Last season’s Principality Premiership champions have already pocketed the WRU National Cup and will follow Pontypridd and Neath in completing the double this century. The Ironmen’s 17-14 win at Ebbw Vale earlier in the week took them to within three points of retaining their title with two games to play.
If they do get over the line in Bargoed it will make it six trophies in the past five seasons. The silverware haul began in 2013/14 when they won the Division 1 East title and captured the Swalec Plate.
They won the WRU National Championship title in 2015/16 and then marched into the Premiership last season and scooped the top prize in Welsh rugby after being beaten in the final few moments of the semi-finals of the Cup. This season they are odds on to complete the double.
“To take a team like Merthyr and complete the league and cup double is an incredible achievement. But winning trophies is only a part of the rugby revolution that is going on in the town,” said Nigel Davies, the club’s chief executive.
“They had to get the shop window right, and be competitive on the field, to get the community on board with the whole project. We’re getting 200 youngsters turning up to our Mini Rugby session, we’ve got a 30-strong squad in our Youth section and we’ve had Wales Under 18 and Under 20 caps from the club this season.
“A number of players represented the Blues in the B&I Cup and Anglo-Welsh and Ben Murphy has now earned himself a contract at the Blues having played with us over the last few seasons. We bussed all our juniors to the Principality Stadium for the cup final to give them a taste of what they can achieve and we want to do so much more within our community.
“Next season we are establishing an academy with the local college and we want to improve our facilities at The Wern and open them up to more community activity. There has been considerable investment from Sir Stan Thomas, but there has also been an incredible amount of hard work from the committee at the club.
“Now the challenge is to make this success sustainable and se are already looking at new talent to enhance our squad for next season.”
Of course, Merthyr have to get a win at Bargoed to take the title this weekend in a game that will be screened live on S4C (from 2.45pm). They complete their season on Tuesday night with a home clash with Aberavon, the team they beat to take the title last season.
The battle for the runners-up spot will go down to the wire with Pontypridd and Llandovery both still in the hunt.
The Drovers have a game in hand and will be guaranteed to overtake Ponty if they can win their final two matches with a bonus-point and reach 63 points.
They head to Swansea this weekend and then host Llanelli at Church Bank next Saturday. Ponty finish off their campaign at Pandy Park against Cross Keys.
Neath head to Carmarthen Quins hoping to get something out of the game in order to overtake Bargoed and not finish bottom of the table for the second time in three seasons.
Bridgend Ravens head to the Talbot Athletic Ground for the final Principality Premiership game of the campaign on Saturday afternoon (2:30pm).
Teams
Aberavon v Bridgend
Aberavon: Chris Banfield; Frankie Jones, Joe Thomas, Will Price, Shaun Pearce; Liam Popham, Jacob Flynn; Rowan Jenkins, Luke Davies, Rhys Forse, Ben Thomas, Ben Jones, Lee Purnell (capt), Luke Joseph, Rob Dudley-Jones
Reps: Iwan Temblett, Steffen Williams, Stuart Nicholas, Ieuan Davies, Mike Burgess, Joe Tomalin-Reeves, Chris Davies, Ben Davies
Bridgend: Jamie Murphy; Aaron Grabham, Stuart Floyd Ellis, Nathan Edwards, Mike Powell; Ryan Evans, Chris Williams; Rhodri Apsee, Gareth Harvey, Cai Lewis, Chris John, Lloyd Ashley, Mathew Donnelly, Zac O’Driscoll (captain), Dafi Davies
Reps: Iestyn Merriman, Owen Jordan, Neil Elworthy, Ashton Evans, Matthew John, Connor Tantum, Jacob Lloyd, Will Holley
Bargoed v Merthyr
Bargoed: Julian Mogg; Duane Dyer, Luke Smalley, Darren Humphries, Ashley Norton; Calum Jones, Matthew Hutcheon; Rhys Morgan (captain), Lewys Lippiett, Alex Gardner-Key, James Locke, Louis Blacker, Grant Rogers. Leigh Meades
