ball before box-kicking it up to halfway where they were then awarded a penalty. An early chance in the second period for Beddau was thwarted when they went off their feet to counter some good work at the ruck from Pontypridd.
Ponty worked hard to gain territory and in the 47th minute they won a penalty and kicked into the corner. They secured their lineout ball and initially couldn’t break down some good Beddau defence but were playing with another penalty advantage and this time opted to take a scrum. Joe Miles flew off the back of the scrum set-piece and powered his way over to mark his 100th appearance for the Club with a try. Jaydan Pugh’s successful conversion put Ponty back into the lead 22 points to 19.
Ollie Wilde had the chance to level the scores in the 55th minute but his penalty attempt missed the target and Pontypridd’s lead remained intact, but not for long. After some toing and froing Jaydan Pugh put a kick out on the full which gave Beddau a lineout just inside Ponty’s 10 metre line. The away side secured their own ball, spun it and Ponty were penalised for a no arms tackle. The penalty was given in a very similar position to the previous Wilde miss, but this time they elected to go to touch and the decision paid off when the rolling maul was adjudged to have been pulled down illegally – a penalty-try for Beddau and yellow card for Ponty skipper Cally James was the outcome.
An hour had now been played and Pontypridd found themselves 26-22 behind and down to 14 men. In the 65th minute some more Beddau pressure deep in Ponty territory was repelled by strong defence in the form of a ball-spill in midfield after some good defensive pressure.
A few minutes later Beddau were awarded a fairly routine penalty-goal attempt, but Callaghan Smith’s kick clattered into the upright and was fielded in play by Cai James, who was the first to react.
It was an absolutely absorbing contest, played out by two teams who just kept going at each other hammer and tongs with neither taking a backward step. This would be typified by none other than Niko Matawalu – his massive tackle on halfway forced a ball spill and it was gathered by his team mates who attacked. A great pass from Garyn Smith found a rampaging Joe Davies and Davies finished superbly down the right and he eventually went under the posts to score. Pugh’s conversion went over and Ponty were back in the lead 29-26.
From the restart, Dale Stuckey put in one of the best 50:22 touch finders you’ll ever likely to see. His kick gave Ponty a lineout a little more than 5 metres out from the Beddau tryline and from the rolling maul Jordan Coxley scored. Jaydan Pugh knocked over another superb conversion and the match looked to be all over at 36-26 with 5 minutes left.
But it was testament to Beddau’s efforts that proceedings were far from over when they got their hands on the ball straight from the restart. They were awarded a penalty, kicked into the corner and scored their fifth try of the afternoon, the tenth in total, by replacement Lloyd James. Callaghan Smith’s conversion was good and with the score now 36-33 and grandstand finish was now on the cards.
Ponty restarted, Beddau gathered and they set up their next attack from deep. They worked their way up to halfway and broke into Pontypridd’s half, but the ball was lost in contact. It was now the last play, a Ponty scrum, on their own 10 metre line. After an initial collapse, the home side put the ball in, got it out and Joel Raikes fed Jaydan Pugh who hoofed it off the pitch for fulltime.
Two excellent sides and a packed-out Sardis Road – it was a brilliant advert for the Welsh Premiership and Ponty’s 5 match points saw them return to the top of the league as things currently stand, whilst Beddau head home to Mount Pleasant Park with 2 points for their efforts on the day. Pontypridd have an eight-day break before hosting Brecon next Saturday 3rd January 2026.
FULL TIME – Pontypridd 36-33 Beddau
Match report – Geraint Thomas (26/12/2025)
PONTYPRIDD –
15. Dale Stuckey. 14. Joe Davies. 13. Niko Matawalu. 12. Garyn Smith. 11. Stuart Floyd-Ellis. 10. Jaydan Pugh. 9. Joel Raikes.
1. Ben Stephens (Ben Drew). 2. Louis Tovey (Connah Hughes). 3. Tom Harper (Codi Purnell). 4. Mitch Barnard (Ethan Evans). 5. Kristian Parker (Jordan Coxley). 6. Cai James. 7. Cally James (c). 8. Joe Miles.
Subs: 16. Connah Hughes. 17. Ben Drew. 18. Codi Purnell. 19. Ethan Evans. 20. Jordan Coxley. 21. Lloyd Dennett. 22. Rhodri Smith. 23. Iwan Griffith.
Tries: Dale Stuckey, Joe Davies x 2, Joe Miles, Jordan Coxley
Conversions: Jaydan Pugh x 4
Penalty: Jaydan Pugh
Yellow Card: Cally James
BEDDAU –
15. Cody Baker. 14. Ewan Roberts. 13. Adam Ashford. 12. Sam Edwards. 11. James Davies. 10. Ollie Wilde. 9. Callaghan Smith.
1. Sam Bixby. 2. Ethan Coombes. 3. Travis Green. 4. Hemi Barnes. 5. Lloyd Evans (c). 6. Sam Tiley. 7. Sam Gibson. 8. Ellis Evans.
Subs: 16. Lloyd James. 17. Chris Phillips. 18. Gwilym Powell. 19. Danny Perry. 20. Noah Davey. 21. Bailey Roberts. 22. Tyler Wells. 23. Jac Argyle.
Tries: Callaghan Smith x 2, Ethan Coombes, Penalty-try, Lloyd James
Conversions: Ollie Wilde x 2, Callaghan Smith
Referee: Gareth Newman
Assistant Referee/Third Official: Lee Parry
Golden Bob Man of the Match: Joe Miles
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