Last season’s beaten finalists at Twickenham, Met host the team that pipped them at the death in the showpiece game, Hartpury, at Cynoced. They went down to them away from home and need to pick up points against them this time to stay in the top four.
A bad recent run has seen last season’s runners-up draw 29-29 at Leeds Beckett and lose at home to the current top two teams – 27-26 to Exeter and 23-7 to Bath. They have two games to go to finish the regular season, with a trip to Durham to follow this week’s clash on 6 March.
“We played some of our best rugby of the season for 55 minutes against Leeds Beckett, but then let it slip. We have had a tough start to this year and now it is vital we finish in the four,” said head of rugby, Danny Milton.
“That gives you a home draw in the quarter-finals and the top two teams then get home draws in the semis. These are two very important games to finish the regular campaign.”
Cardiff University have come on strong at the end of their first season in the top flight and look to have done enough to secure their status for another season. If they do stay up it will be a major achievement.
They head to Loughborough this week seeking a notable double having beaten them 20-14 at home. If they can complete the double then they should finish in eight place and go into the Championship play-offs.
They also beat Bath 28-24 and had a Freddie Barns second half try to thank for a vital 10-7 home win over Nottingham Trent. Nottingham are currently bottom of the table and are now favourites to go down, even though they have a game in hand on their relegation rivals. Cardiff now have five wins and finish off at the home of reigning league champions Exeter on 6 March.
Swansea University will be battling to join the two Cardiff teams in Super Rugby having pipped University of South Wales to the play-off place against Northern Champions Newcastle University. They also won the toss for home advantage and will meet them on 3 April.
Whoever wins that game will then face the bottom team in Super Rugby away from home for the final place in the top flight next season.
