There will be a new team at the top of the Super Rygbi Cymru table later today after Llandovery and Cardiff clash at Church Bank.
With current leaders Ebbw Vale not playing this weekend, it means the winners will take over at the top as the race for a top two finish, and a home semi-final in the play-offs, heats up.
Both teams have benefitted from there not being any United Rugby Championship action and the fixture is what Drovers’ head coach Euros Evans describes as “a proper SRC match.”
“We’ve both got some professional players stepping in for game time, there are a host of academy players involved and then a sprinkling of top class semi-pro players,” said Evans.
“This is what the SRC is all about and it means the quality and intensity of the games improves. It works for everyone and, just as importantly, it offers the fans a great product to watch.
“We sometimes forget that the fans need to be fully engaged and served a product that excites and entertains them. This game should definitely do that.
“The pressure is probably on us to deliver a win at home because we have to go to the Arms Park later in the season. We don’t want to go there needing to get a result, so winning at home is everything.”
The Drovers are unbeaten since October and warmed up for this weekend’s game with a 50-35 SRC Cup win over Bridgend last time out. They also beat Cardiff 40-33 in an earlier cup clash at Church Bank as they hit back from a 21-12 interval deficit.
While the Drovers will have Scarlets lock Morgan Jones, prop Gabe Hawley and backs Kian Abraham and Jac Davies, Caridff have Welsh international Mackenzie Martin in the second row,
Joe Cowell in the front row and Gwilym Bradley and Lucas de la Rua in the back row.
There is also a welcome return for Cam Tyler-Grocott among the replacements. The prop has been sidelined for a lengthy period after being voted Academy Player’s Player of the season last year.
“We’re really looking forward to going to Llandovery f what is a top of the table clash. It will be two very good sides going hard at each other,” said Cardiff head coach Dan Fish.
“We’ve had some real close games over the last couple of years and I’m expecting another. These games are the reason you want to play rugby to challenge yourselves against the best teams and best players.
“We’ve had a really good week leading into this game and are fully focused on going there to get the win.”
The only other game this weekend sees sixth placed Pontypool host Aberavon in another key game in the race for top half places in the opening season of SRC. Pooler have lost their last two league outings, at Llandovery and at home to Ebbw Vale.
The Wizards, who like Pontypool have only played 12 games, are currently in eighth place and without a league win since 21 December. Thant said, their three defeats since then have been by two, three and four points against Swansea, Bridgend and Newport.