Last season they were overcome 32-24 by Llanharan in the WRU National Bowl Final. Now thy are bidding to win the WRU Division 4 Cup.
They will run onto the sacred turf in the Welsh capital hoping to extend an unbeaten run this season that currently stands at 16 games. Not one blemish on their record to date, although Nantyglo will have something to say about that, no doubt.
No fewer than 12 of the team that played in last year’s final will be back in the starting XV, which is once again led by No 8 Morgan Griffiths. Over last season and this they have lost only two league and cup matches and are another side hoping to bag a league and cup double.
Wing Shane Howells scored two tries against Llanharan last year, while hooker Dafydd Evans crossed for the other Bryncethin try.
Nantyglo are currently sitting proudly on top of Division 4 East and reached the final with a 13-7 win over Wattstown in the semi-final. Cup final fever then spread like wildfire through the club and 500 tickets went in three days.
Nantyglo beat Wattstown in their semi-final
They have sold out nine buses to ferry supporters to the capital as Nantyglo try to do what no other team has done so far this season and lower the colours of Bryncethin.
It has been a long time since Nantyglo were in a final at the home of Welsh rugby. They played in both the 1978 and 1979 Welsh Brewers Districts Cup finals at the old National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park, losing to Rumney on both occasions.
Now in their 60th anniversary season they are hoping to go one better and take home the trophy. They have three members of the Welsh Fire Service in their side, including brothers Dan and Tom Phillips.
DIVISION 4 CUP FINAL TEAMS
Bryncethin: Gruffydd Davies; Shane Howells, Dan Howells, Iwan Veasey, Sion Summers; Lloyd Bradley, Geraint Watkin; Connor Buckle, Dafydd Evans, Ieuan Davies, Tobias Hunt, Mark Thomas, Rhys Bridgeman, Connor Law, Morgan Griffiths (captain)
Reps: Rhys Pilliner, Sam Jervis, Will Thomas, Sam Shillibier, Scott Ryall, Steven James, Cai Bradley, Kristian Stenner
Nantyglo: Richard Dennington; Dylan Tomkins, Liam Volkes, Dan Phillips, Jordan Baugh; Richard Powell, Tom Bainton; Todd Metcalfe, Tom Phillips, Richard Jones, Llewellyn Edwards, Lloyd Williams, Sam Collier, Ryan Bevan (captain), Steven Jones
Reps: Ryan Lane, Aled Phillips, Greg Chivers, Owen Thomas, Phil Sargent, Jordan Francis, Damian Jones, Spencer Cawley
FORM GUIDE
Bryncethin
Division: 4 West Central
Place: 2nd
Record: P 11 W 11 D 0 L 0 Pts 53
Road To Final
25 March – Semi Final
Bryncethin 15 – 7 Chepstow
18 February – Quarter Final
Newport Saracens 8 – 27 Bryncethin
28 January – Round 1
Caerau Ely 14 – 19 Bryncethin
Pool Stage
Llandaff 0 – 19 Bryncethin
Bryncethin 66 – 5 Treherbert
Whitehead 5 – 43 Bryncethin
Nantyglo
Division: 4 East
Place: 1st
Record: P 13 W 11 D 1 L 1 Pts 55
Road To Final
25 March – Semi Final
Nantyglo 13 – 7 Wattstown
18 February – Quarter Final
St Julian’s HSOB 0 – 38 Nantyglo
Pool Stage
Gwernyfed 12 – 33 Nantyglo
