Gibbs, a care worker off the pitch and a front row wrecking machine on it, will be at the heart of the Taffs Well pack on Sunday when they tackle Burry Port in a classic ‘East v West’ battle. Both sides are chasing a league and cup double after revitalising their fortunes in recent seasons.
In fact, Taffs Well lost their first game of the season last week when they were beaten by SSE Swalec Plate finalists, and Division 1 East leaders, Bedlinog in the semi-finals of the Glamorgan Silver Ball competition. As disappointing as that was, the big one is on Sunday!
“It’s a great moment not just for the players and coaches, but also for the club and supporters. They’ve seen some tough times over the years so this occasion is for them,” said Gibbs.
“There were plenty of times when the club was struggling to field a team and the boys would be ringing around on a Saturday morning trying to find players to fill a fixture. But there have been changes this season – a new head coach in Axel Rees and a few of the old boys like myself have come back.
“Now there’s a real buzz around the place and we’ve got 30-odd lads turning up for training every week and we haven’t had to cancel one session. This final is all anyone’s talking about in the village.”
While many clubs are winding down at the end of the season, Taffs Well still have eight games to play in Division 3 East Central B as they chase another title. They are unbeaten at the top, but have Abercwmboi breathing down their neck.
“We’ll forget about the league for this week and enjoy the day, although we can’t let the occasion get to us otherwise you won’t enjoy it. That’s what I’ve been telling the boys to do,” said Gibbs.
“We won the last time I played at the stadium so, hopefully, five years on, I can do it again with my home club.”
The return to the club of former junior player Rhys Watkins as a player-coach at No 8 has been vital this season, while the ‘little and large’ pairing of Gavin Close (6ft 4in) and Ronan Barrett (5ft 8in) on the wings has brought a hat-full of tries.
Ex-youth outside half Barrett is the leading try scorer this season with 20 and has revelled in the free-flowing approach adopted by the club. They may have ridden their luck in the earlier rounds, beating Fairwater in extra-time, but they are ready for one last stand at the Principality Stadium.
“This is the most enjoyable season I can remember in my 35 years at the club,” admitted chairman Mike Gibbons. “The effort from everyone has been incredible and we still have a lot of rugby to play.
“There are eight games left for us in the league and then the boys are going away on tour to Ireland. It would be fantastic if we could go on tour having won some silverware.”
Tickets for SSE SWALEC Finals Day are just £10 for adults, £5 for Under 16s and are available from www.wru.wales/tickets or from the finalist clubs.
