weekend predictions

All Wales Sport previews the sixth and final round of the British & Irish Cup along with the only Principality Premiership game taking place this weekend.


Pool 1 – London Scottish v Pontypridd

Having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Bristol almost a fortnight ago, Ponty recovered from that confidence-crushing defeat with a bonus-point home win over Connacht last week that reignited their British & Irish Cup hopes.

Another five-point win guarantees qualification for the last eight as one of the three best runners-up – while four points will almost certainly do as well.

Standing before them are London Scottish, who although already out, have only been beaten once (by Bristol) on their own ground this season while Ponty also slipped up here 26-21 almost exactly a year ago.

The pressure is on Ponty for sure but, although a lot will depend on what side the English Championship side put out with nothing riding on it for them, I’m going for a Ponty win nonetheless.

Prediction: Pontypridd by 6 points


Pool 2 – Ulster Ravens v Aberavon

Aberavon's losing run was extended to eight games with last Saturday's 42-14 home defeat to Rotherham.

The Wizards also have not won in any competition since they beat Ulster 18-14 at The Talbot Athletic Ground in the reverse fixture on October 11.

Although they have at least salvaged some pride with some gutsy recent performances in defeat and I’m backing Jason Hyatt's side to complete the double over winless Ulster.

Prediction: Aberavon by 5 points


Pool 4 – Doncaster Knights v Cross Keys

Seven of the 10 matches played in Pool 4 have resulted in a winning margin of five points or less.

Cross Keys, while bottom of the pool, have more than held their own this season – although were taken apart at home by Bedford last weekend.

Their two previous away trips to English Championship clubs have ended in a one-point win (v Bedford) and a one-point loss (v Cornish Pirates).

Group winners Doncaster won 37-32 at Pandy Park in round one and I’ve got them down to finish the group with a 100 per cent record.

Prediction: Doncaster by 7 points


Pool 5 - Carmarthen Quins v Jersey

The winners of this tie – being played at Llandovery – can still go through as one of the best runners-up, if Munster A and Cornish Pirates are well beaten.

Jersey are on a four-game losing streak but won with a bonus point when the sides met back in October.

Although I think Carmarthen – a composite Scarlets A side in all but name – will win on Saturday and finish on a high, I fear it’s a big ask for all the results needs elsewhere to go their way.

Prediction: Carmarthen Quins by 10 points

ALL ROUND SIX MATCHES KICK OFF AT 2PM ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13.


Principality Premiership – Cardiff v Neath (2.30pm)

There is also one Principality Premiership clash taking place on Saturday and it’s at the Arms Park between Cardiff and Neath.

The Welsh All Blacks have undergone something of a transformation with three wins from their last four Premiership outings to revive their flagging fortunes after a tough start to the season that, for many, left them odds on for the drop.

Patrick Horgan’s re-introduction at the Gnoll has certainly helped turn things around and will hope to carry on from where they left off three weeks ago when they beat Newport at Rodney Parade – despite playing with 14 men for much of the game.

However it must also be said that, although Neath dug in, Newport were also particularly poor on the day and a better side would have capitalised on their numerical advantage.

Cardiff on their own ground will provide a much sterner test and will themselves will be looking forward to returning to action after many weeks of being stop-start, with the league taking a back seat for the British & Irish Cup.

The Blue and Blacks currently sit in fourth place in the table with five wins from seven games.

I expect a fiercely-contested battle between these two but back Cardiff to win and make it six from eight with the enforced three-week break also likely to have halted Neath’s new-found momentum just slightly.

Prediction: Cardiff by 11 points

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British & Irish Cup round six preview

Bristol Rugby, Rotherham Titans, Worcester Warriors, Doncaster Knights and defending champions Leinster A have all qualified for the quarter-finals of the British & Irish Cup as winners of their respective pools with a round to spare.

The English Championship quartet are unbeaten after five rounds of action and are on course for a home draw in the quarter-finals while Leinster, who are bidding for a hat-trick of titles, are set to be on their travels in the last eight unless they can improve their position this weekend and qualify for the knockout stages as one of the top four seeds.

Eight sides still have a mathematical chance of grabbing one of the three quarter-final spots available to the best runners-up.

Yorkshire Carnegie are currently in the driving seat with 18 points, Pontypridd have 15 and Munster A and Cornish Pirates, who met in the inaugural B&I Cup final in 2009, are both on 14.

Bedford, Moseley, Carmarthen Quins and Jersey have slim mathematical chances of maintaining their interest beyond the weekend.

POOL 1

Connacht Eagles v Bristol Rugby

Top plays bottom as pool leaders Bristol go in search of the win they need to be certain of a home quarter-final. Bristol extended their winning run to 13 matches with a 22-14 victory over London Scottish in round five.

