THEY may be contributing very little to the new regional side off the pitch, but on it Ebbw Vale showed that they can still offer something to the newly formed Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Steelmen opened their Welsh Premier League campaign with an impressive 24-21 victory over Pontypridd, inspired by some superb performances on the pitch.

Former Wales international Byron Hayward proved that he's still one of the most consistent kickers in Welsh rugby with an impressive 13- point haul. But Hayward's performance was about more than just his kicking - he was instrumental in two of Vale's tries, both scored in the first half.

Veteran Tongan pair Manu Tuipulotu and Kuli Faletau showed why they were so successful for Pontypool last season with inspired performances, while Gareth Green led by example for the 55 or so minutes that he was on the pitch.

In the backs Tim Bagg and Matthew Griffiths both showed that they will keep the tries coming this term, but the most impressive of performances came from an unlikely source. Flanker Mike Scudamore, a relatively unknown quantity at Eugene Cross Park, marked his competitive debut for the club with a man-of-the-match performance.

Scudamore, who played for the Wales Under-19s last season, came through the Gloucester Academy and was instrumental in everything Vale did. The son of former Champion National Hunt jockey Peter Scudamore earned a fitting tribute from his coach, Gareth Nicholas.

"Mike has the best attitude of any player that I've ever worked with," said Nicholas. "He was excellent."

Vale were just too strong for their visitors on Saturday, with first-half tries from Tim Bagg and Matthew Griffiths, which Hayward converted, giving the Steelmen a 14-9 lead at the break.

The second half was largely a stop-start affair, due to the fact that Pontypridd suffered first-half injuries to first-choice hooker David Thomas, as well as his replacement, Lloyd Haden, before the break.

Scrums in the second half were uncontested, and despite tries from Ponty's Jason Lewis and Dan Godfrey, three penalties from Hayward secured a 24-21 victory for the Steelmen. Teams: Ebbw Vale: A McLaughlan, S Horner, T Bagg (D Phillips 76), I Higgins, B Hayward (R Addis 80), G Betts, L Davies, K Crawford, K Gay (K Kinsey 68) K Faletau, R Clark, G Green (R Williams 54), M Scudamore, M Tuipulotu.

Pontypridd: J Pocock (K Morgan 50), R Fussel, K Owen, J lewis, M Rowlands, R Langmead, M Thomas (T Walsh 73), G Cox, D Thomas (L Haden 20 (R Harford 40), I Jones, D McIntosh, G Harrington, L Evans (M Evans 40), W O'Connor, D Godfrey. Scorers: Vale: Pens: B Hayward 3, Tries: T Bagg, M Griffiths. Pontypridd: Pens J Pocock 3, Tries J Lewis, D Godfrey. Cons R Langmead.