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Newport may only have finished third in the regular Super Rygbi Cymru Trophy table, but Ty Morris’ side remain the team to beat as the tournament reaches the quarter final stage.

It is difficult to look past the Black & Ambers when trying to pick out a winner from the four games. Like Cardiff, Ebbw Vale and Llandovery, they will have home advantage but have yet to beat their rivals for a semi-final slot, Swansea, this season.

But having won the title the hard way at Eugene Cross Park against Ebbw Vale last season and gone on to win the SRC Cup and taken the Challenger Shield away from the vice like grip of the Steelmen, they head into the play-offs full of confidence.

“We feel we can push on and complete a ‘treble’ having already won the SRC Cup and taken the Challenger Shield away from Ebbw Vale,” said Morris.

“I want this team to be firing on all cylinders from here on in – I think we’ve only shown 80% of what we can do so far. Losing the first five games of the season was difficult.

“It just seemed that we had a target on our backs after winning the title last season and every game against us was like a cup final for the opposition. We wanted a top four finish to get a home draw at this stage and every game in the past six weeks has been like knock out rugby.

“We found a way to beat Bridgend and then Pontypool and now we’ve got to find a way to beat Swansea. They have already beaten us twice this season and we know they’ve got real fire power in their back line.

“Lewis Edwards is a huge threat at full back and Josh Phillips runs things so well for them at outside half. But we are a different team now to the one they played earlier in the season. There is a real belief and desire within the group to hang onto the title.”

Morris has got influential outside half Jac Morris back to fill the No 10 jersey and also has Dragons’ centre Joe Westwood available. Fin Baker returns from injury to join the replacements.

Swansea rose to sixth in the table and notched some notable wins during a much-improved season. They have just appointed Ben Lewis as their new head of rugby operations.

Cardiff go into their home clash on the back of nine successive wins that saw them overtake Ebbw Vale to finish top of the table. But head coach Dan Fish is well aware their elevate status will cont for nothing against a Carmarthen Quins side that has already won once at the Arms Park this season.

Hoping to help the Quins proved lightning can strike twice will be Scarlets full back Ioan Nicholas, who drops down from the professional squad. Wales U20 prop Yestyn Cook is among the replacements and Rhodri Davies is fit to resume at scrum half to form a half-back partnership with Steff Jac Price.

The Quins had to beat Pontypool in an eliminator round last weekend and will be seeking a repeat of their 36-33 triumph in the Welsh capital back in September.

“We know what happened earlier in the season when we played the Quins at home, and know what to expect from them. We’ve prepared well on what to execute come Saturday afternoon,” said Cardiff head coach Dan Fish.

“We’ve put a big emphasis on our performances week in, week out, and the performances, especially over the last four or five weeks, have been outstanding.

“We’re delighted to have finished top of the table, and we know there are a couple of big weeks ahead of us.”

Nathan Hudd will become the latest Cardiff player to reach a century of appearances for the Blue & Blacks as he joins Ben Fry and Lucas de la Rua in the back row. With Tom Bowen required for regional duty, Elijah Evans takes over on the wing.

Llandovery head coach Euros Evans is hoping one of his former students doesn’t come back to haunt him when RGC arrive at Church Bank for a clash between the two teams who finished fourth and fifth respectively.

McBryde won Wales U18 honours under Evans’ tutelage and is not only the catalyst for RGC, but the league’s leading points scorer.

“We can’t afford to let Billy have an arm-chair ride, we have to put pressure on him. It is do or die now,” said Evans.

“We’ve got the harder side of the draw, and we know RGC will be coming to us in great form. They have a settled squad, Billy is pulling the strings and kicking the points and Caio Parry is on fire for them on the wing.”

The Drovers suffered back-to-back defeats to Carmarthen Quins over the Christmas period and have been beaten at home by both Ebbw Vale and Cardiff since then.

The other game sees last season’s beaten finalists, Ebbw Vale, host Bridgend. Scott Baldwin’s Ravens just beat off the challenge of Aberavon in their eliminator last weekend to win 13-10 and progress to the last eight.

Given Ebbw lost three of their final four league matches, against RGC, Carmarthen Quins and Newport, and surrendered what was a more than 20 point lead at the top of the table to Cardiff, there are likely to be a few nerves rattling around Eugene Cross Park.

