What a showdown Welsh rugby fans have in store in Super Rygbi Cymru this weekend as the two four face off against each other in a crucial round of action. At the Arms Park league leaders Cardiff welcome fourth place Llandovery, while tomorrow their place Newport host Gwent rivals Ebbw Vale, who are second. With […]
What a showdown Welsh rugby fans have in store in Super Rygbi Cymru this weekend as the two four face off against each other in a crucial round of action.
At the Arms Park league leaders Cardiff welcome fourth place Llandovery, while tomorrow their place Newport host Gwent rivals Ebbw Vale, who are second. With only two games to go for three of the top four – Ebbw have a game in hand – there is still a lot of jostling for final positions to go.
Cardiff currently lead by five points and will go into the game against the Drovers full of confidence having won 52-19 at Church Bank last month. It will be the first home league outing for Dan Fish’s Blue & Blacks since they beat RGC 34-26 on 8 February.
“We know what challenge awaits us and are fully focused on being the best version of ourselves and we understand the threats Llandovery pose and know we are going to be in a tough battle for 80 minutes. It’s the last home game of the regular season and we are hoping to finish with a bang,” said Fish.
While the top four are all guaranteed home advantage in the quarter final stage and beyond, there is still incentive for each club to finish as high as possible before the four stage play off system comes into operation.
Phase One will see the team finishing 7th (currently Bridgend) host the 10th placed side (currently Swansea, while 8th (currently Carmarthen Quins) will play 9th (currently RGC). They play in Wild Card matches.
Phase Two will see the team in 1st (currently Cardiff) welcome the winners of Wild Card Game 1 (Bridgend or Swansea) in Quarter Final 1, while the team in 4th (currently Llandovery) will entertain the team in 5th (currently Pontypool) in Quarter Final 2.
Quarter Final 3 will see the team in 2nd (currently Ebbw Vale) host the winners of Wild Card Game 2 (Carmarthen Quins or RGC), while Quarter Final 4 will be between the team in 3rd (currently Newport) at home to the team in 6th (currently Aberavon).
The semi-finals will see the winner of QF1 host the winner of QF4 and the winner of QF 2 welcome the winner of QF3. The final is due to be played at the regional home of the highest qualifying team to reach the final.
“With Aberavon beating Pontypool in midweek it means the top four clubs are now guaranteed a home draw in the quarter-finals, but it is still important to finish as high as possible to get the best possible route to the final,” said Llandovery head coach Euros Evans.
“We’ll have a bit of a point to prove after our last game against Cardiff and it should be an entertaining game given the current weather conditions and their past pitch. There is still everything to play for.”
Newport will pay tribute to the great Brian Jones ahead of their home clash with Ebbw Vale at Rodney Parade on Sunday, while Swansea host RGC in a battle between the bottom two sides. In the other game Carmarthen Quins welcome Bridgend.