Today’s the Day – 18^th January

1989 – 1990 (Thurs)      Pontypridd Athletic 15 – 4 Quins

The Fixture Secretary certainly had sense of humour. Just as the First team build a little momentum, the league programme came to a mid-winter halt due to internationals and the fixtures arranged in the meantime for mid-week include Pontypridd 2nds, a rampant Kenfig Hill and Maesteg who were then one of Welsh rugby’s leading lights. But if you want to improve you have to test yourself against stern opposition and you don’t get much sterner than Pontypridd Athletic on the ‘House of Pain’.

With a smattering of Pontypridd 1^st XV players including the irrepressible Phil John at hooker, it was going to be tough going.

Emblazoned across the wall in the home changing room was the Ponty mantra ‘Winning isn’t everything… it’s the only thing’. The Quins, who were now building momentum, a co-ordination in attack and defence due to playing together without selection disruption and a foundry forged team spirit, acquitted themselves extremely well and battled (often literally) hard until the end.

With a none too shabby result, the Quins were left satisfied with a creditable defensive, yet bland attacking performance.

Lee Sparrow had more trouble off the field than on it. A small group of players had night shifts at their places of work to attend. Lee took his car and as the party approached a thickly shrouded, fog bound Bwlch, stories turned to the ‘Phantom Hitch-hiker’. One of the party gave a grave, Dickensian descriptive account of the harrowing tale of a young girl's deadly plight when crossing between the valleys.

Suddenly Lee’s car inexplicably stopped. Lee was in a dreadful state of panic and adamantly refused to leave the car on the isolated mountain, for fearing an encounter with some girly ghoul.

It has always been considered with much amazement how the gargantuan Sparrow, who half-hour earlier had almost single handedly taken on the Pontypridd pack, was now sitting, his hands in a riga mortice grip of the the steering wheel of his car.

Well someone had to check the engine and if it wasn't Lee, there were four more in the car. Bravely one of the travellers was dragged from the back of the vehicle, after losing the coin toss. Creeping around the car as though he were in Longleat's lions enclosure, he unhitched the bonnet. A quick clean of the spark plugs and suddenly the engine roared back to life.

Lee wasn’t the only one having problems as the bus broke down outside Pontypridd’s clubhouse. It took a number of hours to leave Sardis Road, indeed some didn’t arrive home until 3am. And that good lady wives, is a true story.

15. Mike Jones 14. David Phillips 13. Illtyd ap Dafydd 12. Jason Page 11. John Tidball 10. Andrew James 9. Lloyd Paget

1. Dai Berry 2. David Jenkins 3. Wayne Thomas 4. Dennis Brennan 5. David Pzcencynj  6. Lee Sparrow 8. Gary Dawkins (c) (T) 7. David Preece