Vale head coach Jason Strange reckons his players are looking forward to the stiff challenge.
“After two disappointing results this is exactly the kind of game we need,” he said. “We are under no illusions about how hard it is going to be as Pontypridd are a very good team with excellent individual players, but we will be playing at home in front of a huge passionate crowd.”
Ponty have taken over Llanelli’s mantle of Cup Kings by winning the competition in 2011, 2013 and 2014 while losing to Cross Keys in the 2012 final. They have only been beaten once in their last 20 SWALEC Cup outings.
Wing Lewis Williams returns to the Ponty starting line-up which includes Simon Humberstone and Lloyd Williams at half back.
The sides last met in the Cup in 2013 with Ponty scraping through 23-22 thanks to a last minute converted try, and it looks like an equally close contest on this occasion.
Bedwas v Cardiff Met
Bedwas head coach Steve Law has shuffled his pack for the visit of SWALEC Championship side Cardiff Met, and he has also brought in Stuart Thomas at full back.
Changes were necessary after their 51-14 drubbing last week to Pontypridd with the Students offering a different type of challenge.
The Met defeated Tondu 27-5 in round one, and at the quarter-final stage last season they only went out of the competition after a nail-biting 21-18 defeat by Llanelli, so the Premier side will need to re-discover their form if they want to make progress.
Carmarthen Quins v Bridgend Athletic
Quins are another side looking to bounce back to winning ways after suffering two defeats. They have prepared well for the tie and selected a strong side as it appears to be their only chance of winning honours this season.
The clubs met in the Swalec Cup last season with Quins running out convincing winners by 61-6, but they cannot afford to take the Championship side lightly this time.
Bridgend Athletic are ninth in their division and have found tries hard to come by, but they will be determined to improve on last season’s trouncing at The Park.
Llandovery v Swansea
Llandovery chairman Handel Davies has recalled the day when the Drovers fought back from 18-13 down to defeat favourites Cardiff in the 2007 Swalec Cup final.
“Drovers supporters would dearly love the club to repeat that achievement but they know that the All Whites will present a formidable challenge.”
Swansea have been cup winners on three occasions and still believe they can bounce straight back into the Premier Division at the end of this season.
They have won their last five league matches, and with 87 touchdowns from their 16 league matches to date, they will hope that the conditions allow them to make full use of the Church Bank pitch.
Llanharan v Bridgend
Close neighbours Bridgend visit the Dairy Field for an attractive SWALEC Cup derby encounter,
“We are the underdogs and we can only give it a good go,” said coach Colin Malone.
With only one Championship victory from their last four league outings, the Dairymen will need to be on top form to keep their Premier opposition out, and must carry on the form that brought them an excellent 48-14 victory at Blackwood in round one.
The sides last met in the SWALEC Cup in 2004 when the Ravens triumphed 13-5. With improved league form which has included victory over champions Pontypridd, Bridgend will be confident of reaching the next round, particularly after disposing of Cardiff 22-12 at the Arms Park in the earlier stage.
Merthyr v Newbridge
In the only all-Championship tie of the round, Merthyr’s Ironmen play host to a much-improved Newbridge side at The Wern.
The clubs have already met in the Championship this season with Merthyr gaining a 15-9 success at the Welfare Ground.
Newbridge have found try-scoring difficult this season with only 26 five-pointers from their 17 league matches to date and they lie in 11th place in the division compared to Merthyr’s lofty fifth spot.
Despite their upturn in form, Newbridge will be hard-pressed to overcome their hosts and make further progress in the competition.
RGC 1404 v Cross Keys
In one of the more intriguing ties of the round, Cross Keys travel to Colwyn Bay to take on Championship side RGC 1404.
Keys have a strong line-up making the trip north with second row Scott Andrews named on the bench and poised to make his comeback after suffering a broken ankle.
The North Walians provided one of the shocks of round one when they defeated Neath 32-26 at the Gnoll. But Keys thrashed the Welsh All Blacks 43-0 in the Premier Division last weekend and while there will be no room for complacency, they will head north as favourites to be in the draw for the next round.
Tata Steel v Newport
After defeating Aberavon in round one, Newport travel to Port Talbot to take on Championship side Tata Steel, but with injuries taking their toll the Black and Ambers will be heading west with a much-depleted side.
“It has been the hardest season I have ever known,” said Newport head coach Sven Cronk.
“We have to be fully-focused on this match as the cup can give us some impetus. We have managed to get some feedback on Tata Steel from Newbridge coach Neil Edwards and the key will be to stand up to their forwards.”
Newport lie at the bottom of the Premier Division with only three victories to date so a cup success could breathe new life into their season.
Opponents Tata Steel are having an average time in the Championship with ten victories from 19 matches but they will be looking to make home advantage count.
