The Wizards toppled last season’s double winners 22-14 at The Wern in a Principality Premiership game on 22 September. They meet them again at the Talbot Athletic Ground in the return match at the end of January.
In between, they travel to Sardis Road to face Pontypridd in what is a really tough month for Jason Hyatt’s men. If they can come through this month unscathed then they will be well placed.
Friday, 4 January
Aberavon v Merthyr (7.30pm)
Saturday, 5 January
Bedlinog v Pontypridd (2.00pm)
Carmarthen Quins v Ebbw Vale (2.30pm)
Llandovery v Beddau (2.30pm)
Newcastle Emlyn v Bargoed (2.00pm)
Newport v RGC 1404 (Arms Park, 6.30pm)
Rhydyfelin v Bedwas (2.00pm)
Swansea v Narberth (2.30pm)
Tata Steel v Cardiff (2.00pm)
Trebanos v Maesteg Quins (2.30pm)
Ystrad Rhondda v Llanelli (2.30pm)
Byes: Bridgend, Cardiff Met, Cross Keys, Newbridge
Pontypridd, meanwhile, head to Bedlinog for their first round cup tie. They haven’t won the trophy since 2014 and head coach Justin Burnell is hoping to put that record straight this year
“The cup is massively in our thinking,” admitted Burnell after his side’s Principality Premiership defeat to title rivals Cardiff at the Arms Park earlier in the week. “The great aspect of the cup is the journey you go on.
“It is always a great day out and it is nice to go back to the grass-roots clubs. I am very proud of my old club, Llantwit Fardre, and I was there last weekend, and so it will be great to Bedlinog.
“We are still second in the table and we are still in the fight. It was a disappointing result for us at the Arms Park, and not getting a point from the game was the hardest thing to take, but both Merthyr and Cardiff still have to come to Sardis Road before the end of the season.”
Bedlinog are currently fifth in the WRU National Championship and know exactly what it takes to go all the way to the Principality Stadium having won the WRU National Plate in 2016. On that occasion they beat Penallta 12-10 at the end of a season in which they won the Division 1 East title and graduated into the Championship.
Inaugural champions Neath, who won the first of their six titles in 1972, have scratched from their fixture with Championship leaders Pontypool due to their on-going financial problems, while seven times winners Cardiff head to Tata Steel.
The two teams met in a friendly at the start of the season, when Cardiff ran out 59-22 victors, and they also met in the cup at the same stage ago seasons ago. On that occasion the Blue & Blacks triumphed 76-22.
Lee Jarvis takes his Beddau side to Llandovery buoyed by the fact they beat Maesteg Quins 21-0 at home last time out to end a run of four defeats. Skipper Lewis Egal and wing James Davies return to the Beddau side behind the scrum, while up front Sam Tiley returns from a long term injury and Regan Wilson and Owen Cotton also return from the treatment table.
Llanelli, Bargoed and Bedwas all face tricky trips to Championships sides. Llanelli are at Ystrad Rhondda, who are currently second in the table, while Bargoed head to Newcastle Emlyn and Bedwas are travelling to Rhydyfelin. Bedwas will at least have some local knowledge in their ranks as wing Jordan Rees is a former Rhydyfelin player.