Bridgend have Gethin O’Callaghan back from injury to join Ospreys and former Wales U20 centre Tom Florence in the midfield. Another Ospreys player, Ryan Conbeer, features on the wing. The Steelmen have Ethan Phillips back at centre, where he joins skipper for the day Dom Franchi.

TEAMS

Newport: Carwyn Penny; Lloyd Lewis, Tom Hoppe, Joe Westwood, Morgan Williams; Jac Lloyd, Dafydd Buckland; Tom Devine, Henry Palmer, Garin Harris, Josh Skinner, Callum Bradbury, Hunter Ward, Kobi Rees, Ben Roach (captain)
Reps: Wade Langley, Tom Workman, Ollie Drake, Cerrig Smith, Kyle Tayler, Lucus Welch, Brogan Leary, Fin Baker

Swansea: Mat Protheroe; Liam Lloyd, Callum Carson, Jack Hoskins, Iwan Lloyd; Josh Phillips (co-captain), Matthew Aubrey; Tom Crockett, Jamie Cox, Ed Thompson, Matt Dodd, Ben Roberts, Iwan Shenton, Callum Bowden (co-captain). Jacob Hopkins
Reps: Rhodri King, Mat Pryce, Tom Furtado-Mills, Cai Arnold, Ethan Fackrell, Iwan Temblett, Ieuan Bissell, Ieuan Cornelius

Cardiff: Matty Young; Elijah Evans, Osian Darwin-Lewis, Tom Williams. Dewi Cross; Harri Wilde, Ethan Lloyd; Ioan Emanuel, Alun Rees, Will Davies-King, Craig Hudd (captain), Evan Rees, Ben Fry, Nathan Hudd, Lucas de la Rua
Reps: Tom Howe, Joe Cowell, Tom Harper, Ethan Phillips, Aled Ward, Joe Williams, Lloyd Lucas, Rhys Cummings

Carmarthen Quins: Ioan Nicholas; Iori Badham, Jac Howells, Gabe McDonald, Tomos Lewis; Steff Jac Jones, Rhodri Davies; Ifan James, Lewis Morgan, Connor Allen, Tom Phillips, Lee Taylor, Iestyn Richards, Shaun Evans (captain), Lewys Millin
Reps: Isaac Young, Gruff Williams, Yestyn Cook, Ryan Bean, Osian Williams, Iestyn Wood, Bowyn Clark, Eilir George

Ebbw Vale: Morgan Richards; Morgan Rees, Ethan Phillips, Dom Franchi (captain), Dafydd Thomas; Evan Lloyd, Jon Evans; Luke Garrett, Ieuan Morris, Adam Williams, Dylan Barrett, Dylan Burrows, Ben Main, Sion Parry, Ryan Jenkins
Reps: James Talamai, Adam Court, Morgan Bosanko, Alfred Bateman-Lloyd, Owen Conquer, Gruff Tough, Cam Davies, Tom Price

Bridgend: Fraser Jones; McCauley Rowley, Gethin O’Callaghan, Tom Florence, Ryan Conbeer; Lloyd Wilkins. Harvey Nash; Harry Olding, Corey Lewis, Nathan Evans, Evan Hill, Barnaby Waddell, Alfie Thomas, Zac O’Driscoll (captain), Tom Jevons
Reps: Tyler Olding, Alex George, Callum Donoghue-Proud, Kyle Harris, Morgan Boobyer, Dan Roderick, Joe Gatt, Cameron Ellis

Llandovery: Harri Doel; Llien Morgan, Kian Abraham, Adam Warren, Aaron Warren; Jack Maynard, Lee Rees (captain); Jamie Hughes, Cam Lewis, Gabe Hawley, Harry Holden, Joe Powell, Dan Gemine, Cerith Davies, ⁠Evan Sheldon
Reps: Finn Thomas, Tom Phillips, Berian Watkins, Cai Howell, Kai Jones, Gryff Watkins, Steff-Jac Jones, Lucca Setaro

RGC: Dion Jones; Sam Jones, Danny Cross, Delwyn Jones, Caio Parry; Billy McBryde, Connor Dever;  Gareth Parry, Jac Petch Jones, Paddy Nelson, Billy McQueeney, Harper Chamberlain, Dafydd Thirsk, Charlie Probert, Sam Williams
Reps: Osian Burt, Jessie Williams, Pedr Jones, Will Kellett, Celt Ffransis Roberts, Morgan Dryhurst-Jones, Tudur Jones, Louis Williams