Something will have to give at Eugene Cross Park this afternoon when two of the three unbeaten teams in Super Rygbi Cymru clash.
Ebbw Vale are one point clear of Cardiff – Newport are top on the same number of points as The Steelmen – with both clubs having won their three opening contests. Dan Fish’ Blue & Blacks have yet to win in Ebbw Vale in the SRC and will no doubt still be recalling the 60-20 mauling they received there this time last year.
Despite that heavy defeat Fish’s side were able to finish top of the regular season table for the second time in a row before crashing out in the play-off semi-finals once again. Ebbw have been to the past two finals, enjoyed home advantage, yet seen Newport and Llandovery walk off with the spoils.
The Steelmen may have lost key players such as Evan Lloyd and Joe Franchi from last season’s side, and they are still without their Canadian international skipper Sion Parry, but head coach Jason Strange has simply rolled up his sleeves and got the ‘Class of 2026-27’ playing in similar mode to the last two campaigns.
After securing back-to-back six-point bonus-point wins against Swansea (40-12) and Aberavon (52-26), they were pushed all the way by RGC last weekend before coming out on top 33-31. Cardiff, meanwhile, warmed up with an eight-try demolition of Pontypool at the Arms Park, 43-5.
“We all know what happened there last season and it still hurts now. Discipline has got to be good, and we need to match them physically from the start,” said Fish.
“If we can get that right, and are then accurate when we have the ball, we know we can cause them big problems. It’s going to be a tough physical game, but one everyone in Blue & Black is looking forward to.”
Former Wales U20 loose head Ioan Emanuel, on a season long loan from Bath, will be one of the cornerstones of a Cardiff that once again includes the last season’s Wales U18 and Ysgol Glantaf captain Alfie Prygodzicz. While Emanuel picked up two tries last weekend, Prygodzicz was voted player of the match.
Ebbw Vale will have the hugely experienced Jonathan Evans back at scrum half to form a half-back partnership with ex-Wales U20 outside half Harri Ford, who is a Dragons Senior Academy player. Dom Franchi comes back into the centre and Ewan Bowden is back on the wing.
Top of the table Newport will put the SRC Challenger Shield up for grabs once more when they welcome Carmarthen Quins. The Quins posted their first win of the season last weekend when they beat Swansea 43-35, while Ty Morris’ Black & Ambers ran in 11 tries in a 73-33 triumph over Aberavon.
The Wizards are back on the road with a daunting trip to Church Bank to face reigning champions Llandovery, while Bridgend host Swansea and Pontypool welcome RGC.