Swansea host Narberth, while Trebanos welcome Maesteg Quins. It will be a welcome return to the competition for the Quins, who last played in the tournament in December, 2007
WRU NATIONAL CUP TEAMS
Aberavon: Chris Banfield; Frankie Jones, Will Price, Rheon James, Stef Andrews; Liam Popham, Iwan Temblett; Rowan Jenkins, Luke Davies, Geraint James, Ben Davies, Rhodri Hughes, Ashton Evans, Andrew Waite, Joe Tomalin-Reeves
Reps: Jacob Flynn, Joe Gage, Luke Joseph, Ieuan Davies, Lee Purnell, Rhys Henry, Jordan Walters, Ben Thomas
Bargoed: Calum Jones (captain); Jordan Purcell, Barney Nightingale, Darren Humphries, Ashley Norton; Josh Prosser, Matthew Bancroft; Michael Kavanagh, Lewys Lippiett, Keegan Bale, Geraint Edmunds, Louis Blacker, Ashley Gibson, Grant Rogers, Adam Powell
Reps: James Leadbeater, Duan Thomas, Jordan Howells, Wade Langley, Callum Davies, Bryce Morgan, Alex Gardner-Key, John Lavender
Beddau: Cody Baker; James Davies, Adam Ashford, Lewis Egal (captain), Kieran Gay; Hywel Chatham, Jack Secher; Owen Cotton, Matthew Howells, Ben Lee, Ben White, Rhys Owens, Thomas Geere, Regan Wilson, Sam Tiley
Reps: Ethan Coombes, B.Jones, Ryan Phillips, Gareth Hopkins, Luke Davies, Rhys Lott
Bedlinog: Dylan Williams; Rhys Walker, Sam Farrer-Evans, Ben Grzesica, Rhys Davies; Dan Parry, Liam Roberts; Ryan Thomas, Ieuan Morris, Nathan Huish, Jordan Cleaver, Damon Pritchard, Aaron Harris, Regan Wilton, Andrew Murphy
Reps: Richard Rees, Leigh Bennett, Josh Hughes, Alex Meeson, Scott Sullivan, Iain Smerdon, Sam Davies, Tom Farrer-Evans
Bedwas: Ben White; Jordan Rees, Callum Williams, Adam Williams, Kane Teear-Bourge; Joe Scrivens, Rory Harries; Brynley Toms, Mike Dacey, Rhys Hutcherson, Craig Hudd, Gareth Allen, 6. Nathan Hudd, Bradley Hill, Dale Rogers (captain)
Reps: Sam Cochrane, Ellis Evans, James Richards, Josh Hayward, Will Fishlock, Luke Crane, Lewis Bowden, Tom Candy
Cardiff: Tom Williams; Llywarch Ap Myrddin, Adam Jones, Will Rees-Hole, Edd Howley; Steffan Jones, Martin Roberts (captain); Fraser Young, Ian Jenkins, Kieron Brown, Kieron Martin, James Murphy, Sam Pailor, Zach O’Driscoll, Tom Daley
Reps: Ramaz Rhukhadze, Joey Tomlinson, Peter Lloyd, Thomas Davies, Callum James, Scott Gibson, Gareth Thompson, Johnny Wood
Carmarthen Quins: Aled Thomas; Curtis Ford, Osian Knott, Josh Batcup, Dylan Morgans; Steff Marshall, Jonathon Evans; Tom Ball, Steff Phillips, Connor Allen, Lee Taylor, Haydn Pugh (captain), Ed Siggery, Gethin Davies, Lewys Millin
Reps: Angus Harries, Lewis Roberts, Javan Sebastian, Morgan Minchin, Sion Colella, Gareth Rees, Dan Evans, Mark Robins
Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond; Steffan Thomas, Carl Meyer, James Lewis, Toby Fricker; Rhys Jones, Dai Jones; Ross Jones, Rhys Francis, Rob Sevenoaks, Rhys Clarke, Ashley Sweet (captain), Cameron Regan, Lloyd Evans, Lewis Young
Reps: Joe Franchi, Luke Garrett, Curtis Hicks, Kristian Parker, Owen Young, Matthew Flanagan, Luke Shore, Sam Ireland