Bristol outscored Connacht eight tries to four in front of a record B&I Cup crowd when the sides met in round one. Olly Robinson, son of director of rugby Andy, scored a hat-trick on his competitive debut for the club.

London Scottish v Pontypridd

Pontypridd's destiny remains in their own hands with the Welsh Premiership side knowing that a bonus-point win at The Athletic Ground would guarantee them one of the best runners-up spots.

Welsh champions Ponty won the first match with London Scottish 23-17 at Sardis Road.

POOL 2

Rotherham Titans v Yorkshire Carnegie

Yorkshire Carnegie need two points from Saturday's trip to Clifton Lane to be mathematically certain of their place in the last eight as one of the three best runners-up.

If Carnegie head back up the M1 empty-handed they will have to hope that at least one of their main rivals, Pontypridd, Munster and Cornish Pirates fails to win.

Titans kept Carnegie try less in both previous meetings this season: 6-0 at Headingley in the Championship and 20-3 at Silver Royd, Scarborough RUFC in the B&I Cup.

Ulster Ravens v Aberavon

Aberavon's losing run was extended to eight games with Saturday's 42-14 home defeat to Rotherham.

The Wizards have not win in any competition since they beat Ulster 18-14 at The Talbot Athletic Ground on October 11. Ulster are winless and will exit the competition at the end of the pool stages for the third year in a row.

POOL 3

Moseley v Munster A

A first bonus-point win of the season would guarantee Munster a place in the last eight regardless of how Cornish Pirates fare at Bedford.

Tries have been hard to come by for Munster to date with just 10 in five matches. They beat Moseley 27-21 at Clonmel in round one.

Worcester Warriors v Nottingham Rugby

Worcester are certain of a home tie in the knockout stages if they beat Nottingham for the third time this season.

The Warriors won 55-16 when the sides met in the league at Sixways at the end of September and they prevailed 26-19 in the cup three weeks later at Meadow Lane.

POOL 4

Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates

Last Saturday's agonising 31-30 defeat at home to Doncaster has left Cornish Pirates' hopes of making it out of Pool 4 hanging by a thread.

Realistically the Pirates need to win at Bedford for the first time since March 2011 – and hope Munster and Pontypridd fail to beat Moseley and London Scottish respectively – to qualify for the last eight for the fifth time in their history.

The first B&I Cup tie at the Mennaye Field was a real humdinger with Pirates winning 35-34.

However the B&I Cup Organising Committee overturned the result after Pirates wrongly introduced an additional player to the fray when the game had already gone to uncontested scrums.

Doncaster Knights v Cross Keys

Seven of the 10 matches played in Pool 4 have resulted in a winning margin of five points or less, and Cross Keys, while bottom of the pool, have more than held their own this season.

Their two previous away trips to Championship clubs have ended in a one-point win (v Bedford) and a one-point loss (v Cornish Pirates). Doncaster won 37-32 at Pandy Park in round one.

POOL 5

Carmarthen Quins v Jersey

The winners of this tie can still go through as one of the best runners-up if Munster A and Cornish Pirates are well beaten. Jersey are on a four-game losing streak but won with a bonus point when the sides met back in October.

Leinster A v Plymouth Albion

To qualify as one of the top four seeds Leinster A need to pick up maximum points against Plymouth and hope that Bristol and Worcester fail to make it six wins on the spin. Leinster prevailed 31-24 when the sides met at Brickfields in round one/

All round six matches kick off at 2pm on Saturday, December 13.

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British & Irish Cup - Quins and Ponty predictions

All Wales Sport's CARL FIELD predicts the outcome of this afternoon's British & Irish Cup clash between Leinster A and Carmarthen Quins - as well as tomorrow's clash at Ashton Gate between Bristol and Pontypridd.

Leinster A v Carmarthen Quins (Pool Five, 1pm)

Carmarthen Quins – a composite Scarlets A side in all but name – stunned holders Leinster A in round three, after coming back from 21-3 down at half-time to win 26-24.

A last-gasp try from replacement prop Ben Leung and Frazier Climo's brilliant touchline conversion clinched a terrific victory.

But the Welsh side – who are being overseen by coach Ioan Cunningham – have their work cut out if they are to repeat that feat this afternoon.

Prediction: Leinster A by 8 points

Bristol v Pontypridd (Pool One, Sunday 3pm)

This is arguably the pick of the fourth round ties as Principality Premiership champions Pontypridd head to English Championship leaders Bristol.

It’s do or die for Ponty, who have to win at Ashton Gate to have any realistic chance of progressing.

Bristol go into Sunday's match sitting top the table on 13 points with Pontypridd four points off the pace in second.

A brace of tries from David Lemi and one from Luke Baldwin saw Bristol win 24-13 in front of nearly 6,000 at Sardis Road five weeks ago.

