Jones will miss Saturday’s Specsavers National Cup quarter-final with Carmarthen Quins, but is in a stable condition and the game will go ahead as planned. Backs coach Hancock will step up to lead the team in Jones’ absence.
This is Pontypool’s fourth consecutive season in the last eight with the Championship outfit having beaten the likes of Cardiff, Llanelli, Cross Keys, Swansea and Bridgend over the past few years. Pooler will still face a stern examination against a Quins side who are second in the Indigo Group Premiership and remain in contention for a domestic double.
“It’s a massive game against a Premiership team,” said Hancock. “Carmarthen Quins will pose a huge challenge for the boys. We have played a couple of Premiership teams in the past couple of years and Quins do seem to be the form team in the Premiership with a really strong game plan.
“We are lucky to be playing at home because our fans are superb and make it very uncomfortable for the opposition. Playing at home gives the boys a massive lift, but they have got to give the supporters something to cheer about as well.
“Carmarthen have a decent pack and a good kicking game. We’ve done a little bit of homework on them, but as always we’ve mainly looked at ourselves. This game is the talk of the town and it would mean so much if we could reach the semi-finals. I’m quietly confident we can do well.”
The S4C television cameras will be at Pontypool Park to see if Hancock’s men can cause an upset, but elsewhere there is more Championship presence with Neath facing Merthyr at The Wern. The Welsh All Blacks sit in the middle of the second tier table while the Ironmen are fourth in the Premiership.
Dale McIntosh’s side will be favourites with their form improving at the start of 2020. There are two all Premiership ties with Aberavon hosting Llandovery, but perhaps the most intriguing clash of them all is Llanelli against Cardiff at Parc y Scarlets.
Cardiff are 10 points clear at the top of the Premiership while Llanelli are struggling in 10th position. Their head coach Paul Fisher insists his team have it all to do despite Cardiff losing their air of invincibility in recent weeks and with captain Morgan Allen suspended.
Neither side will have regional players available with the Guinness PRO14 on a break. Cardiff are defending cup holders and are the form side at semi-professional level. “We see this game as a little bit like a David and Goliath challenge, but rugby is a strange old game and strange things can happen,” said Llanelli’s Fisher.
“We are two victories away from a big day out at Principality Stadium. I’m going to be as blasé as I can about it and tell the boys to go out and enjoy it, express themselves, and we’ll see how it goes.
“To play at Principality Stadium is a huge incentive for us. It is potentially the biggest experience a semi-professional player can have.
“We will be using that as a carrot to try and encourage the players, but Cardiff are an outstanding team and it is going to be very difficult.” While the National Cup takes centre stage, there is also one game in the Indigo Group Premiership with Pontypridd hosting Bridgend.
Pontypridd are wary of the threat posed by bottom side Ravens who are four points adrift of safety. “Bridgend are a very resilient side. They’ll be fighting for every scrap during the game,” said Pontypridd team manager Dan Godfrey. “We know we can play, but Bridgend are going to be a tough cookie to crack. We’ve got to be at the top of our game to do it.”
Specsavers National Cup fixtures – Saturday, January 25
Merthyr vs Neath (2.30pm)
Llanelli vs Cardiff (2.30pm)
Aberavon vs Llandovery (2.30pm)
Pontypool vs Carmarthen Quins (5.15pm)
Indigo Group Premiership fixture – Saturday, January 25
Pontypridd vs Bridgend (2.30pm)
ENDS
