Friday 28 November 2014

British & Irish Cup predictions - tonight's games

All Wales Sport's CARL FIELD looks ahead to tonight's games involving Aberavon and Cross Keys in the British & Irish Cup.


Aberavon v Yorkshire Carnegie (Pool Two, 7.15pm)

On paper, this has got another heavy win for the English Championship side written all over it – five weeks on from their 13-try 85-0 dismantling of Jason Hyatt’s side in Hull.

But the Leeds-based outfit have been winless since and scored just three tries in the process.

They failed to score a point in a home defeat to Rotherham and then went down at Bedford before drawing with winless bottom side Plymouth at home last weekend.

Aberavon, meanwhile, have lost all four of their Principality Premiership games since and are rooted to the bottom of the table – although were much-improved against Cardiff a week ago, when they lost by just a point.

Those factors might offer a crumb of comfort for the Wizards, however their opponents this evening are a full-time professional outfit and I can’t see anything other than a heavy defeat for Aberavon.

Prediction: Yorkshire Carnegie by 40 points


Cross Keys v Cornish Pirates (Pool Four, 7.45pm)

Cross Keys will be looking to avenge their narrow 34-33 defeat at Pirates in round three when the sides clash again at Pandy Park this evening.

However, having lost two of their first three group games, Keys are unlikely to be repeating their run to the final of this competition back in 2011/12 – which included a semi-final win over the Pirates.

Pirates have been involved in three high-scoring matches so far with an average of 63 points scored per game – while also put 65 points on the board at home against Bedford in the league last weekend.

Keys’ last two games in this group have been decided by a single point, while they also sent Carmarthen Quins crashing to their first defeat of the league season last week.

This one has all the makings of a cracker - and I'm going for a Keys win, just.

Prediction: Cross Keys by 4 points

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