Llanelli RFC v Pontypool RFC

Pontypool make the long trip west to Parc y Scarlets on Saturday to take on Principality Premiership outfit Llanelli in the first round of the WRU National Cup. Pooler will be looking to take their league form into this cup clash, having won all 16 WRU National Championship games so far this season. Llanelli, on the other hand, failed to finish in the top eight of the league table at the half-way point of the season so will be competing in the lower tier for the remainder of this campaign.

This will be the 10th meeting of these two famous clubs in the cup competition with Pooler yet to win – a 15-15 draw is the closet they came in 1984, the season after they won the coveted trophy for the first, and so far, only time.

The results are as follows: 9 March 1974 at Aberavon (semi-final) – 14-16, 22 February 1975 at Pontypool Park – 9-18, 28 February 1981 at Pontypool Park – 16-26, 25 February 1984 at Stradey Park – 15-15 (Llanelli went through on tries 1-0, scored by Anthony Buchanan), 25 January 1986 at Stradey Park – 6-27, 4 May 1991 at National Stadium (final) – 9-24, 4 April 1992 at Pontypool Park – 3-27, 22 March 1997 at Stradey Park – 17-59, 8 February 2003 at Pontypool Park – 22-30.

So, will Pooler get that first elusive victory over the “cup kings” on Saturday? It promises to be great cup occasion and the match will be televised live on S4C, with kick-off at 3.00pm.

Pooler's captain is Ben Parry and the full list of replacements is as follows: 16. Jamie Jeune, 17. Alex Watkins, 18. Tom Hancock, 19. Rhys Dyer, 20. Josh Hurley, 21. A N Other, 22. A N Other, 24. Ryan Harford.