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BY ALL accounts, Abergavenny RFC provided a stern test for Premiership-bound Pontypool last week.

With the two Ben Francis Cup finalists both having secured promotion from Divisions Three East and One East respectively, something had to give in Wednesday's showcase at Blackwood. It was Pooler who completed the league and cup double - but head coach Gareth Lintern was surprised by how far Aber pushed his men.

He said: "I went to have a look at Aber on the Saturday at Lougher in their play-off and they looked a different side on Wednesday. I can't explain it but they seemed more physical and hungry.

"They gave it everything, but in the end it was comfortable for us."

His counterpart at Abergavenny, Gary Lawrence, said: "They were worth the win, but we didn't disgrace ourselves."

And Jason Strange, Aber's backs coach, added: "To make the comeback we did was superb. For a long period there was nothing between the sides."

Pooler had started the stronger, with tries from Darren Pearce, Gavin Ferguson and Ben Salt inside the first quarter hour.

Lawrence said: "We went 19-0 down, they scored three tries simply by getting the ball behind whereas we didn't carry it well. They made loads of ground and I thought it was going to be a 50 or 60 point hiding."

But soon after, Ferguson was sin-binned and Aber's Jason Williams triggered the fightback. Still 19-5 down at the break, a try for Richard McCormack and a Steve Lang drop goal then cut the lead to just four.

Lawrence continued: "The rest of the half and for the first 20 minutes of the second we dominated the game. It was a totally different game and only towards the end did they come back and score two good tries."

Nicky Coughlin, Salt and a brace from Sam Pailor secured the cup for Pooler.

"Even then Ollie Field scored at the end to make the score more respectable", added Lawrence.

Lintern said: "We were a bit rusty as we hadn't training or played a game since the end of the season so after we started very quickly we got caught cold. But we showed there was a division between the two sides towards the end."

Understated as ever, he added: "It's been a highly successful season, winning promotion and winning the Cup for the club and the supporters.

"At the beginning of the season we had 20 new players come to the club and they've been moulded into a very effective side which has culminated in promotion and winning the cup against a very determined Abergavenny side.

"We've had very few losses this season - only four - and for any club that's a hell of an achievement because no game has been easy. Everybody at the club has worked hard, there's a lot goes on off the field people don't realise - but this season means all that hard work has been worth it."

Lawrence was also thinking positive, adding: "It's been a good season, but we did expect to be up there challenging because we had a strong side from last season and we had recruited some more. We want to strengthen a few key areas this summer, and we'll be out recruiting again, but we don't want so many players that it upsets the side - maybe four or five at most?

"The Pontypool game was one where we hoped we might have sneaked something but they're a Premiership team and we're happy to have competed with them."

9:09am Wednesday 21st May 2008

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