With each premier game looking attractive, the pick of them may well be at Pontypool Park, where the home side, superbly coached by former hooker Steve Jones will come up against a very useful Aberavon squad, just as ably coached by former flanker Chris O’Callaghan.
This should have been a big match for Wizards wing Lenny Woodard, but
Instead of appearing for them against his old club, Pontypool, he will sit it out and keep himself back for Sunday’s Wales Rugby League test against Russia.
Of the last 22 matches between the clubs, Pontypool have won 21 and drawn on the other occasion. Their last meeting at Aberavon also resulted in a Pooler win, by 40-12 last May, which gave them the Division One title.
Bring on the Scarlets! That is certainly the cry of Bedwas, who last week downed Swansea at Bridge Field and on that basis should follow with Llanelli’s scalp also.
Swansea will hope to get back to winning ways at home to Caerphilly, but will find the visitors tough opponents, who grabbed a win at St Helen’s last season.
Former Caerphilly players Luke Richards and Gareth Jones are likely to be in the All-Whites lineup.
Cardiff have always found winning at Pandy Park fairly easy, but Saturday’s match against Cross Keys may be the exception, though the Key as coach Dai Rees is searching for forwards with Kevin Lewis, Glen Stroud, David Tovey, Will Thomas, Andrew Gibbs and skipper Tyron Morris all out of action.
Pontypridd are unbeaten at Sardis Road this season and take on Llandovery, who have yet not won away, while Newbridge, after winning at the Arms Park last week, will be confident to halt Bridgend at the Welfare Ground.
Leaders Newport will find Carmarthen Quins no pushover at Rodney Parade, but Ebbw Vale, who have lost their last four matches, will not relish the trip to Neath, who have won their last three games.
One match was played in Division One last Tuesday, when Brynmawr went to Tredegar and notched seven tries in a 46-3 success. The 16 points scored by fly half Jason Williams took him to 104 for the season thus far, with wing Richard Dennington crossing twice to add to the three he scored earlier this season.
Brynmawr now travel to Llangennech, where they will batch fire power with fire power, or in other words the boot of Williams against the massive one by Mark Jones of Llangennech.
Tredegar go in search of their first win to Carmarthen Athletic, while fellow strugglers Tondu and Treorchy meet up in a basement struggle.
The ‘nearly men’ of Rumney will make another huge effort at Whitland, where the odds favour the Borderers, but there is unklikely to be a place for 43-years-old Larry Feneck this week, after he played alongside his teenage son against Narberth.
Glamorgan Wanderers have the fearsome task of going to Llanharan, where the leaders are running riot against all opposition and having scored 60 tries in just eight outings.
The scoreline may be closer at Llynfi Road, where second-placed Maesteg will find the youthful Beddau squad very lively, as will Bonymaen against UWIC at Parc Mawr, though the Students have conceded 97 points in their last two matches.
The final match is at Narberth, where the Otters entertain Blackwood, whose fly half Jeremy Lloyd has scored 88 points, but after five wins and a draw, the visitors have lost their last two games, while Narberth have won their last three and are unbeaten at home since the first day of the season.
