photo by Mark Harris

Nelson RFC is the place to be on Saturday as the Newport Titans travel to the Valleys to take on the Cougars and hope to repeat the fine form that gave them an empathetic win over the Bridgend Blue Bulls last weekend.

The Titans hit form at just the right time last week scoring 10 tries to knock out the five times reigning Welsh Champions and hope to continue that success on Saturday. Titans coach Earl Palmer said “we are hoping to reproduce last weeks form which saw us play are best Rugby of the season and possibly the best we have ever played. Our last visit to Nelson was not a pleasant one as we were well beaten by a very good Cougars side, but we have a number of lads back for the semi including our leader on the pitch Mark Wheeler, the inspirational Tyrone Mahoney and the Marauding Damien Hudd. We are expecting a tough, physical game as it always is against the Cougars but are hoping to reach the Final for the second year in succession”.

The teams last meet back in June with the Cougars running out 40-16 winners but Newport will be in confident mood ahead of there fine over Bridgend.

But the Cougars are unbeaten at Nelson and have lost just one game all season and the game is too close to call. Cougars coach and WRL Chairman Mark Rowley said “any team who can beat Bridgend away deserve respect and we are going to have to play better than we have done all season if we are going to get to next weeks Final”.

Earlier on Saturday you can catch the

u13s semi final with the Valley Cougars playing Tydfil Wildcats at Aberdare Boys School with a 10:30 kick off and at u15s the NPT Steelers play Torfaen Tigers (details to be confirmed).

The second semi final sees the unbeaten Blackwood Bulldogs host the Cardiff Demons on Sunday. The Bulldogs had a bye last week in the quarter finals after finishing top of the table winning all seven of there games but they will be wary of a Demons team who despite finishing fifth have not lost a game by more than a single score. To get to the semi the Demons beat Torfaen Tigers away last weekend 34-26 and will travel in confident mood.

The previous match between the two sides saw Blackwood win 26-20 at St Peters RFC but most who attended that game felt Cardiff could have won it after staging a great come back after back from 20-0 down but simply run out of time.

Blackwood official Roger Moore said “we have played really well all season but these play-off games are very different, as are all knock out competitions. Cardiff are a very good team and don’t concede many points and they are well coached by Wayne Williams and Anthony Loxton so we wil have to be at our very best if we are going to get to our first ever Grand Final”.

The juniors are in action again on Sunday with the Newport Titans playing the NPT Steelers at u13 at Pill Harriers kick off is at 12:30. Also at St Peters RFC Cardiff Demons host the Swansea Dragons at U15 with a 12:30 kick off.

The winners of this weekends semi finals will play go on to play in the Wales Grand Finals next weekend. The senior final will be on Sunday 10th August at the Brewery Field. K.O will be at 1pm and is followed by the Celtic Crusaders National League One match against Leigh Centurions.

article by Simon Green
31 July 2008