The Blue and Blacks enter the contest against the Wizards in good form and will be looking to build on last weekend’s hard-fought bonus-point win against Swansea.

Tom Bowen showed his brilliance again as he scored his second hat-trick of the season, and this was accompanied by tries from Ethan Lloyd, Benji Williams and Steffan Emanuel as Dan Fish’s side recorded a 38-29 victory.

That win also meant that they returned to pole position after Newport’s defeat to Llandovery mid-week and now sit on 22 points after the first five games. The closest rivals for the Blue and Blacks are Gwent side Ebbw Vale, who moved to second place after successfully defending the SRC Shield against Josh Leach’s Rygbi Gogledd Cymru side.

Team News:

1.Marc Thomas

2. Alun Rees

3. Thomas Harper

4. Ethan Phillips

5. Craig Hudd (C)

6. Evan Rees

7. Lucas de la Rua

8. Benji Williams

9. Sion Davies

10. Harri Wilde

11. Dewi Cross

12. Luke Pollock

13. Elijah Evans

14. Kodie Stone

15. Joe Goodchild

Replacements:

16. Gavin Parry

17. Jared Williams

18. Christian Brooke

19. Aled Ward

20. Matty Bridge

21. Ethan Lloyd

22. Jason Harries

23. Matty Young

Pre-Match Thoughts 

Captain, Craig Hudd who sits at the top of the table of most turnovers won (13), said: “The feeling amongst the squad is very positive. We played some nice expansive rugby on Saturday and enjoyed playing at St Helen’s on a perfect Autumn day. 

“We weren’t surprised by anything. Swansea are a good outfit, and we knew they would try and play just as we do, and I think it made for a good running game of rugby.” 

With Cardiff sitting at the table, Hudd added: “I don’t believe there is any pressure, we don’t pay attention to anything outside of our camp. We just focus on each game and prepare correctly for that each week. We just need to keep playing the way we are, and we have a few work-ons from the game on Saturday, so it’s just about tidying up a few parts of our game. 

“We’re expecting a strong set piece and a good team. We know that it’s going to be a tough game at home, just as any game in this league is, so we need to be at our best to get the result we want,” Hudd concluded.

To hear Head Coach Dan Fish’s thoughts ahead of the game, check out the link below:

https://youtu.be/-y_QbKCwhvU?feature=shared

Remember the last meeting at the Arms Park? 

The last time these two met in the Capital was in November last year when the Blue and Blacks ran in 10 tries. That day saw former Blue and Blacks Joey Tomlinson and Morgan Allen pick up a brace each. Arwel Robson, Dewi Cross, Joe Goodchild, Jacob Lloyd, Nathan Hudd, and Shaun O’Rourke cross the whitewash as Cardiff recorded a 64-26 win.

Opposition Form

Jason Hyatt’s Aberavon sits in ninth on five points, having lost three of their opening four games. The losses have come to Ebbw Vale (34-22), Newport (29-19) and Bridgend Ravens (29-28). Like many sides in the SRC, Aberavon has a very young squad with an average age of 23 and only four 30-year-olds.

This will be the Wizard’s fifth game of the season, as their home game against Newport at the end of September was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. One player to watch is winger Corey Lewis-Jenkins, who scored a brilliant try in the Wizards’ last outing.

Head-to-Head

Previous meetings between the two play into the hands of the Blue and Black as they have won the last three matches. The previous time Aberavon recorded a win over the Blue and Blacks was in December 2022, when they won 30-23 at the Talbot Athletic Ground. The last time the Wizards won at the Arms Park was in December 2015, when they won 24-8.

Those unable to attend on Saturday can stay updated with live updates on our social media channels (X, Facebook, and Instagram).