SRC Cup holders, Llandovery, will be at home to Pontypool on Saturday in the semi final of this year’s competition writes Huw S Thomas.
The eagerly anticipated Pool B clash with last year’s runners-up Ebbw Vale did not take place because of the weather and the under WRU competition rules the game was declared a 0-0 draw with both sides awarded two points.
This meant that the Drovers finished on top of Pool B on 20 points, six points clear of Ebbw Vale.
The Steelmen will be rightly disgruntled after seeing two of their scheduled games – against Swansea and Llandovery – called off because of the poor weather.
They fall foul of the cramped nature of the SRC and Cup programme and an inability to find space and time for rescheduled Cup fixtures
Ebbw will now travel to Pool A winners Newport for an all Gwent semi final.
Pontypool finished runners up in Pool A and earned a semi final spot with a fine bonus point 31-19 win at Cardiff on Thursday night.
Pooler, too, lost out on gaining more pool points when their home game against Carmarthen Quins back on February 7 was called off because of the weather.
The three cancelled games and the awarding of two points for a draw affected final pool placings and were a factor in the semi final pairings.
The unsatisfactory state of affairs will, hopefully, encourage the WRU to look carefully at the best dates to run the competition in 2027.
For this year, the smart money will be on a Llandovery – Newport final but Pontypool and Ebbw Vale will not go down with a fight and both semi-finals are more open than the bookmakers might think.
Llandovery had to battle to beat Pooler 44-24 – five tries to three – back in November and will have to be in their best form to withstand the challenge from the famous old club of that once celebrated front row of Charlie Faulkner, Bobby Windsor and Graham Price.
Llandovery coach Euros Evans will likely have everyone bar injured lock Chris Long available for selection and the Carmarthen shire club still have their eyes on a third consecutive Cup title.
Only Llanelli, in their halcyon days, have won three national cups or more on the trot but first things first – Pooler will be difficult to beat under much travelled senior coach Dale McIntosh who joined the club back in November.
Drovers beware.