Non-league Wattstown are always a tough nut to crack in Cup rugby, especially at home, and there will be no faint hearts at Memorial Park as they face league club Pencoed. Wattstown team manager Mark Leyshon is adamant that they can give anyone a good battle.
‘We are hard to beat at home and I am just pleased of the draw we have,’ he said. ‘We have to show that we are as good as League sides. In Round One we defeated Pontllanfraith by 33-18 and we could easily survive with the first-class clubs.’
There will also be home ties also for Beaufort against an ailing Usk club, Girlings against struggling Canton and Glyncorrwg versus a Swansea Uplands club who conceded 99 points at home last Saturday. All three away clubs will do well to win, while Penallta and Trefil face North Wales opposition from Newtown and Rhigos respectively.
One league club searching to return to glory days are Dunvant, who had two spells in the Premier Division and have possibly the best playing surface in Wales at the excellent Broadacre ground in the Swansea area.
They are coached this season by Phil Sterio with assistants in former Wales A hooker Marcus Thomas and Dean Evans, and 20-year-old skipper Christian Richards leads a squad with many in their late teens and early 20s, plus their experienced fllanker Paul Morris.
The first round of the WRU Challenge Cup brought a good win over Glynneath and long-serving team manager Peter Thomas is pleased with a second round home draw against Abercwmboi.
‘We run teams from under-8s through to youth, with two senior sides and a veterans team, but it is only the latter who have ever met Abercwmboi. I remember them as good singers at the bar afterwards!’
Nelson have several club members following the fortunes of Wales in Australia, but the club side are continuing without them and their new coach, former Cardiff and Newport outside half Keith James, is pleased with the way his young team are playing.
‘We are taking the cup match in North Wales very seriously and will be spending two nights in Bangor, travelling up on Friday and returning on Sunday. It is more good experience for us and hopefully we will secure a win there.’
Coach Tony Edwards is eagerly awaiting his minnows of Machen’s match against the cup stars of Abercynon in a Division Five versus Two clash.
‘This will be a big one for us as they are the Division Two leaders,’ said Edwards. ‘We have to show what a Division Five side can do and they will be tough opponents.”
Eastern clubs have 22 ties, including an all-Division Two battle for Builth Wells against an in-form Waunarlwydd, and there are 17 ties in the West where Colwyn Bay and unbeaten Ruthin make the long trips to Gorseinon and Cwmavon. The South-East has 17 ties also and students play away in two of these with Fairwater entertaining Swansea University and the useful Cardiff Medicals making the trip to Tonyrefail.
There are just 11 ties to play on South-West grounds that include Baglan against Dollgellau and Skewen versus Llandudno and in the North there will only be four clubs at home as in addition to Bangor, Llangefni meet Tredegar Ironsides and Rhos take on Tumble with Bethesda having visitors from their own division in Denbigh.
The games at Llangwm and Merthyr are off as opponents Croesyceiliog and Cwmgwrach are not travelling and Rhydyfelin have a bye into Round Three.
The draw for Round Two is: Aberaeron v Dowlais; Aberavon Quins v Kenfig Hill; Abergavenny v Aberystwyth; Amman Utd v Cefneithin; Baglan v Dolgellau; Bangor v Nelson; Banwen v Pontarddulais; Beaufort v Usk; Bedlinog v Pontardawe; Bethesda v Denbigh; Betws v Laugharne; Blaenavon v Trebanos; Blaina v Newcastle Emlyn; Bridgend Ath v Fishguard; Briton Ferry v Glais; Builth Wells v Waunarlwydd; Caldicot v Nantyffyllon; Cefn Coed v Alltwen; Cilfynydd v Pentyrch; Corus v Llanybydder; Crymych v Abercarn; Cwmavon v Ruthin; Dinas Powys v Tycroes; Dunvant v Abercwmboi; Fairwater v Swansea Univ; Felinfoel v Old Penarthians; Fleur de Lys v Gowerton; Gilfach Goch v St Clears; Girlings v Canton; Glyncorrwg v Swansea Uplands; Gorseinon v Colwyn Bay; Gwernyfed v Bryncoch; Heol y Cyw v Kidwelly; Llandaff v Pontypool Utd; Llandaff North v Ystradgynlais; Llandeilo v Risca; Llandybie v New Dock Stars; Llanelli Wdrs v Aberdare; Llangefni v Tredegar Irons; Llangwm v Croesyceiliog (off); Llanhilleth v Llanidloes; Llantrisant v Brecon; Machen v Abercynon; Merthyr v Cwmtwrch (off); Morriston v Deri; Mountain Ash v Chepstow; Mumbles v St Joseph’s; Nantymoel v Nantyglo; New Tredegar v Newport HSOB; Newport Saracens v St David’s; Neyland v Llantwit Fardre; Oakdale v Ammanford; Ogmore Vale v Ynysddu; Old Illtydians v Barry; Pembroke v Cwmbran; Penallta v Newtown; Penclawdd v Trinant; Pill Harriers v Penarth; Pontycymmer v Neath Ath; Porthcawl v Cefn Cribbwr; Rhos v Tumble; Rhymney v Bynea; RTB (Ebbw Vale) v Brynithel; Senghenydd v Abercrave; Seven Sisters v Furnace Utd; Skewen v Llandudno; South Wales Police v Tonmawr; St Peter’s v Pyle; Taffs Well v Cwmllynfell; Talywain v Pwllheli; Tonna v Pembroke Dock Qns; Tonyrefail v Cardiff Medicals; Trefil v Rhigos; Treherbert v Bettws; Tylorstown v Trimsaran; Vardre v Caernarfon; Wattstown v Pencoed; Ystalyfera v Taibach; Ystrad Rhondda v Pontyberem.
Bye – Rhydyfelin.
