Ebbw’s resurgence continued on a cold night at ECP with a superb defensive performance against second placed Pontypridd.

Early scrum power gave Dorian Jones his first chance of the evening and he made no mistake to give the Steelmen a 3-0 lead. Ponty responded strongly, and the centres combined to make space for Chris Dicomedis to score on the right to nudge his team ahead, 5-3. It was to be the only time the visitors led, and their only score, with Bird going on to miss two penalties. His opposite number, Dorian Jones, is in a rich vein of kicking form and maintained his 100% record for the Steelmen this season. His penalties after 18 and 26 minutes opened up a 9-5 half time lead, and Ponty failed to capitalise on Ebbw being reduced to 14 men for 20 minutes around half time as Dai Jones and Rob Sevenoaks spent time cooling their heels.

A consistent feature of this game was Ebbw’s aggressive defending, making huge tackles and drifting superbly to allow Ponty only lateral – and sometimes backwards – movement. Another significant aspect was the amount of breakdown ball that Ponty yielded to Ebbw’s brilliantly scavenging forwards. The decisive score came after 50 minutes when James Lewis grasped an attempted kick ahead by Dale Stuckey and raced in from half way to score. Jones converted to give Ebbw a 16-5 lead then landed an enormous penalty. 19-5 behind, Ponty had. their sights on a losing bonus point and hurled everything they had at the Steelmen, but they found their hosts in miserly mood defensively and could not take anything from the game.
Rhys Clarke was outstanding in the Ebbw side, and deserved his European Heritage Man of the Match award, with others pressing him close in an outstanding squad effort.

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Bore dydd Gwener, roedd Parc Eugene Cross o dan modfedd o eira. Er bod yr eira wedi toddi, noson oer iawn oedd hi ym Mlaenau Gwent, ond cyfle perffaith i Glynebwy brofi bod eu adfywiad yn iach ac yn fyw, gyda buddugoliaeth wych yn erbyn Pontypridd, oedd yn ail safle yn yr Uwchgynghrair ar ddechrau’r gêm.

Bu Dorian Jones yn gyntaf i sgorio, yn trosi cic cosb ar ôl i’w blaenwyr ddinistrio sgrym eu gwrthwynebwyr ar 5 munud. Bu Ponty’n ymateb yn gryf, â Ceri Sweeney a Lewis Williams yn creu cyfle i Chris Dicomidis fynd drosodd am gais. Bu Diggy Bird yn ffaelu trosi – fuodd e ddim, pryd hynny, yn gwybod taw hwn byddai unig sgôr ei dîm. Cyn yr egwyl, daeth dau gyfle i Dorian Jones ychwanegu at gyfanswm Gwŷr y Dur a, bach yn anochel, llwyddodd y maswr i roi mantais i Lynebwy, 9-5 ar yr yr egwyl.

Er bod Glynebwy’n gorfod ymdopi gyda 14 o ddynion am 20 munud o gwmpas yr egwyl (Dai Jones a Robbie Sevenoaks yn y cell cosb), fuon nhw ddim yn ildio’r fantais o gwbl. Mor drefnus bu’r amddiffyn, a mor lwyddianus bu’r blaenwyr, o ran cipio’r bêl ar y llawr, nes bod Ponty’n ffaelu gwneud unrhyw argraff. Ar 50 munud, bu James Lewis yn cael gafael yn y bêl, yn dilyn cic bach trwodd gan gefnwr Pontypridd, Dale Stuckey, ac yn mynd ar garlam sha’r pyst i sgorio cais. Gyda throsiad Jones, bu Glynebwy yn y blaen, 16-5 ac ar 65 munud, bu’r maswr yn glanio cic cosb o bellter enfawr i sicrhau’r fuddugoliaeth.

A dweud y gwir,bu dewis Seren y Gêm bron yn amhosibl, achos bod pob un o chwaraewyr Glynebwy yn perfformio mor dda, ond bu European Heritage yn gwobrwyo clo Rhys Clarke am berfformiad anhygoel.

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Dan Haymond, Stefan Thomas, James Lewis, Dominic Franchi, Toby Fricker; Dorian Jones, Dai Jones; Ross Jones, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks; Kristian Parker, Rhys Clarke; Cameron Regan, Ronny Kynes (capt), Lewis Young.
Bench: Joe Franchi, Joel Harries, Josh James, Lance Randall, Ben Papp, Sam Ireland, Callum Hall, Srdan Majkic.