08 Dec Team to face Swansea at St Helen’s

Bridgend Ravens take a break from Indigo Premiership action and head to St Helen’s this Saturday for a Premiership Cup Quarter Final against Swansea (2:30pm). 

The meeting will be the first of two games between the sides this month, with Swansea set to visit the Dunraven Brewery Field for an Indigo Premiership fixture on Saturday 23rd December.

Both sides enjoyed a weekend away from the action last weekend; Bridgend had a ‘bye’ in the Indigo Premiership due to the imbalance in the number of sides in the division and Swansea saw their scheduled home game against Llandovery postponed due to a frozen St Helen’s pitch.

Bridgend will be keen to continue their impressive recent form which has seen them win their last three fixtures. The run started with victory at the Gnoll by 26pts to 19 before they beat RGC at Dunraven Brewery Field 14pts to 10. Bridgend’s latest win saw them dispatch high flying Pontypool the following weekend by 27pts to 23.

Swansea have won two of their 10 Indigo Premiership matches so far and received a bye in the first round of the Premiership Cup. Their victories have come against Carmarthen Quins (25pts to 18) and Newport (26pts to 21), both away from home. Their last outing saw them lose to Ebbw Vale at Eugene Cross Park by 36pts to 7.

The sides have already met once this season, with Bridgend taking the spoils in a see-saw match in SA1. Joe Thomas had bundled over, with Rhys Jones converting, for a try which had seemingly won the game for the hosts, but a last-gasp Luke Price penalty won the day for Bridgend. The corresponding fixture last year was a classic, which saw Bridgend take two points away from St Helen’s in a 32pts to 31 defeat.

With regular full back Edd Howley unavailable, Mike Powell is selected at 15, in a back three alongside Stuart Floyd Ellis and Cameron Ellis. Bridgend continue with the same backline otherwise; Joseph Gatt and Tommy Morgan are paired in midfield with Luke Price and Chris Williams the half backs.

Amongst the forwards, there’s a return for Curtis Hicks at tighthead with Harry Olding and Gareth Harvey his front row compatriots. Ben Thomas and Jack Pope are selected in the second row with a back row of Dafi Davies, Zac O’Driscoll and Jordan Collier.

Bridgend Ravens XV: 15. Mike Powell 14. Stuart Floyd Ellis 13. Joseph Gatt 12. Tommy Morgan 11. Cameron Ellis 10. Luke Price 9. Chris Williams

1. Harry Olding 2. Gareth Harvey 3. Curtis Hicks 4. Ben Thomas 5. Jack Pope 6. Dafi Davies 7. Zac O’Driscoll (capt) 8. Jordan Collier

Replacements: 16. Evan Yardley 17. Alex George 18. Liam Tobias 19. Dylan Burrows 20. Hemi Barnes 21. Connor Tantum 22. Paul Short 23. Jakob Williams