Last season Pooler went to Parc Y Scarlets and Cardiff Arms Park and beat both Llanelli and Cardiff before finally going down to Cross Keys on a quagmire pitch at Pandy Park in the quarter-finals. Prior to that the Gwent side had lost their opening game in the previous five seasons.
Pontypool comfortably beat Tata Steel 55-14 at home in the first round this season, while Carmarthen Quins, currently in fifth in the Principality Premiership, received a bye. The two clubs have met once before in the cup, on 3 December, 2005, when the Quins won 28-14 at Carmarthen Park.
The only other Championship side to have a home draw is Beddau, who host Bedwas, while Rhydyfelin travel to another Premiership club, Bargoed, and Bedlinog head to Pandy Park to meet Cross Keys. The rest of the matches are all Premiership affairs.
Cardiff will be hoping to repeat their home win over reigning Premiership champions Merthyr when they host them at the Arms Park. It is 1-1 between the two clubs to date this season, with the cup game preceding their final league fixture in the Welsh capital on 9 February.
The cup tie will be the first game at the Arms Park for the Blue & Blacks since 1 December following three away games and the break for the British & Irish Cup break. International demands at Sevens and Under 20 levels, allied to the Blues Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign, mean the home side will be missing a number of players.
“It is going to be a really tough challenge against a side who are sitting at the top of the Premiership table. But it is a game we are very much looking forward to, especially as it has been three weeks since our last game,” said Cardiff head coach Steve Law.
Bridgend will have home advantage over Ebbw Vale thanks to their 48-0 first round triumph over Glynneath. The Steelmen provided the result of the round when they downed cup holder RGC 1404 at Eugene Cross Park.
Summer signing Dafi Davies is named among the home replacements having battled back to fitness after suffering an injury in pre-season training. The visitors will have Dragons outside half Dorian Jones lining-up in the No 10 jersey.
After their stunning farewell victory for departing coach Greg Woods in round one over Pontypridd, Cross Keys will be hoping to give new head coach Morgan Stoddart a winning start when they host Bedlinog. The former Wales full back has recruited ex-Ospreys, Wales and British & Irish Lions lock Ian Evans and Aled James to join his coaching team.
Having beaten Llanelli twice in the Premiership West competition already this season, 2016 cup winners Llandovery will start as firm favourites to reach the next round when they welcome their Scarlets regional rivals to Church Bank.
Newport will host Aberavon at Rodney Parade on Sunday, in the wake of Newport County’s FA Cup fourth round clash with Tottenham, and will be without centre Chay Smith, who is away on Wales Sevens duty. The Wizards comfortably beat Skewen 71-3 in the first round, but were beaten 11-10 the last time the two sides met in the cup three years ago. Geraint O’Driscoll kept his nerve to kick the winning penalty for the Black & Ambers on that occasion and he figures at centre.
WRU NATIONAL CUP ROUND 2
Saturday, 27 January
Bargoed v Rhydyfelin
Bargoed: Julian Mogg; Duane Dyer, Darren Humphries, Lewis Bowden, Ashley Norton; Matthew Lewis, James Hallett; Rhys Morgan (captain, Lewys, Lippiett, Alex Gardener-Key, Matthew Thomas, Louisd Blacker, Jon Armitage, Grant Rogers, Ieuan Jones
Reps: Matt Bancroft, Dai Evans, Jordan Howells, Leigh Meades, Lewis Weyman, Adam Coupe, Keegan Bale, Kyle Griffiths
Rhydyfelin (from): Backs: Dai Gratton, Jordan Rees, Gavin Close, Luke Waygood, Connor Farrer, Mark Tyler, Ross Lucas (captain), Lewis Smith, Garyn Lucas, Quirke Fforest
Forwards: Dale Green, Kelvyn Williams, Martyn Wallace, Callum Jones, Scott Pritchard, Marc Jones, Kevin Briggs, Corey Bushell, Lewis James, Kyle Perry, Rhys Phillips, Luke Studley, Sam Studley
Beddau v Bedwas
Beddau: TBC
Bedwas: Aaron Bramwell; Mike Hathaway, Steff Jones, Mike Callow, Adam Williams; Lewis Evans, Luke Crane; Brynley Toms, Alun Rees, Rhys Hutcherson, Geraint Edmunds, Craig Hudd, James Richards, George Lee (captain), Andrew Waite
Reps: Jack Williams, Mike Dacey, Dan Preece, Ben Thompson, David McGuigan, Nathan Hudd, Tom Rowlands, A. N. Other
Bridgend v Ebbw Vale
Bridgend: Jonny Phillips; Aaron Grabham, Joe Gatt, Nathan Edwards, Mike Powell; Ryan Evans, Chris Williams; Rhodri Apsee, Gareth Harvey, Cai Lewis, Chris John, Kieran Martin, Tom Morgan, Zac O’Driscoll (captain), Ashton Evans
Reps: Iestyn Merriman, Owen Jordan, Ollie Evans, Matthew John, Dafi Davies, Adam O’Driscoll, Connor Tantum, Jamie Murphy
Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond; Stefan Thomas, Dominic Franchi, Dai Langdon, Toby Fricker; Dorian Jones, 9 Dai Jones; Ross Jones, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks, Lance Randall, Rhys Clarke, Cameron Regan, Ronny Kynes (captain), Lewis Young
Reps: Joe Franchi, Joel Harries, Josh James, Kristian Parker, Ben Papp, Sam Ireland, Callum Hall, James Lewis.