Prediction: Bristol by 4 points

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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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Carl Field's weekend predictions

PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP

Bedwas v Newport (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bedwas return to action after three weeks off and are looking to pick up their first win at the Bridge Field this season having lost their first three home games. Although they will have been buoyed – by the performance at least – against Carmarthen Quins last time out, when they scored two tries inside the first three minutes, before eventually going down 44-29.

Newport have been in Premiership action in recent weeks and, although they’ve suffered defeats at Cardiff and then at home against Gwent rivals Ebbw Vale in the dying moments last week, they have been unlucky not to turn at least one of them into a win – and are due a bit of luck.

Prediction: Newport by 3 points

BRITISH & IRISH CUP

Pool One – Pontypridd v Bristol (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Premiership powerhouses Pontypridd go into Saturday’s match level on nine points with Bristol at the top of the pool – but with a superior points difference – having hit Connacht for six last weekend.

This match could go a long way to determining both clubs’ destinies in this season’s competition, with the hosts keen to avenge their defeat the last time these two sides met – a 36-25 loss in their B&I semi-final at Sardis Road back in 2010/11.

Prediction: Pontypridd by 7 points

Pool Two – Yorkshire Carnegie v Aberavon (Saturday, 2.30pm)

The Wizards came crashing back down to earth at Rotherham last Saturday having defeated Ulster Ravens the week before – and another tough afternoon is expected for Jason Hyatt’s side at Brantingham Park – home of Hull Ionians – on Saturday.

It’s the second successive season these two sides have been grouped together, with Josh Griffin the star of the show in the corresponding fixture last year as he grabbed a hat-trick in a thumping 72-0 win for Carnegie.

Both sides have four points going into this weekend’s round three fixture, with Carnegie full of confidence after their impressive 22-17 win at Ulster Ravens last time out.

Prediction: Yorkshire Carnegie by 15 points

Pool Four – Cornish Pirates v Cross Keys (Sunday, 3pm)

Cross Keys got their campaign back on track with a narrow 23-22 win at English Championship side Bedford Blues last week – snatching the game in the dying seconds having trailed 19-3 after 16 minutes.

However the group was blown wide open week with the news that Cornish Pirates, who had beaten Bedford 35-34 in their pool opener, had breached the rules related to uncontested scrums which means the result was overturned and a 34-28 victory was latterly handed to Bedford.

Pirates also lost 29-25 at pool leaders Doncaster last week so another win for the Gwent club could really make things interesting – particularly if Bedford also win at Doncaster.

Prediction: Cross Keys by 5 points

Pool Five – Carmarthen Quins v Leinster A (Saturday, 2.30pm)

A Scarlets development XV in everything but name, a composite Quins side ran out 29-16 winners over English Championship side Plymouth at Parc y Scarlets last Saturday and bouncing back having lost at Jersey the week before.

The reigning champions are in town this weekend – with the game being played at Carmarthen Park – and a third straight win for Leinster would see them open up a sizeable lead at the top of Pool 5.

Two hard-fought victories against Plymouth and Jersey puts Leinster on eight points after two rounds. Jersey are second on five, Quins have four and Plymouth two.

Prediction: Leinster A by 10 points

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Quins rocked by double departure

CARMARTHEN QUINS remain united despite being rocked by the recent resignations of two club officials after a row over selection for the British & Irish Cup.

Chairman Dorian Taylor and club secretary Don Davies have both quit due to regional influence over the Quins’ campaign – with the Scarlets using the competition to field a largely development XV containing contracted regional and academy players.

Both felt that, having qualified for the group stages, it should in fact be the Premiership side representing the  region – with help from the Scarlets – as is the case with the other three Welsh sides in the competition.

Pontypridd, Aberavon and Cross Keys are also staging all their games on their own grounds, whereas only one of the Quins’ three group games will be played at Carmarthen Park – against holders Leinster A on October 25.

This weekend’s clash with Plymouth is being staged at Parc y Scarlets with the final group game against Jersey on December 13 taking place at Llandovery’s Church Bank.

Just four Carmarthen regulars started the 37-17 Pool Five defeat at Jersey last weekend, with nine players who normally represent Llanelli and two from Llandovery – making up the rest of the side.

However club official Alan Bowen says that, although the departure of two long-standing club stalwarts is regrettable, he feels the furore has been “blown out of all proportion.”

“It’s a pity that it has come to this,” said Bowen.

“We’ve had two serious committee meetings about the matter and the majority – 90 per cent – are in agreement with what the Scarlets are trying to do.

“But, unfortunately, some are not so have taken the decision to step down.

“We’ve got such a good relationship with the Scarlets and we thought it’s not worth jeopardising that for this competition.

“Everybody realises you have to have a parent club and, like everyone else in the division, the regions let us use some of their players. The whole division has prospered from it.

