THEY say football’s a funny old game, but after what happened in the Swalec Championship last weekend the classic sporting cliché could easily apply to rugby as well – not that those at RGC 1404 were laughing much.

Leading Swansea 38-36 as their St Helen’s clash entered the last phase of play, the North Walians looked set to claim a vital victory and give their hopes of promotion to the Principality Premiership a massive lift.

Pontypool, themselves chasing one of the four promotion spots, had already beaten Tata Steel 39-24 and thought RGC were also celebrating a win down the M4.

However, it wasn’t to be for RGC as Swansea fly-half Jack Wilson, coached by Pooler chief Louie Tonkin at Cardiff University last year, stepped up to land a drop-goal which gave the All Whites a remarkable 39-38 victory.

That kick, which also sealed Swansea’s passage to the Premiership with Merthyr, means third-placed Pooler are now 10 points clear of RGC with three games left.

“It was unbelievable,” said Tonkin, whose side go to Bridgend Athletic on Saturday (2.30pm) hoping Swansea can do them another favour at fourth-placed Bargoed. “When the final whistle went in our game we were told RGC had won 38-29.

“But then someone shouted that the RGC game was still going on, so we all crowded around his phone to follow it on Twitter.

“We were jumping for joy when Jack got the drop-goal. I coached Jack last year and I sent him a text after the game to thank him for what he had done.”

Tonkin reckons next week, when Cardiff play Swansea in the annual Welsh Varsity match and Pooler host RGC, is the biggest of his coaching career.

But before that he will want a positive result at the Brewery Field on Saturday, though he is without Dan Robinson due to an ankle injury picked up in training on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, Newbridge, in 12th, host eighth-placed Cardiff Met (2.30pm) with a league double in their sights after winning the reverse fixture last September 19-13.

Championship: Bargoed v Swansea, Bridgend Athletic v Pontypool, Glynneath v Newcastle Emlyn, Merthyr v Beddau, Narberth v Tata Steel, Newbridge v Cardiff Met, RGC 1404 v Llanharan.