Pontypridd P-P Jersey
British & Irish Cup, Pool 5
Jersey's final game in this season's British & Irish Cup was
called off on Friday morning following a massive snowfall in Wales,
including almost a foot of the white stuff at the home ground of
opponents Pontypridd.
While Jersey and their Welsh rivals were condemned to a Saturday
off, the other teams in pool 5, Leeds and Leinster 'A', were able
to play their match, albeit after a third change of pitch.
The two sides were originally scheduled to play at Headingley,
but problems with the pitch there led to a switch to the South
Leeds Stadium, only for weather concerns to lead to a change to the
West Park Leeds ground.
The grass pitch at West Park Leeds was unplayable on the day of
the game, but eventually the match went ahead on the neighbouring
artificial 3G pitch. It was an entertaining affair, the lead
changing hands several times.
Leeds led 20-18 at the break, and pulled ahead to 30-18 early in
the second half, but the Irish fought back and a late try by number
8 Leo Auva'a levelled the scores at 30-30. The visitors claimed two
points for the draw, plus a try bonus point, and this was enough to
guarantee their progress to the quarter-finals as group
winners.
The standings in the pool are:
Leinster P6 W4 D1 L1 Pts22
Ponty P5 W3 D1 L1 Pts 15
Leeds P6 W1 D1 L4 Pts10
Jersey P5 W1 D1 L3 Pts7
Ponty and Jersey await news from the organising body about a new
date for the game, which will have to be arranged in conjunction
with both sides' existing fixture commitments.
Leinster will be joined in the quarter-finals by the following
pool winners:
Pool 1: Bristol (22pts) need two points from the
postponed game with Cardiff to guarantee finishing ahead of Ulster
(18) who must travel to Bridgend.
Pool 2: Bedford (25pts) have won the pool, and would
guarantee top seeding of the eight teams in the QF pairings with a
win over Bedwas in their final game, another weather victim.
Pool 3: Cornish Pirates (24pts), who had already won
the pool, made the long journey to West Wales to play Carmarthen,
gaining a single point in a 17-12 defeat - their first in the
B&I this season - that will probably be enough to finish in the
top four seeds, who will each gain a home QF.
Pool 4: Unbeaten Newcastle (22pts) have won the
group but will probably need to win or draw at Cross Keys in their
final game to seal a home QF.
Pool 5: Leinster 'A' - who will be one of the away
sides in the QFs.
Pool 6: Llanelli (19pts) snatched the qualification
spot with a 40-17 win over previous leader Moseley, enough to pip
the Midlanders on points difference, and Wales' only
representatives, so far, will be eighth seeds.
Pool 7: Munster A's win on Friday over Plymouth took
them to 23 points (five wins and a draw), well clear of Rotherham
(15), whose postponed match with Aberavon will now be a 'dead
rubber'.
Pool 8: Melrose got ther first win with success over
Doncaster in another 'dead' tie, but the group will be decided when
Nottingham (15pts) host Llandovery (20) in the rearranged match,
with the English side needing a '5-0' win on match points to take
the pool on points difference ahead of the Welsh.
The QF games take place on the first weekend of April, with the
top seeds hosting Llanelli, seed 2 at home to seed 7, 3 vs 6 and 4
vs 5. A draw for the semi-finals will take place after the QF
pairings are confirmed, with the SF games on the last weekend of
April and the final on May 17.
Jersey meanwhile will switch their attention back to the RFU
Championship and the vital league game at home to Rotherham this
Saturday at 3pm.
