TATA Steel RFC v Pontypool RFC

Pontypool are on their travels this evening for the first of a double header with TATA Steel in the WRU Admiral National Championship.

The fixture was originally scheduled for 8^th October but was postponed as TATA were unable to raise a side that day.

Three of TATA’s first five fixtures of the season went the same way as the club struggled early on in the season.

But the club have bounced back from that and the two clubs agreed to a Friday night game under the lights that, coincidently, comes a week before the reverse fixture.

Matthew Jarvis is pleased to see them playing regularly again and is looking forward to Pontypool’s second Friday fixture of the season.

“It’s great to see them fielding teams and playing week in week out,” said the outside half.

“They obviously had a sticky patch at the start of the year and they’ve pulled through that and it’s good to see.

“You don’t have too much time to think about [a Friday] game, you are working in the day and then go straight to the ground and play.

“You have a lesser week in training, especially on the Thursday, so you feel a bit fresher.

“It’s like any other game but it is good to play Friday night under the lights.”

It’s been a stop-start period of the season for Pooler with only three games over the last five weeks but Jarvis is relishing a strong run of fixtures with games scheduled every weekend between now and the end of the season, with a further four games to be rescheduled.

“You look at the games we’ve got and we’re playing until the middle of May and there are still a few to rearrange,” Jarvis said.

“It’s great for us as a squad and we need to build on what we’ve done in the previous few months, not take the foot off the gas and work on a few things.

“It’s a massive 10 or so weeks with a lot to play for in terms of the league and the cup.

“It’s about getting back on the horse, building momentum and we’ve got a massive end to the season, looking to get that promotion push, finish on top and hopefully have a cup final too.”

Despite being at opposite ends of the table with Pooler yet to lose a game and TATA yet to win, Jarvis insists they won’t be taking TATA lightly.

“You can’t get complacent regardless of the opposition because that’s when you get stuck and get egg on your face,” stated Jarvis.

“We’ll be taking this game as seriously as any other. We know what’s at stake.

“I’m sure they’ll be coming all guns blazing.

“We can’t take anything for granted, you can’t in life whatever you are doing.”

Pooler have made six changes for the trip west.

Kyan Best comes into the front row in place of Sam Cochrane, who moves to the bench.

Garin Price is named in the second row while Dai Langdon starts at outside half for the first time.

The other changes are in the shape of Deon Smith, Joel Mahoney and Geraint Walsh.

Gareth Betts has been named as a replacement and could come on to make his 50th Pooler appearance.