Cross Keys looking to create club history

Swalec Cup final preview – Cross Keys v Pontypridd

WHILE Pontypridd will be taking to the Millennium Stadium pitch for their ninth Swalec Cup final on Monday, Cross Keys go into unchartered territory as the Gwent club features in its first.

The team came up short against Munster in the British & Irish Cup decider last Friday so Keys haven’t had to wait long to finally end a 127-year trophy drought.

If they do it will be the Pandy Park outfit’s first taste of silverware in the club’s history while Pontypridd are bidding for back-to-back cup triumphs and a fifth in all.

Keys skipper Rob Nash, who led his side in that 33-12 defeat to Munster in Cork, would like to see his men use that disappointment to spur them on to victory over a club that has again finished top of the Welsh Premiership.

“It’s been a great season but we want some silverware,” said Nash. “We fell short in Cork but we will get over the bumps and bruises and start working hard for Pontypridd.

“The British and Irish Cup campaign was brilliant – nobody expected us to win a game in our group and we made it all the way to the final. In the end Munster were just too strong and were far, far better than anything we had faced in the tournament before.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to them but playing against quality like that can only make us better. If we prepare for Ponty exactly like we did for Munster then I have no doubt that we will win the Swalec Cup.”

On current form, there only looks like being one winner. Pontypridd won their last six league matches, including a 51-22 thrashing of Keys at Sardis Road, to go straight through to the final of the Premiership play-offs.

Keys, who scraped into Monday’s final on try-count against Ebbw Vale, claimed just one victory from their final six league games, shipping 75 points at Aberavon though in fairness they did have a weakened side out that day in preparation for the trip to Ireland.

Pontypridd also won in Gwent last September and Dale McIntosh has picked a virtually unchanged XV from that which beat Llandovery last Saturday to seal top spot in the table. The only change sees Cory Hill take over from Craig Locke in the second row.

There is one change on the bench with Harley Thompson being replaced by Lewis I Williams.

Winger Owen Williams, fly-half Simon Humberstone, scrum-half Garyn Lucas, prop Chris Phillips and No 8 Owen Sheppeard are all out with knee ligament damage, hooker Jack Dando has a dislocated shoulder and centre Adam Thomas is away with the Wales Sevens.

Pontypridd – 15. Gareth Wyatt, 14. Chris Clayton, 13. Dafydd Lockyer, 12. Gary Williams, 11. Matthew Nuthall, 10. Lewis K Williams, 9. Lewis Jones; 1. Stuart Williams, 2. Huw Dowden, 3. Pat Palmer,  4. Cory Hill, 5. Ryan Savage, 6. Chris Dicomidis (capt), 7. Wayne O’Connor, 8. Dan Godfrey.

Subs: Rhys Downes, Lewis I Williams, Gavin Dacey, Darran Harris, Craig Locke, Jake Thomas, Ryan Harford

Cross Keys – TBC