Cardiff v Merthyr
Cardiff: Llywarch Ap Myrddin; James Beal, Daffyd Smith, Will Rees Hole, Oli Smyth; Gareth Thompson (captain), Rhodri Cole; Fraser Young, Ian Jenkins, Peter Lloyd, James Murphy, Corey Tucker, Ben White, Luke Crocker, Tom Daley
Reps: James Greenfield, Ryan Spriggs, Keiron Brown, Kris Smith, Tom Wilson, Nicky Griffiths, James Dixon, Harri Griffiths
Merthyr: Matthew Jarvis; Kyle Evans, Tom Riley, Arron Pinches, Kristian Phillips; Richard Powell, Justin James; Nathan Trevett, Rhys Williams, Joe Rees, Ben Sier, Craig Locke (captain), Nick White, Osian Davies, Phil Rees
Reps: Louis Jones, Richard Wilkes, Szaboics Pocskai, Lee Evans, Ed Siggery, Rhys Downes, Gareth Davies, Josh Martin
Cross Keys v Bedlinog
Cross Keys: Leon Andrews; Mathew Powell, Lewis Barnett, Phil Williams, Nathan Trowbridge; Josh Prosser, James Leadbeater; Corey Hewlett, Darren Hughes, Richard Cornock, Tom Lampard, Luke Dyckhoff, Josh Skinner, Scott Matthews (captain), Adam Powell
Reps: Gary Carpenter, Lewis Smout, Scott Evans, Harvey Reader, Liam Davies, Corey Shephard, Ross Pritchard, Barney Nightingale
Bedlinog: TBC
Llandovery v Llanelli
Llandovery: Lee Williams; Rhodri Wall, Ryan Evans, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Kris Jones, Scott Maynard; Jamie Hughes, Ricky Guest, Berian Watkins, Bryn Griffiths, Joseff Powell, Duane Eager, Shaun Miles, Richard Brooks (captain)
Reps: Llyr Green, Kevin Jones, Jake Baker, Emyr Price, Matthew Moore, Owain Davies, Josh Hammett, Lee Rees
Llanelli: TBC
Pontypool v Carmarthen Quins
Pontypool: Clayton Gullis; Jordan Thomas, Dan Robinson, Kieran Meek, Rhodri Usher; Matthew Jones, Martin Luckwell; Aaron Coundley, Ben Parry, Ollie Drake, Jordan Williams, Rhodri Jones, Brendan Lampitt, Rob Nash, Ben Sparks
Reps: TBC
Quins: Steffan Marshall; Dale Ford, Nic Reynolds, Josh Batcup, Jack Price; Jac Wilson, Ifan Beynon-Thomas; Gethin Robinson, Torin Myhill, Steffan Thomas, Shaun Jones, Haydn Pugh (captain), Elis Lloyd, Lewys Millin, Richard Bloomfield
Reps: Steffan Phillips, Rhodri Clancy, Nathan Williams, Lee Taylor, Aled James, Dylan Thomas, Matthew Owen
Sunday, 28 January
Newport v Aberavon
Newport: Elliot Frewen; Adam Sabri, Tom Pascoe, Geraint O’Driscoll, Jon Morris; Haydn Simons, Ryan James; Nicky Boyce, Henry Palmer, Garin Harris, Joe Bartlett, Dan Partridge, Rhys Cresswell, Kyle Tayler, Alex Everett
Reps: Evan Whitson, Matt Prosser, Tom Piper, Josh Reid, Andrew Mann, Ryan Bates, Harri Lang, Curtis Ayling
Aberavon: TBC
