Bargoed are still in with a chance of a league and cup double and intend to make the most of their opportunity at a venue where their former captain and secretary Rob Butcher, chairman of the WRU knows pretty well.
It has been some journey for Bargoed, down among the dead men of Welsh rugby 20 years ago in Division 6 and today striding out onto the hallowed turf at Principality Stadium. Along the way they have become one of the most successful community clubs in the country and rose as high as the Premiership.
These days they have to content themselves with being the top dog in the Championship, although last weekend’s defeat at Ystrad Rhondda rather spoiled their record this season with a first defeat.
Not that the 25-15 scoreline will dent their chances of taking home some priceless silverware today. Perhaps, reckons team manager and club stalwart Brett Wakefield, it will have given the team the kick up the backside they needed.
“We’ve never been to the Principality Stadium before and we can’t wait to have a great day out. Neath have been there and done it all, but we’ll be going there to make the most of our opportunity,” said Wakefield.
“Ystrad fully deserved their win and it was maybe the jolt we needed before we go to the Principality Stadium. We’ll have a few debates over selection now, but we’ll be ready to hit back.”
Wakefield remembers the days of slogging around in the lower divisions. So, too, does local lad and club chairman, Neil Carter, who was charged with masterminding a recovery plan when the club came within one defeat of dropping out of the WRU National League system.
“The club was in a pretty bad state all those years ago. A group of senior players who were about to hang up our boots decided we needed to do something,” said Carter, managing director of the highly successful CarterLauren construction company.
“We set up a group to look into the future and came up with an ambitious 10-year plan. We went outside the club for the first time to find some coaches, re-structured the junior section and we determined the only way to rise up the ranks was to play attractive rugby.”
They rose from Division 6 to Division 1, reached the Championship and then became a Premiership side. They took some major scalps in the cup, yet now sit 80 minutes away from what would be the greatest prize of them all – a cup win at the home of Welsh rugby.
They beat Neath 22-20 at The Gnoll in January, but know that what has gone on before won’t determine the outcome this afternoon. A cup and league double is still well within their grasp, but can they deliver?
Go back 50 years and you’ll find that Neath won the inaugural WRU Challenge Cup on this very same Principality Stadium site, albeit in the days it was known as the National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park. Go even further back into the mists of time and you’ll find the Neath A side winning the second edition of the South Wales Challenge Cup in 1895.
The task facing Patrick Horgan’s team today is to complete the hat-trick by adding the Indigo Group Premiership Cup to their club’s collection. As far as crowning glories are concerned in the club’s 150th anniversary season, it would be the perfect ending to their Championship campaign.
One of the oldest, most successful and biggest clubs in the history of the game in Wales, more recent times have been tough for the Welsh All Blacks. That’s why head coach Horgan is hoping his players can rise to the occasion to give the fans something positive to shot about.
“There have been some dark times at the club, so it’s nice to see us come out the other end. We had a large amount of players on permit, and it got to the stage where I didn’t know many of the players who turned up on a Saturday,” said Horgan.
“It was a case of introducing themselves to us coaches and stating their position. The turnaround since then has been remarkable. Winning silverware would be just rewards for how hard this club has worked both on and off the field over the past few years.
“Bargoed beat Pontypool convincingly a couple of weeks ago and are a very physical side. We know we will need our best performance of the season to win.
“I think it will be about mindset on the day and matching them physically. If we can do that it can be our day. Training has gone up a few notches in recent weeks, and I’m quietly confident we can get a good result.”
For Neath skipper it will be the first of two trips to the Principality Stadium for major finals this month. He will be back as a water carrier for the Neath Schools side in the DC Thomas U11 Welsh Schools Bowl final against Cardiff Schools on Wednesday.
Leading the Neath team on that occasion will be his son, Jackson Bramwell. What a great double celebration that would make!
Bargoed: Rhys Thomas; Dylan Lewis, Steff Jones, Darren Humphries, Duane Dyer; Josh Prosser, James Leadbetter; Kieran Brown (captain), Wade Langley, Alex Gardner-Key, Geraint Edmunds, Matthew Thomas, Lewis Johnson, Callum Davies, Adam Powell
Reps: Dafydd Carter, Jordan Howells, Grant Rogers, James Locke, Louis Blacker, Jack Williams, Rhys Buckley, Aaron Elliott
Neath: Aaron Bramwell (captain); James Roberts, Ryan Evans, David Langdon, Matthew Jenkins; Steff Williams, Elis Horgan; Jack Powell, Sion Crocker, Tim Ryan, Sam Langford, Jon Barley, Alun Jones, Owain Morgan, David Griggs
Reps: Josh Clark, Gareth Lloyd, Zak Giannini, Jacob Blackmore, Carwyn Sion, Dyfan Ceredig, Nicky Griffiths, Jon Bayliss