“We certainly wouldn’t be where were are now without the Scarlets and that’s why the system was introduced in the first place – with the talent developing through the academies to the Premiership and then on to the regions and it’s working well.”

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British & Irish Cup round 2 preview

Bristol Rugby set a new attendance record for a British & Irish Cup match with a crowd of 7,640 turning up at Ashton Gate on Sunday to see the Greene King IPA Championship pacesetters maintain their winning start to the season with a 50-34 victory against Connacht Eagles.

It was also a day for Olly Robinson to remember as he scored a hat-trick on his competitive debut for the West Country club.

Bristol feature in one of three all-Championship tie in Round 2 when they take on London Scottish at The Athletic Ground on Saturday afternoon. Elsewhere, Moseley host Nottingham and Doncaster Knights get an early chance to avenge their league loss to the Cornish Pirates earlier this month when they host the Duchy outfit at Castle Park for the second time in a fortnight.

Pontypridd and Aberavon, the two Welsh sides to enjoy winning starts, are both on their travels in Round 2 – to Connacht and Rotherham respectively. Cross Keys are on the road too, with a trip to Bedford, while Carmarthen Quins are at home to struggling Plymouth Albion.

Of the four Irish provinces only Munster A are drawn away in Round 2, Mick O'Driscoll's side facing a tough trip to Worcester. Connacht Eagles, Ulster Ravens and Leinster A all enjoy home advantage.

POOL 1

Connacht Eagles v Pontypridd, Sunday October 19, KO 14:30

Pontypridd put last season's agonising semi-final defeat to Leinster A behind them with a win over London Scottish on the opening weekend. Connacht shipped a half-century of points away to Bristol. Connacht have beaten Welsh opposition twice in six attempts in the B&I Cup, with victories over Cross Keys and Llanelli in 2012 and 2013 respectively. They have never played Pontypridd before though.

London Scottish v Bristol Rugby, Saturday October 18, KO 15:00

Bristol remain unbeaten this season after their clinical eight-try display against the Eagles in Round 1. Scottish claimed a losing bonus point away to Pontypridd for the second season running. All seven Championship meetings between these sides have gone the way of Bristol, the West Country side averaging 37 points per game during that period.

Results

Bristol Rugby 50 Connacht Eagles 34

Pontypridd 23 London Scottish 17

POOL 2

Ulster Ravens v Yorkshire Carnegie, Saturday October 18, KO 14:00

Both the Ravens and Yorkshire Carnegie will be looking to set the record straight after beginning their B&I Cup campaigns with disappointing losses. Yorkshire Carnegie have yet to beat an Irish side in the B&I Cup, losing two and drawing one of their three fixtures against Leinster A. Carnegie's most recent trip to the Emerald Isle came in the final of last year's competition when they were beaten 44-17 by the Dublin-based province. In full-back David McIlwaine, Carnegie have a product of the Ulster academy in their ranks.

Rotherham Titans v Aberavon, Saturday October 18, KO 15:00

Tries from Alex Rieder and Jack Preece saw Rotherham open this year's competition with a 20-3 win against Yorkshire Carnegie in Scarborough, while a brace of tries from Wales U20s No.8 Robert Dudley-Jones helped Aberavon pulled off a shock 18-14 win over Ulster's second string. Rotherham won both at home and away when they played Aberavon in the 2012/13 edition of the B&I Cup. After a narrow four-point victory in Port Talbot, the Titans turned on the style to win 49-7 in the return match at Clifton Lane.

Results

Aberavon 18 Ulster Ravens 14

Yorkshire Carnegie 3 Rotherham Titans 20

POOL 3

Moseley v Nottingham Rugby, Saturday October 18, KO 15:00

Moseley ended an 11-game losing streak at this level against Nottingham when they won 29-15 at Billesley Common in the Championship in November last year. Moseley have won exactly half of the 12 all-Championship ties they have featured in since the B&I Cup was launched. Moseley and Nottingham both picked up losing bonus points in Round 1.

Worcester Warriors v Munster A, Saturday October 18, KO 15:00

Two tries from Dean Hammond and 16 points from the boot of fly-half Tiff Eden got the Warriors get off to a winning start against Nottingham, while Mick O'Driscoll's Munster edged out Moseley 27-21 to share top spot in Pool 3. Worcester suffered a 38-23 defeat to Leinster A on the only other occasion they have faced Irish opposition in the B&I Cup.

Results

Munster A 27 Moseley 21

Nottingham Rugby 19 Worcester 26

POOL 4

Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates, Saturday October 18, KO 14:30

Pirates won on Yorkshire soil for the first time in two-and-a-half years when they came away from their last visit to Castle Park, in Round 5 of the 2014/15 Greene King IPA Championship, with a 24-22 victory. Pirates head north with five points in the bag after a thrilling 35-34 victory against Bedford in Round 1. Doncaster turned in an impressive display too, collecting maximum points from their trip to Cross Keys.

