Jarvis proves ace for Neath

Pontypridd 12 Neath 13

Neath’s trump card was former Pontypridd outside-half Lee Jarvis who came on as a replacement to hit over two crucial penalties.

Ponty went on the attack from the kick off and in the fourth minute Neil Jenkins put the hosts ahead with a 48-metre penalty after Neath were caught offside at a ruck.

As the half progressed Neath came more into the game and after a series of scrums near the Ponty line referee Iain Ramage harshly awarded Neath a penalty try which Shaun Connor converted. Ponty quickly returned on the attack and Neil Jenkins hoisted them ahead with another penalty.

After the interval Ponty suffered a major blow, with injured centre Jonathan Bryant replaced by Shaun James.

In the 58th minute Neil Jenkins increased Ponty’s lead with a 40-metre penalty. Jenkins was then replaced at outside-half by Ceri Sweeney.

In the closing stages Jarvis cut the deficit to two points with an easy penalty and in the 76th minute he struck again with a decisive 39-metre goal to edge Neath in front.

PONTYPRIDD: Davey, Wyatt, J Lewis, Bryant, E Lewis, N Jenkins, Baber, G Jenkins, Davies, Bell, McIntosh, Sidoli, Kelly, Parks, Owen.

NEATH: Durston, G Morris, Storey, Tiueti, S Williams, S Connor, A Moore, D Jones, B Williams, A Jones, A Newman, G Llewellyn, Jenkins, Sinkinson, Bonner-Evans.

Leinster29 Scottish Borders13

LEINSTER may have lost more than they gained in this preparatory match for the Heineken Cup when key players Keith Gleeson, Malcolm O’Kelly and Paul Wallace all retired injured at Donnybrook last night.

By the end, Leinster had brought on 20 substitutes or more in a game that kept its shape pretty well.

Borders replacement Gareth Morton struck a 59th minute penalty to give them the lead, 13-12, for the second time. However, Leinster got their act together with tries from David Quinlan, Simon Keogh and Niall Breslin.

Earlier, Borders’ Kevin Utterson kicked them into a 3-0 lead before Leinster replied with a Gordon D’Arcy converted try for a 7-3 half time lead and another from second row, Leo Cullen, in the 50th minute.

Scorers for Leinster: G D’Arcy, D Quinlan, L Cullen, N Breslin, S Keogh one try each; B O’Meara, N Spooner 1 conv. each.

Scottish Borders: S Crampston one try; G Morton pen and con.; K Utterson pen.

LEINSTER: G Dempsey, P McKenna, B O’Driscoll, D Quinlan, G D’Arcy, C Warner, B O’Meara, R Corrigan, G Hickie, P Wallace, L Cullen, M O’Kelly, A McCullen, K Gleeson, V Costello. Replacements used: E Byrne, D Blaney, A Kearney, B O’Riordan, B Willis, N Spooner, B Gissing, L Toland, A Magro, M Leek, N Breslin, P Coyle, E Farrell, J McWeeney, S Keogh, J Lyne, N Ronan, M Carroll, S Crawford.

SCOTTISH BORDERS: T Vili, N Walker, K Utterson, J Stuart, S Paterson, G Townsend, G Armstrong, C Dunlea, D Dullea, S Scott, B Douglas, D Weir, C Stewart, A Rennick, M Taylor, C Feather. Replacements used: S Satiti, C Moir, A Mower, I Fairley, S Crampston, G Morton.

Referee: Tony Redmond (Leinster Branch).