The last time the two teams met was in the final at the Principality Stadium in 2016, when Burry Port edged a thriller, 20-18, to take the title. Last season both sides were beaten in the quarter-finals by the two teams that went on to reach the final.
There will be a whiff of revenge in the air at Maes Gwyn at the weekend, but Taffs Well chairman Mike Gibbons says everyone at the club and in the village can’t wait for what promises to be a great cup tie.
“Reaching the Bowl final at the Principality Stadium was a day that everyone at the club will remember forever. It was such an achievement and was about much more than just the rugby club,” said Gibbons.
“Everyone in the village got involved and we’d love to go back there again. We felt we let ourselves down a bit in the final because we failed to control the game when we were in front.
“But fair play to Burry Port, they played very well and deserved their win. We notice they are going great guns again this season and we hear they are bringing quite a few supporters with them.
“We didn’t have a game last weekend, so that will hopefully mean that any injury worries have cleared up. We’ve lost a few stalwarts since we last played Burry Port, but the good thing is that almost everyone in the first team squad is either from the village or very close by.
“When the WRU first changed the system to bring in three tiers for the cup competition I wasn’t sure it would work. We’d had a great cup clash with Neath the season before and my view was we should keep the format the same.
“But there is such a gulf in standard nowadays that the three competitions suit everyone. And the chance to play at the Principality Stadium is a magnificent catalyst.”
Burry Port beat Birchgrove 61-27 at home in Round 1 and were then forced to battle hard to claim a 21-10 win at New Dock Stars last weekend. Taffs Well, meanwhile, had a walk-over in Round 1 and edged past Machen 28-24 in a thrilling away victory.
Crymych 2nd XV, who notched a notable 10-5 away win at the home of last season’s semi-finalists, Cardigan, will head to North Wales to meet COBRA. Two other 2nd XVs are definitely through and will also travel this weekend – Penallta II head to Pyle, who beat Aberavon Green stars 64-28 last weekend, and Nant Conwy II go to Wrexham.
WRU National Bowl Round 3
(Matches to be played the weekend of 28 October, 2017)
Abercwmboi v Llantwit Major
Bargoed II v Swansea Uplands
Betws (Ammanford) v Penygraig
Cardiff University v Rhyl & District
Cefn Cribbwr v Pembroke
Cefneithin v Nantgaredig
COBRA v Crymych II
Laugharne v Pontrhydyfen
Llangadog v Trimsaran
Markham v Hafodyrynys
Monmouth v Penybanc
Newport Saracens v Abertysswg Falcons
Newtown v Whiteheads
New Tredegar v Treharris
Oakdale v Glyncorrwg
Old Illtydians v Usk
Pentyrch v Deri
Pyle v Penallta II
Shotton Steel v Glais
St Julian’s HSOB v Tredegar
Taffs Well v Burry Port
Wattstown v Porthcawl
Wrexham v Nant Conwy II
