Saturday afternoon sees Cardiff RFC back to Super Rygbi Cymru action as they head to the Ciner Glass Community Stadium to face Ebbw Vale in a top of the table clash.
Both teams will be eager to get back out after a brief break due to bad weather last weekend as the Steelmen defend their SRC Challenger Shield which they picked up when the defeated Llandovery at Church Bank.
The Shield which is similar to New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield, as Ebbw Vale are the holders they will defend it at every home game. This will be a great addition and adds another layer of spice to what will be a very competitive meeting between the two sides.
One person to keep an eye out for on Saturday afternoon is winger, Dewi Cross who after 10 rounds has finally passed Lewis Morgan and is now in pole position of the try scoring charts having scored nine tries.
Team News:
1. Marc Thomas
2. Alun Rees
3. Tom Harper
4. Craig Hudd
5. Ethan Phillips
6. Aled Ward
7. Nathan Hudd
8. Benji Williams
9. Ethan Lloyd
10. Fraser Jones
11. Dewi Cross
12. Jason Harries
13. Osian Darwin-Lewis
14. Luke Pollock
15. Joe Goodchild
Replacements:
16. Gavin Parry
17. Jared Williams
18. Joe Cowell
19. Johan Hoogendoorn
20. Lucas de la Rua
21. William Jameson
22. Joe Williams
23. Josh Thomas
Pre-Match Thoughts
Speaking ahead of the fixture head coach, Dan Fish said: “Disappointed the weather got the better of us again on the weekend.
“Really looking forward to going to Ebbw Vale and testing ourselves against a tough team. We have had a good weeks prep and are expecting a physical battle and are well prepared for it.
“We would like to congratulate Steff Emanuel on making his pro debut last week and also like to congratulate the boys who have been selected to represent Wales U20s on Friday.
“There’s a couple of changes to the squad this weekend, the boys coming in have earned the right for their opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing how they go,” Fish added.
Remember the last meeting in Ebbw Vale?
The last time these two met at the Ciner Glass Community Stadium was back at the start of January where it finished 23-9 in favour of the Blue and Blacks.
Tries from Ethan Phillips, Jamie Hill and Dewi Cross saw the Blue and Blacks break Ebbw Vale’s home winning record after a superb second-half performance.
Opposition form
Jason Strange’s men come into the encounter having just lost one of their eight games so far in Super Rygbi Cymru. In fact the Steelmen are undefeated since the pairs last meeting at the Cardiff Arms Park back in September.
Wins against Aberavon (34-22), RGC (31-16), Bridgend Ravens (34-18), Carmarthen Quins (39-11), Swansea (40-20) and a brace of wins against Llandovery (38-29, 31-28). With the Steelmen sitting just two points behind Cardiff on 38 points.
For those Blue and Blacks supporters unable to travel to the Ciner Glass Community stadium on Saturday can stay updated with live updates via our social media channels (X, Facebook and Instagram).
