The WRU National Cup champions welcome Robin McBryde’s men before their summer Test matches against Tonga and Samoa. A capacity crowd will fill the North Wales ground to witness Wales take on the region for the first time.
Five new caps will be on show in a youthful Wales XV led by 91-cap centre Jamie Roberts. Ospreys flier Keelan Giles will make his Wales bow alongside Ollie Griffiths, Seb Davies, Aled Davies and Adam Beard. They will expect a stern test against an RGC side on the rise.
The North Walians have gone from strength to strength since their promotion to the Principality Premiership last season. They overcame serial champions Pontypridd to lift the WRU National Cup before finishing fourth in Tier 1, and debutant Aled Davies knows they are in for a rough ride.
He said: “I’m looking forward to the game with RGC and we’ve had a good week of preparation. There’s been a lot of learning, but the boys have enjoyed it. I’ve been in and around the camp before which has given me a bit of an advantage. It means I know the calls and that’s a great help. It’s a chance to put the Wales shirt on and it’s an opportunity I don’t want to waste.”
There’s a battle of the McBrydes at Parc Eirias tomorrow night with Robin’s son Billy on the bench for RGC. They have Wales U20 product Afon Bagshaw in their backline alongside fly-half Jacob Botica, son of former All Black Frano, while Andrew Williams captains the side from lock.
RGC head coach and former Wales wing Mark Jones said: “This game is crucial for rugby development in North Wales. Not only will our players get to put their boots on against the best young talent in wales, but our fans will get the chance to see them in action. That can only be good for the grassroots game up here.
“We’ve been continuing with our normal preparation like we were playing in the Premiership and making sure our execution is good. We’re not changing anything because it’s Wales. Clearly the game is a mismatch in terms of resources, but we have to embrace the challenge and try and win the game. Obviously that’s going to be a tough ask, but that’s what we’ve got to try and do.”
