Merthyr come into the new campaign with an even bigger target on their backs having been crowned champions for the past three years and skipper Craig Locke has his heart set on a fourth. If the Ironmen can do that they will match the record set by Neath (2005-08) and Pontypridd (2012-15) in winning four in a row.
Their sights may be fixed on more glory, but they couldn’t have asked for a tougher task on the opening weekend with a long trip to Colwyn Bay to meet RGC 1404. The Gogs have a new coaching team this season with Matthew Silva taking over the reins as head coach from Mark Jones.
The former Bridgend coach has long been an admirer of the style of play used by RGC and can’t wait to get into action on Sunday against the champions.
“RGC have played some great rugby over the years and they average four tries per game. My challenge is to take that up to five or six and get some improvement,” said Silva.
“We’ve got a tough start to the season with Merthyr and Cardiff in our opening two matches, but they are both at home in the Indigo Group Premiership and the Specsavers Cup. Those two matches should tell me a lot about my new team.
“I’ve been hugely impressed by the set-up in north Wales and the passion for rugby here is incredible. We’ve lost a few players from last season and a few others having been playing in the Celtic Cup.
“But we’ve got Efan Jones back from the Scarlets to play at scrum half for us this weekend, although back row man Tim Grey won’t be fit after getting injured while at Cardiff Blues.”
Merthyr are also missing a key figure this weekend with head coach Dale McIntosh having joined forces with Mark Jones in the Namibian World Cup coaching team under the guidance of Phil Davies. Gavin Dacey and Rob Sidoli have stepped into the breach and everybody is expecting it to be pretty much business as usual for the Ironmen.
Pontypridd skipper Dafydd Lockyer is preapring for one final fling as the Sardis Road club’s midfield general and sees fellow Merthyr and their opening opponents tonight (Friday, 6 September), Cardiff, as the biggest obstacles in the battle for more silverware.
“It is probably going to be my last season so it would be nice to finish above Merthyr and Cardiff and win the league again or triumph in the cup. It is going to take some doing to finish ahead of either of them because they’ve both got top squads,” said Lockyer.
“We are going to have to push harder than we have done for a long time to win something. We beat Merthyr at home and should have beaten them up there, while it was one-all against Cardiff, so there is a lot of respect between us all.”
While Lockyer has been retained as club captain at Sardis Road, there is a new man in charge at the Arms Park following the departure to Canada of Joey Tomlinson. No 8 Morgan Allen has stepped into the leading role and he can’t wait to get the new season started.
It may have taken a decade to pick up their latest piece of silverware, but according to Allen, the capital city club are eyeing up more silverware. Last season saw them bridge a gap of 22 years between WRU National Cup wins and the Blue & Blacks also finished six points behind Merthyr as runners-up in the Premiership.
“There won’t be any easy games this season because there is quality in every team. Whatever people say about this league there are some very good players playing in it,” said new Cardiff skipper, Allen.
“We had a poor start to last season and threw away a couple of results which really cost us. We clicked just before Christmas and that gave us confidence and momentum.
“We can’t afford another poor start and we couldn’t have a tougher opener than playing against Ponty. It would be nice to win something once again this season and we have brought in some quality players with the aim of stepping up a level.
“It had been quite a long time since we’d won anything before last season and the only person around the playing group who remembered winning a trophy was one of the physios. Cardiff is a massive club with a lot of heritage and it is a great honour for me to be made captain.”
It is a tough start for everyone over the opening weekend. While Cardiff host Pontypridd in a classic derby, live on Scrum V on BBC Wales, there are two other big derby clashes with which to welcome the fans back to the season as Swansea host Llanelli and Ebbw Vale welcome Newport on Saturday.
Carmarthen Quins and Llandovery have postponed their game, due to a clash with the Scarlets A fixture in the Celtic Cup, There will be automatic relegation for the bottom side this season, while the top six will qualify for the 2020/21 cross-border tournament with the new Super-Six clubs in Scotland, Last season’s top six will play in the inaugural competition at the end of this season. It means there is a lot to play for other than the honour of being crowned the best club side in Wales.
INDIGO GROUP PREMIERSHIP Round 1
Friday, 6 September
Bridgend v Aberavon (7.30pm)
Cardiff v Pontypridd (7.05pm)
Saturday, 7 September
Swansea v Llanelli (2.30pm)
Ebbw Vale v Newport (5.30pm)
Sunday, 7 September
RGC 1404 v Merthyr (2.30pm)
