After losing out to Exeter in Topsham in their first game back this term, 34-22, they were then toppled by Bath at home last week, going down to an unlucky Round 13 defeat by 20-17.
Danny Milton’s men have dropped to fifth in the table and need to get back to winning ways to try to secure a top four finish at least to get a home draw in the quarter-finals. Having led the table for a short period earlier in the campaign, they now find themselves playing catch-up with the top four.
Wales U20 cap Benji Williams packs down at No 8 for the Archers against a Nottingham side that will be playing a third straight home fixture. They kicked off the second half of the season with a 20-17 win over Loughborough and have also taken the scalp of Swansea on their own patch this campaign.
When they came to Cyncoed earlier in the season they were sent home with their tails between their legs after a 39-3 defeat.
“Nottingham are a good attacking side. They play from anywhere on the pitch and they rarely kick – and if they do it is to compete, which is one of our strengths,” said Cardiff Met full back Ethan Morgan.
“We need to be more physical than them and get back on the winning trail.”
Cardiff University have also scaled the heights this season but go into their home clash with reigning champions Exeter having lost their last five games. Injuries have derailed their form and progress and director of rugby Alan Flowers has lost two scrum halves and guiding light Ed Dunford at No 10.
“We’ve had some bad luck on the injury front, although we’ve remained competitive enough to pick up losing bonus-points in three of our last five games,” said Flowers.
“Wales U20 cap Gwilym Evans is unavailable at present, but this is now an opportunity for some of our younger players to step-up and show what they can do. We’ve got half an eye on next season already, although we still feel we can make the play-offs this term.”
Four of their next five games are at home and three of them are against teams below them in the table. That gives them an immediate focus as they seek to maintain their Super Rugby status.
Swansea ended 2022 on a high with derby wins over Cardiff Uni and Cardiff met and will go into Round 14 on the back of a 47-33 defeat at Loughborough. That followed a 41-0 win over bottom of the table Leeds Beckett.
They welcome Hartpury to St Helen’s (6.30pm) with head coach Hugh Gustafson to go one better than Cardiff Uni by picking up a win to climb higher in the table.
“We had an excellent end to the first half of the season with the two derby wins and we put Leeds Beckett away. We lost our way a bit at Loughborough and we need to bounce back,” said Gustafson.
BUCS SUPER RUGBY – ROUND 14, WEDNESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY
Cardiff Met (A v Nottingham- 2.00pm): Ethan Morgan; Ewan Bowden, Dafydd Tiueti, Bingo Ivanisevic, Roma Zheng; Brad Roderick-Evans, Rory Morgan; Joe Cowell (captain), Tom Coton, Eliot Salt, Barnaby Waddell, Barny Langton, Bertie Taylor, Evan Sheldon, Benji Williams
Reps: Connor Chapman, Dave O-Manteaw, Nathan Karea, Brandon Harvey, Ardal Yallop, Zac Roberts, Brad Morgan, Toby Baldwin
Swansea Uni (H v Hartpury – St Helen’s 6.30pm): Aran Parsons; Callum Dodd, Rory Case, Iwan Johnes, Oscar Stewart; Drew Musa, Dafydd Land; Max Marshall, Garin Lloyd, Paul Fifita, Chris Thompson, Peter Vickers, Ben Gregory (captain), David Francis, Will Barrowclough
Reps: Jac Therrian, Louis Fletcher, Tom Furtado-Mills, Joe Greaves, Bob Bray, Dan Roderick, George Stephens, Brad Roderick
Cardiff Uni (H v Exeter – Llanruymney 6.00pm): Felix Gilbert; Pelo Ngatlhayne, Luke Pollock (captain), Oscar van der Venter, Rhydian Willimas; Cam Scott, Josh Thoms; Theo Bevacqua, Ben Chapman, Adam Williams, Ethan Phillips, Alex Ashton, Greg Ramage, Billy Moxey, George Shaw
Reps: Toby Peach, Ed Thompson, Alfie Goater, Ellis Evans, Tom Caple. Mikel Davies, Nathan Evans, Dylan Stocks