Reps: Matthew Bancroft, Adam Jones, Lewis Johnson, Lewis Weyman, Michael Kavanagh
Merthyr: Matthew Jarvis; Kyle Evans, Tom Riley, Arron Pinches, Richard Carter; Gareth Davies, Justin James; Nathan Trevett, Rhys Williams, Joe Rees, Craig Locke (captain), Ed Siggery, Osian Davies, Phil Rees
Reps: Matt Dwyer, Louis Jones, Lee James Evans, Gavin Dacey, Josh Martin
Cardiff v Ebbw Vale
Cardiff: Llywarch Ap Myrddin; Amir Jiwa-Waji, Jack Phillips, Will Rees-Hole, Corey Howells; Gareth Thompson, Geraint Watkin; Kieron Brown, Nathan Huish, Peter Lloyd, Ben White, Joe Miles, Tyler Oliver, Luke Crocker, Tom Daley
Reps: Fraser Young, Ian Jenkins, Adam Court, James Little, Tom Wilson, Nicky Griffiths, Lewis Bowden, Jake Haven
Ebbw Vale: Luke Shore; James Lewis, Paul King, Dom Franchi, Toby Fricker; Dai Langdon, Sam Ireland; Joel Harries, Joe Franchi, Curtis Hicks; Kristian Parker, Lance Randall; Cameron Reagan, Ronny Kynes, Lewis Young
Reps: Rhys Francis, Ross Jones, Rob Sevenoaks, Owen Young, Matthew Flanagan, Callum Hall, James Gahan, Srdan Makjic
Carmarthen Quins v Neath
Carmarthen Quins: Aled Thomas; Dylan Morgans, Nic Reynolds, Josh Batcup, Dale Ford; Jac Wilson, Ifan Beynon-Thomas; Nathan Williams, Rhodri Clancy, Javan Sebastian, Josh Helps, Haydn Pugh (captain), Lewys Millin, Gethin Davies, Lee Taylor
Reps: Steffan Phillips, Gethin Robinson, Steff Thomas, Richard Bloomfield, Elis Lloyd, Aron Hemmings, Steff Marshall, Morgan Griffiths
Neath: Ed Howley; James Roberts, Dan Guarneri, Keiran Williams, Scott Gibson; Luke Price, Chris Morgans; Liam Tobias, Aled Morris, Geraint James, Rhys Jones, Jon Barley, Jordan Collier (captain), Leon Ward, Elis Hopkins
Reps: Neil White, Sion Crocker, Ben Uphill, Garin Lloyd, Ceri White, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Luke Scully, Ryan Pugh
Cross Keys v Pontypridd
Cross Keys: TBC
Pontypridd: Lloyd Rowlands; Geraint Walsh, Alex Knott, Gary Williams, Dale Stuckey; Diggy Bird, Joel Raikes; Ian George, Huw Dowden, Will Davies-King, Sean Moore, Chris Dicomidis, Morgan Sieniawski, Rhys Shellard (captain), Hemi Barnes
Reps: Huw Rees, Jordan Rees, Rhys Morgan, Joe Page, Sion Edwards, Ross Morgan, Huw Owen, Joe Popple
Llanelli v Bedwas
Llanelli: TBC
Bedwas: Aaron Bramwell; Adam Williams, Mike Callow, Steffan Jones (captain), Matthew John; Joe Scrivens, Tom Rowlands; Brynley Toms, Mike Dacey, Rhys Hutcherson, Geraint Edmunds, Adam Dove, James Richards, David McGuigan, Andrew Waite
Reps: Tom Devine, Alun Rees, Lloyd Bridges, Dale Rogers, Josh Williams, Luke Crane, Patric Lewis, Dai Evans
RGC 1404 v Newport
RGC: Dion Jones; Afon Bagshaw, Tiaan Loots, Danny Cross, Iolo Evans; Jacob Botica, Alex Schwarz; Jordan Scott, Evan Yardley, Charlie Connolly, Bryn Jones, Robin Williams, Mei Parry, Will Bryan, Tim Grey
Reps: George Roberts, Curtis Reynolds, Joe Simpson, Alex Taylor, Calum Donnelly, Cam Davies, Efan Jones, Ianto Pari
Newport: TBC
Swansea v Llandovery
Swansea: Josh Thomas; Andrew Claypole, Jake Randall, Ben Cambriani, Dan Howells; James Davies, Rhodri Wells; Jack Powell, Sion Jones, Richard Murphy, Sam Kiley, Tudor Hughes, Jon Vaughan, Ben Davies, Jon Fox (captain)
Reps: Tom Ball, Lewys Bullock, Fenton Holder, Matt Dodd, Steff Jones, Josh Guy, Callum Carson , Owen Howe
Llandovery: Lee Rees; Kristian Jones, Ryan Evans, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Jack Maynard, Scott Maynard; Berian Watkins, Matthew Moore, Dexter Thomas, Jack Jones, Joe Powell, Lewis Ellis-Jones, Stuart Worrall, Richard Brooks (captain)
Reps: Llyr Green, Jamie Hughes, Bryn Griffiths, Morgan Jones, Garan Williams, Shaun Miles, A.N.Other, Llyr Davies
PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES
Saturday, 12 May
Aberavon v Bridgend
Bargoed v Merthyr
Cardiff v Ebbw Vale
Carmarthen Quins v Neath
Cross Keys v Pontypridd
Llanelli v Bedwas
RGC 1404 v Newport
Swansea v Llandovery
Tuesday, 15 May
Cross Keys v Ebbw Vale
Merthyr v Aberavon
Saturday, 19 May
Bargoed v RGC 1404
Llandovery v Llanelli