Bedford Blues v Cross Keys, Saturday October 18, KO 15:00

Both Bedford and Cross Keys, two former finalists, began their campaigns with defeats. Blues' on-loan fly half Steffan Jones will know all there is to know about Cross Keys having turned out for the Welsh Premiership side on a number of occasions in recent years. Jones arrived from Newport Gwent Dragons in the summer and wore the number 10 jersey in the opening round loss against the Pirates.

Results

Cornish Pirates 35 Bedford Blues 34

Cross Keys 32 Doncaster 37

POOL 5

Carmarthen Quins v Plymouth Albion, Saturday October 18, KO 14:30

Welsh Premiership high-flyers Carmarthen Quins suffered their first defeat of the season when they were beaten 37-17 by Jersey in Round 1. Quins trailed 17-0 at the break before restoring some pride with a strong second-half showing. Plymouth also showed real character in going down to a 31-24 home defeat to Leinster A, outscoring the defending champions four tries to three to take two bonus points from the game.

Leinster A v Jersey, Friday October 17, KO 19:30

Considering their poor overall record in the B&I Cup, Jersey are surprisingly good starters in the cross-border competition. Saturday's bonus-point win against Carmarthen Quins means they have not lost in the opening round since entering the fold in 2012/13. They drew with a strong Pontypridd outfit in their first year of competition and 12 months on beat Ayr 28-16. Friday night's trip to the two-time champions will provide a serious test of their mettle though.

Results

Jersey 37 Carmarthen Quins 17

Plymouth Albion 24 Leinster A 31

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CARL FIELD'S WEEKEND PREDICTIONS

CARL FIELD previews the weekend’s action as the British & Irish Cup gets going, while there is one Principality Premiership fixture.

PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP

Cardiff v Newport

With both these sides failing to make it to the B&I Cup group stages, the two face off in a league clash at the Arms Park.

Cardiff lost to Cross Keys on their last outing here – having won their first two games with a bonus-point – but bounced back with victory at Llandovery last weekend.

Newport, who have lost three from four so far, are currently ravaged by injury and unavailability and could be in for a difficult afternoon tomorrow.

Prediction: Cardiff by 15 points

BRITISH & IRISH CUP

Pool 1 – Pontypridd v London Scottish

After last year’s gut-wrenching exit to eventual winners Leinster A at the semi-final stage, Pontypridd will have targeted this competition as a priority.

There was only one score in it on both occasions these two sides clashed at the same stage last season and the visitors have a score of their own to settle, having missed out on qualification to Ponty on points difference.

Prediction: London Scottish by 3 points

Pool 2 – Aberavon v Ulster A

Aberavon have their work cut out if they are to qualify from their group which also includes English Championship sides Rotherham and Yorkshire Carnegie.

Ulster reached the semi-finals of this competition in 2010 and, although I don’t think they’ll qualify from the group, can see them heading home with the spoils this weekend.

Prediction: Ulster A by 7 points

Pool 4 – Cross Keys v Doncaster

Pandy Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground so far this season for Cross Keys – losing both Principality Premiership home games on their own patch.

Doncaster are back in the competition after gaining promotion back to the English Championship and have won three of their five games so far – including two wins on the road.

Prediction: Doncaster by 7 points

Pool 5 – Jersey v Carmarthen Quins

Jersey have had an indifferent start in the English Championship, winning one and losing three of their first five games and are yet to win at home – although league form tends to go out of the window in cup competitions.

Conversely, Quins have made an excellent start to their league season and will need to get their B&I Cup campaign off to a flyer – in a group that also includes holders Leinster A – if they harbour any realistic hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

Prediction: Carmarthen Quins by 3 points

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British & Irish Cup Round 1 preview

Leinster 'A' begin their quest for a hat-trick of British & Irish Cup titles with a trip to Plymouth Albion on Saturday afternoon.

The Irish province became the only side in the five-year history of the competition to win the trophy more than once when they beat Leeds Carnegie in last season's one-sided final in Dublin. The previous year they were pushed to the limit by Newcastle before winning a thrilling final in extra-time.

For the first time, there will be no Scottish representation in the cross-border competition, with the 12 sides from Greene King IPA Championship competing against the A teams of the four Irish provinces and four Welsh Premiership sides, who have been selected on merit following the results of regional play-offs.

The quarter-finals will be made up of the five pool winners and the three best runners-up.

Pool 1
Pontypridd v London Scottish, Saturday 11 October, KO 14:30
These sides met as recently as last season when both ties went the way of the home side. Scottish did well to leave Sardis Road with a losing bonus point, going down to a 27-20 defeat after playing the last hour with 14 men due to Neil Best's red card. The Exiles got their revenge a week later when they beat the Welsh side, 26-21, in another tight game. Pontypridd have been Wales' most consistent performer in the B&I Cup with two semi-final and one quarter-final appearance. London Scottish have never made it past the pool stages in three attempts.

