12 Jan Team to face Merthyr at the Wern
Bridgend Ravens are back on the road this Saturday with a visit to the Wern to play Merthyr (2:30pm).
The Ravens suffered another disappointing reverse last weekend at home to Carmarthen, their fifth consecutive loss in all competition and they’ll be looking to bounce back at the Wern this weekend.
Merthyr are also coming into the game on the back of a defeat, a late 19pts to 14 loss to Neath at the Gnoll last Saturday. They have won 6 of their 13 league games to date and currently sit one place, and three points ahead of the Ravens.
This is the first meeting between the sides this season – they’d been due to face one another in September but due to unavailability in Merthyr’s front row the game was postponed and is now likely to be played in April. Last season, the Ironmen beat Bridgend 38pts to 13 in the corresponding fixture; with Bridgend still yet to win a competitive fixture at the ground since the Ironmen returned to the top flight.
For Saturday’s game, Tom Smith makes three changes to his starting lineup. Caine Woolerton, Rhys Williams and Chris Williams come into his backline with an unchanged pack named. In the absence of regular captain Zac O’Driscoll, hooker Evan Yardley leads the side.
Bridgend Ravens XV: 15. Edd Howley 14. Cameron Ellis 13. Stuart Floyd Ellis 12. Rhys Williams 11. Caine Woolerton 10. Jacob Lloyd 9. Chris Williams
1. Harry Olding 2. Evan Yardley (capt) 3. Matholwch Iorwerth Scott 4. Ben Thomas 5. Jack Pope 6. Alfie Llewellyn 7. Iestyn Merriman 8. Reuben Tucker
Replacement: 16. Morgan Hughes 17. Alex George 18. Liam Tobias 19. Hemi Barnes 20. Dafi Davies 21. Connor Tantum 22. Jamin Hodgkins 23. Joseph Gatt