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Steelmen ready for huge Bridgend clash, says Woods

Steelmen ready for huge Bridgend clash, says Woods

Ebbw Vale head coach Greg Woods has plenty to smile about

Ebbw Vale head coach Greg Woods knows how big his team’s bottom-of-the-table clash with Bridgend Ravens will be at Eugene Cross Park on Saturday afternoon. 

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The Steelmen are in 11th place going into this weekend’s fixtures, a place and six points above the Ravens who are propping up the rest of the Indigo Group Premiership.

Both teams are among Wales’ proudest clubs and will be desperate to avoid relegation. Ebbw know victory would leave them 10 points clear of Bridgend going into Christmas.

Woods said: “It’s a huge, huge game. It will be very important for us to get a win before the Christmas fixtures and get some daylight between us and Bridgend at the bottom.

“We are at the wrong end of the table, but I still think we have been quite competitive this season really. There were a lot of squad changes in the summer and we lost most of the first team from last year.

“Despite that most of our matches have been one-score games and tight encounters.

“Whatever the result is on Saturday I think it’s still going to go to the final weekend to see which team is relegated as everyone is beating each other apart from Cardiff.”

Ebbw are more used to competing at the Premiership’s top end and they won the title in 2016.

This season has been a different story with only two wins and seven defeats from their nine Premiership games to date.

“It’s not the be all and end all game of the season this weekend, but it is a home game for us and we will be under pressure to win,” Woods added.

“Our team will be pretty much the same as last weekend and we have no injuries. We have a clean bill of health and we are ready to go.”

At the other end of the table, Cardiff are 13 points ahead of the chasing pack and it looks like the rest of the division face a tough task in stopping the Blue and Blacks.

Steve Law’s men host regional rivals Merthyr at the Arms Park and could end the Ironmen’s hopes of reclaiming their title.

Merthyr have been the dominant force at Premiership level and have won the last three titles, but Dale McIntosh’s side haven’t hit those heights this year.

They are languishing in mid table this term and must realistically beat Cardiff if they are to stay in touch with the leaders.

Carmarthen Quins are the team closest to Cardiff in second and they host Newport at The Park and will be firm favourites against the Black and Ambers.

In north Wales, RGC host Aberavon.

Neither Llanelli nor Llandovery are in action this weekend with five fixtures taking place rather than the usual six.

Indigo Group Premiership fixtures – December 14 (all kick-offs 2.30pm):

Cardiff vs Merthyr
Carmarthen Quins vs Newport
Ebbw Vale vs Bridgend
RGC 1404 vs Aberavon
Swansea vs Pontypridd

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