Bristol Rugby v Connacht Eagles, Sunday 12 October, KO 15:00
This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between 2011 B&I Cup winners Bristol and Connacht, although Bristol did win a pre-season friendly in Galway 33-24, on 8 August, 2002. Bristol have reached the knockout stages on three occasions while Connacht have fallen at the first hurdle in their two tournament appearances. Bristol have yet to lose at Ashton Gate.

Pool 2
Yorkshire Carnegie v Rotherham Titans, Friday 10 October, KO 20:00
Yorkshire Carnegie take their opening game of the B&I Cup to the seaside, with Scarborough RUFC's Silver Royd ground playing host to the fixture. These great Yorkshire rivals have met twice before in cup competition, with Carnegie winning on both occasions. The only B&I cup tie between the sides ended in a 17-3 home win for the Headingley-based outfit in September 2011. Both sides reached the knockout stages for the first time in 2013/14.

Aberavon v Ulster Ravens, Saturday 11 October, KO 14:30
Ulster put 62 points on Aberavon when they last met in the B&I Cup, in March 2010. The Ravens scored 31 unanswered points in each half and ran in 10 tries in total. Ulster have still to improve on their semi-final appearance at the inaugural tournament in 2009/10. Aberavon have played in all bar one of the five seasons of the B&I Cup but have never made it out of their pool.

Pool 3
Nottingham Rugby v Worcester Warriors, Sunday 12 October KO 15:00
Two weeks after being beaten 55-16 in the Championship, Nottingham get an early chance to turn the tables on Worcester in the first-ever B&I Cup tie between the sides. Competition ever-presents Nottingham have twice reached the quarter-finals while Worcester, in their one and only previous outing in 2010/11, made it to the last four before being beaten by Bedford.

Munster A v Moseley, Saturday 11 October, KO 15:00
Munster beat Moseley on their way to winning the B&I Cup in 2012, the Irish province coming away from Billesley Common with a 29-0 victory. Munster have only ever failed to make the knockout stages once, in 2010/11 – the same year that Moseley reached the quarter-finals for the only time in their history.

Pool 4
Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues, Sunday 12 October KO 15:00
One of four all-Championship ties, Cornish Pirates v Bedford pits together two former B&I Cup finalists. Pirates became the inaugural winners when they beat Munster A in 2010, while the Blues lost narrowly to Bristol in the final a year later. The Blues' last win on Cornish soil came on 31 March 2013, when Myles Dorrian contributed 21 of their points in a 26-18 victory.

Cross Keys v Doncaster Knights, Saturday 11 October, KO 14:30
Doncaster travel to the Valleys looking to make it three away wins on the trot. While Doncaster have had strong ties with Wales in the past few years, with current Director of Rugby Clive Griffiths and his predecessors Lynn Howells and Kingsley Jones hailing from the country, this will be the club's first ever encounter with 2012 beaten finalists Cross Keys. The Knights' best showing in the B&I Cup came in 2009/10 when they reached the semi-finals.

Pool 5
Plymouth Albion v Leinster A, Saturday 11 October, KO 15:00
Plymouth made the quarter-finals for the first time in their history last season, a 41-21 defeat to Leeds Carnegie at Headingley ending their interest for another year. Albion could not have asked for a tougher start to the 2014/15 campaign than a visit from two-time winners Leinster. The sides have face each other in the pool stages twice before, Leinster winning both matches. They won 16-13 at Brickfields on 21 November, 2009 and 25-16 a year later in Dublin.

Jersey v Carmarthen Quins, Saturday 11 October, KO 15:00
Carmarthen Quins put up a good showing in their one and only appearance in the competition in 2012/13. The west Wales side won four out of their six pool fixtures that year and only missed out on a quarter-final place on points difference. Quins were runners-up in last year's Welsh Premiership and look set for another good season after kicking off with four straight wins to lie second in the table. Jersey have won three, drawn one and lost eight matches since being welcomed into the B&I Cup fold.

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2014-15 British & Irish Cup fixtures

Following confirmation of the new structure, the 2014-15 British & Irish Cup fixtures are today unveiled.

Played across five pools, each with four teams, the English, Irish and Welsh clubs making up this year's British & Irish Cup will begin the new season campaign during the second weekend of October (10/11/12).

Drawn in Pool 5, current title holder Leinster 'A' will travel to Brickfields, facing Championship side Plymouth Albion. The Irishmen are the only team to have successfully defended their title, securing a win over Leeds Carnegie at Donnybrook in May to retain the trophy after claiming it for the first time in 2012-13.

