The Cross Keys coach was on international duty with Poland, rather than club duty with Keys, as the Admiral Championship side welcomed an international team to their home for the first of two games in three days in Wales.
On Friday, 4 November (5.30pm kick-off), the Polish team head to Cyncoed to take on Cardiff Met. Having beaten a young Keys side 37-12, they will be hoping to make it a Welsh double.
Stoddart joined forces with the Polish head coach, fellow Welshman Christian Hitt, in guiding the fortunes off the side and they managed to win the Rugby Europe Tier 3 title last season. The two games in Wales are aimed at preparing the national side for their Rugby Europe Championship campaign that kicks off in Romania on 4 February.
“We’ve got some big games coming up so this short trip to Wales was all about giving the players a chance to get some competitive practice under their belts. I have to say it was a bit strange going into the away dressing room at Pandy Park and the Keys players did give me a bit of stick,” admitted Stoddart.
Sam Stelmaszek of Poland feeds Jakub Maleki
“Keys used the fixture to give some younger players a game and it was a great exercise all-round. The Polish boys loved Pandy Park, even though it was a bit wet, and enjoyed the rugby atmosphere in the clubhouse.
“It was a very competitive game, and we were very happy with the win in the end. We had 20 Polish-based players in our squad, a couple from French clubs and then a dozen UK-based players.”
Ebbw Vale flanker Dawid Rubasniak missed the chance to play because of an injury sustained in training, but the visitors did have one Welsh-based player in their squad in Burry Port lock in Jakub Malecki
Having led 19-5 at the break, the Poles went on to complete a handsome victory that included a penalty try, interception try and five tries in all.