Llandovery: Gavin Thomas; Corey Baldwin, Carwyn Evans, Rhodri Jones, Brandon Wood; Kristian Jones, Lee Rees; Dino Dallavalle, Dafydd Hughes, Llyr Green, Rhys Jones, Joe Powell, Lewis Ellis-Jones, Shaun Miles, Richard Brooks (captain)
Reps: Berian Watkins, Jamie Hughes, Jordan Evans, Emyr Price, Matthew Moore, Matthew Hughes, Jack Maynard, Scott Maynard
Llanelli: Kalum Evans; Tom Rogers, Ryan Davies, Oli Reyland, Liam Hutchings, Ashley Sutton, Gareth George; Rhys Fawcett, Taylor Davies, Ryan Thomas, Chris Long, Ashleigh Hyndman, Joel James, Nathan Hart (captain), Joe Miles
Reps: Greg George, Rhys Thomas, Liam Tobias, Jake Baker, Elliott Rees, Josh Weeds, Jonny Lewis, Leon Randell
Merthyr: Matthew Jarvis; Lewis Williams, Adam Thomas, Arron Pinches, Jay Baker; Gareth Davies, Justin James; Nathan Trevett, Rhys Williams, Louis Jones, Patrick McBride, Craig Locke (captain), Hemi Barnes, Jake Thomas, Phil Rees
Reps: Matt Dwyer, James Howe, Rhys James, Osian Davies, Samual Evans, Adam Hoskins, Richard Powell, Harry Davies
Narberth: Nick Gale; Jack Price, Keiron Jones, Jake Jenkins, Will Lewis; Ianto Griffiths, Rhys Lane; Dan Jacobs, Rhodri Owens, Tom Kajaks, Ryan Bean, Alex Jenkins (captain), Rich Rees, Andrew Cooke, Steff Phillips
Reps: Bradley Davies, Tom Slater, Tom Powell, Harry Phillips, Matthew Morgan, Jonathan Morgan, Jonathan Rogers
Newport: David Richards; Adam Sabri, Haydn Palmer, Geraint O’Driscoll, Andy Evans; Haydn Simons, Geraint Watkin; Lewis Smout, Henry Palmer, Jack Williams, Rhys Cresswell, Dan Partridge, Chris Williams, Josh Reid Mathew Reed
Reps: Will Evans, Dan Preece, Tom Piper, Joe Bartlett, Morgan Burgess, Iwan Bergwin, Matt O’Brien, Chay Smith
Pontypridd: Ben Jones; Alex Webber, Alex Knott, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Dale Stuckey; Diggy Bird, Dane Blacker; Ian George, Geraint Clark, Gareth Smith, Shay Smallman, Chris Dicomidis, Sean Moore, Rhys Shellard, Steff Jenkins
Reps: Huw Owens, Joe Page, Will Davies-King, Lloyd Evans, Sion Edwards, Dai Francis, Gab Davies, Lloyd Rowlands
RGC 1404: Dion Jones; Iolo Evans, Tom Hughes, Danny Cross, Harri Evans; McBryde, Efan Jones; Joe Simpson, Evan Yardley (captain), Sam Wainwright, Andrew Williams, Bryn Jones, Will Bryan, Meilir Parry, Tim Grey
Reps: George Roberts, Curtis Reynolds, Jordan Scott, Robin Williams, Ilan Rowlands, Nick Butterworth, John Jones, Karl Martin
Swansea: Luke Griffiths; Andrew Claypole, Mike Evans, Jedd Evans, Gareth Rees; Foard Cooksley, Chirs Morgans; Jack Powell, Ifan Phillips, Richard Murphy, Sam Kiley (captain), Matt Dodd, Jon Vaughan, Ben Davies, Charlie Davies
Reps: Paul John, Ben Uphill, Greg Cunliffe, Jay Williams, Duane Eager, Tom Ham, Jake Randall, Nathan Trowbridge
Ystrad Rhondda: Carl Swannuck; Sion Summers, Adam Lewis, Corey Shephard, Kurtis Williams; Rhys Truleove, Jack Foulkes; Tom Foulkes, Carl Williams, Mitch Auger, Nathan Hughes (captain), Kyle Evans, Harvey Connolly, Mason Roderick, Liam Davies
Reps: Neil Jones, Jordan Southway, David Webb, Thomas Jevons, Jarrad Llewellyn, Jay Harris, Ethan Dunning, Aron Clarke