A local derby awaits 2013-14 runners-up Leeds Carnegie as they host Rotherham Titans at Headingley. While both sides were knocked out of the Championship play-offs, each impressed across the board last season. James Lowes' men showed commitment to playing with ball in hand, scoring 91 tries in the process while Rotherham captivated Championship followers, progressing to the knock-out stages for the first time following a 7th place finish in the previous season.

The Welsh participants in the British & Irish Cup will be based on regional play-offs at the start of the season, with final positions in last season's Principality Premiership giving teams Home field advantage. Pontypridd represented the Welsh contingent in last year's knock-out stages, narrowly losing out to eventual winners Leinster 'A' in a thrilling encounter at Sardis Road.

After discussion among all four Unions, four Principality Premiership teams will continue to represent Wales in the competition, joining the 12 clubs of the Greene King IPA Championship as well as four provincial teams from Ireland. Due to changes in the competition dates, Scottish clubs will not participate in the 2014-15 competition meaning that season's competition will move from 24 teams to 20, playing in five pools of four.

2014-15 British & Irish Cup structure:

Teams
* 12 Greene King IPA Championship clubs
* 4 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs
* 4 Irish provinces – Connacht, Munster, Leinster 'A' and Ulster Ravens

Pool Stages
*Taking place on 11, 18, 25 October, 29 November and 6, 13 December 2014
* 5 pools of 4 playing home and away
* 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for a) scoring 4 or more tries and/or b) losing by 7 points or less

Quarter finals
* Taking place on 24 January 2015
* Top side in each pool progress to knockout stage, plus three best runners-up
* 8 quarter-finalists ranked with teams ranked 1-4 having home advantage

Semi-finals and final
* Four winning quarter finalists progress to semi -final draw which takes place on weekend of 13/14/15 March 2015
* Winning semi-finalists progress to final to take place on weekend of 3/4/5 April 2015

Pools
Pool 1: London Scottish, Wales 2, Bristol Rugby, Connacht
Pool 2: Rotherham Titans, Leeds Carnegie, Ulster Ravens, Wales 4
Pool 3: Worcester Warriors, Nottingham Rugby, Moseley, Munster 'A'
Pool 4: Wales 1, Cornish Pirates, Doncaster Knights, Bedford Blues
Pool 5: Leinster 'A', Plymouth Albion, Wales 3, Jersey RFC

British & Irish Cup fixtures

Round 1 – 10/11/12 October
Pool 1
Wales 2 v London Scottish
Bristol Rugby v Connacht

Pool 2
Leeds Carnegie v Rotherham Titans
Wales 4 v Ulster Ravens

Pool 3
Nottingham Rugby v Worcester Warriors
Munster 'A' v Moseley

Pool 4
Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues
Wales 1 v Doncaster Knights

Pool 5
Plymouth Albion v Leinster 'A'
Jersey RFC v Wales 3

Round 2 – 17/18/19 October 
Pool 1
London Scottish v Bristol Rugby
Connacht v Wales 2

Pool 2
Rotherham v Wales 4
Ulster Ravens v Leeds Carnegie

Pool 3
Worcester Warriors v Munster 'A'
Moseley v Nottingham Rugby

Pool 4
Bedford Blues v Wales 1
Doncaster Knights v Cornish Pirates

Pool 5
Leinster 'A' v Jersey RFC
Wales 3 v Plymouth Albion

Round 3 – 24/25/26 October
Pool 1
Connacht v London Scottish
Bristol Rugby v Wales 2

Pool 2
Rotherham Titans v Ulster Ravens
Leeds Carnegie v Wales 4

Pool 3
Moseley v Worcester Warriors
Nottingham Rugby v Munster 'A'

Pool 4
Doncaster Knights v Bedford Blues
Cornish Pirates v Wales 1

Pool 5
Wales 3 v Leinster 'A'
Plymouth Albion v Jersey RFC

Round 4 – 28/29/30 November
Pool 1
London Scottish v Connacht
Bristol Rugby v Wales 2

Pool 2
Rotherham Titans v Ulster Ravens
Wales 4 v Leeds Carnegie

Pool 3
Worcester Warriors v Moseley
Munster 'A' v Nottingham Rugby

Pool 4
Bedford Blues v Doncaster Knights
Wales 1 v Cornish Pirates

Pool 5
Leinster 'A' v Wales 3
Jersey RFC v Plymouth Albion

Round 5 – 5/6/7 December
Pool 1
Wales 2 v Connacht
Bristol Rugby v London Scottish

Pool 2
Leeds Carnegie v Ulster Ravens
Wales 3 v Rotherham Titans

Pool 3
Nottingham Rugby v Moseley
Munster 'A' v Worcester Warriors

Pool 4
Cornish Pirates v Doncaster Knights
Wales 1 v Bedford Blues

Pool 5
Plymouth Albion v Wales 3
Jersey RFC v Leinster 'A'

