Pontypool RFC v Neath RFC

There are more than points on offer this weekend as Neath RFC visit Pontypool Park on a very busy and emotional weekend.

Although the season is still in its infancy it has been a busy opening few weeks of the season.

Full-back Ethan Davies revealed his Hepatosplenic T Cell Lymphoma diagnosis and blood cancer charity DKMS will be providing a swabbing event before kick-off.

Chief Executive Officer Ben Jeffreys announced he would be ending his 10-year stay at the club earlier this week while this is the first home game since the tragic passing of Pontypool, Welsh rugby and broadcasting legend Eddie Butler.

With so much emotion flowing into one game, it’s sure to be a memorial occasion, particularly against one of Pooler’s promotion rivals.

“It’s a big game. Both teams are stacked with history and have had a lot of games against each other,” said head coach Leighton Jones.

“Both teams have similar game plans and are at a similar standard so it’ll be a great game.

“Every league game has points on offer but we spoke a couple of weeks ago about Ethan and then Eddie and now Ben.

“The boys are definitely wanting to go out there with these people at the front of their minds.

“There is a job to do and we want to do these people proud.

“This is something we have grown as a club, when you come into this club we are all one, playing for each other and respecting each other and wanting the best for each other.

“So that will definitely come to the front for the boys on Saturday in the way they mentally approach this game and how they are throughout the game.”

Pooler welcome Neath looking to bounce back from the tough defeat they suffered at The Gnoll last season and Jones has admitted that result has stayed with the players.

“They done a job on us down there and that has stuck in the boys’ throats as well so there is definitely a lot of interest in this game,” he said.

“A lot of the boys are here from last year and we savoured that feeling.

“We’ve spoken about that this week, what it was like to go down there and get totally dominated.

“We’re looking for a reaction from the boys but also to continue the good form we have showed at the start of the season.

“You’ve got to win your home games and you’ve got to win your big games.

“We are at home, the pressure is on us as the home team but in the last meeting Neath were definitely the better team so potentially they come here as favourites.

“We’ve got boys training who are not starting and they are really driving the standard and tempo of training forward because they want that jersey.

“They respect the player who has that jersey but they want it. The boys know they can’t put in an average performance because there are boys who want that jersey and they will be standing out in training to get that jersey.”

There are four changes from the Gwent derby victory over Cross Keys RFC. Peter Lloyd comes into the front row in place of Tom Piper with Ieuan Jones back at number eight and Cameron Regan switching to flanker in place of Mike Herbert.

Owain Leonard is at scrum-half with Dan Babos named as a replacement while winger Amosa Nove comes back in the team in place of Pat Lewis with Deon Smith filling in at centre.