Round 6 - 12/13/14 December
Pool 1
London Scottish v Wales 2
Connacht v Bristol Rugby

Pool 2
Rotherham Titans v Leeds Carnegie
Ulster v Wales 4

Pool 3
Worcester Warriors v Nottingham Rugby
Moseley v Munster 'A'

Pool 4
Bedford Blues v Cornish Pirates
Doncaster Knights v Wales 1

Pool 5
Leinster 'A' v Plymouth Albion
Wales 3 v Jersey RFC

Quarter-finals: 23/24/25 January
Semi-finals: 13/14/15 March
Final: 3/4/5 April

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2014-15 British & Irish Cup structure and fixture dates

The 2014-15 British & Irish Cup structure and fixture dates have been unveiled.

Following discussion among all four Unions, four Principality Premiership teams will continue to represent Wales in the competition, joining the 12 clubs of the Greene King IPA Championship as well as four provincial teams from Ireland. Due to changes in the competition dates for the forthcoming season, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) has confirmed that Scottish clubs will not participate in the 2014-15 competition. As a result, this season's competition will move from 24 teams to 20, playing in five pools of four.

RFU Professional Rugby Director Rob Andrew said: "The revision to the British & Irish Cup structure reflects a desire to bring forward the competition knock-out stages, thereby creating its own window within the season with a fitting and unencumbered climax.  It allows for less congestion and conflict during the business end of the league season. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all participating Unions, that requirement could not be accommodated by the SRU, due to the impact it would have on their own domestic calendar. As such, the British & Irish Cup will continue with teams from the remaining three unions next season.

"We would like to thank the SRU for their involvement in the competition since its formation in 2009. The British & Irish Cup has produced some thrilling, cross-border rugby rivalry and while we regret the loss of Scottish participation, the Organising Committee is confident in the high level of competition between the Championship, Welsh and Irish teams and we will continue to explore ways to help grow the competition.”

Colin Thomson, Scottish Rugby's Director of Rugby Operations, said: "Our negotiations around the format of the B&I Cup fixtures for season 2014-15 have now been completed.
 
"This has been a difficult and protracted process and we have done everything in our power to try to influence a solution that would meet the needs of all participants. Regrettably this has not been achieved and the B&I Cup pool dates have been set for two blocks of three fixtures either side of the Autumn International window. Given this, we simply could not support six B&I cup games in the first half of the season as this would have a significant impact on the integrity of our own BT Premiership competition.
 
"Scottish Rugby will continue to work with its clubs to find suitable cross border opportunities.”
 
The pool groupings and full fixture list for the 2014-2015 British & Irish Cup will be released in due course.

2014-15 British & Irish Cup structure:

Teams
* 12 Greene King IPA Championship clubs
* 4 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs
* 4 Irish provinces – Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Ulster Ravens

Pool Stages
*Taking place on 11, 18, 25 October, 29 November and 6, 13 December 2014
* 5 pools of 4 playing home and away
* 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 bonus point for a) scoring 4 or more tries and/or b) losing by 7 points or less

Quarter finals
* Taking place on 24 January 2015
* Top side in each pool progress to knockout stage, plus three best runners-up
* 8 quarter-finalists ranked with teams ranked 1-4 having home advantage

Semi-finals and final
* Four winning quarter finalists progress to semi -final draw which takes place on weekend of 13/14/15 March 2015
* Winning semi-finalists progress to final to take place on weekend of 3/4/5 April 2015

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Paul John puts his faith in Ponty against the Pirates

Pontypridd senior coach Paul John takes his team to Penzance for a British & Irish Cup quarter final showdown against Cornish Pirates,  aware of the magnitude of the challenge that awaits but confident that they can return with a result.

The match on Sunday 6th April will prove to be a step up in competition level  for the Valley Commandos as they go head to head with their English Championship opponents.

"We look forward eagerly to this contest" said John. "Its been in the back of our minds for the past six weeks, but we have had to concentrate on our domestic league and cup commitments in that time.

"Overall we have shown good form, although suffering a setback down at Aberavon last weekend. We put that right emphatically in the return match on Tuesday evening and the squad are now in positive frame of mind before the Cornwall trip.

"To reach the quarter final round of the BIC is an achievement in itself, especially qualifying from a group that contained strong English Championship sides London Welsh and London Scottish. We now face another fully professional team in Cornish Pirates and know that we will have to up our game, be clinical and accurate in everything that we do, to stand any chance of getting a win.

"There's a buzz around the club, around the whole community, with our supporters again travelling in hoards down to Cornwall to shout us on. It will be a tough challenge, but we trust that if we are at our best, and with that level of support, we will at least  be in with a shout."

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