By Rob Carbon
Alan Flowers might be in charge of the top Welsh team to date this season in BUCS Super Rugby, but he knows his Cardiff University side will have their unbeaten start to the new campaign put to the ultimate test on Wednesday night.
Both of last season’s finalists are in the Welsh capital for Round 3 with last season’s League winners Durham heading to face Flowers’ team, while reigning champions Exeter University will be at Cyncoed to face Cardiff Met in a re-match of last season’s semi-final.
Cardiff University have won their opening two games right at the death, picking up a bonus-point try in the last move of both games. They beat Bath 22-21 and Cardiff Met 27-24, both away from home, and now face the most consistent team in the tournament in the past few seasons.
“Durham have a great set-up and they are going to provide us with the ultimate test in what will be our first game on our new 4G pitch. They attract a huge amount of top-quality players each season and have started with wins over Loughborough and Hartpury,” said Flowers.
“This is an incredibly tough league and it presents new challenges every week. We’ve had a great start, one which I would have snapped your hand off if you’d offered it to me in the summer, and at least we will go into the game against Durham on a high.
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“Winning at the death in Bath was great, but finally beating Cardiff Met in another close contest last week was crucial having lost to them three times last season by a score of less. The players ae buzzing and ready for another huge test.”
Greg Ramage is still a week away from a return to back row action after being concussed in the win at Bath, while Luke Bray is a couple of weeks off a return on the wing after pulling his hamstring in the same game
“When we have a totally fit squad we are good enough to take on anyone in this league, and to reach the knock-out stages once again, but there is a long way to go and we need to stay injury free,” added Flowers.
“Other teams have more mature rugby programmes and have greater strength in depth as a result. That is something we are working hard on, especially as we have 13 players leaving at the end of this campaign.”
Cardiff Rugby have allowed Senior Academy props Theo Bevacqua and Adam Williams to play this season, along with flanker Gwilym Evans, but there is no sign of lock Teddy Williams being released as yet.
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Cardiff Met will have revenge on their minds as they welcome cup holders Exeter to No1 pitch in Cyncoed. Still smarting from their 44-33 defeat in the final four of last season’s competition, Joe Cowell’s men will also want to make up for losing for the first time in their history in a competitive game to Cardiff University at the Arms Park last week.
“It was pretty brutal in the post-match analysis session after the defeat last week and hard to look back on. There were mistakes in our game and so soft errors we need to put right,” said Cowell.
“It’s a pretty big game for us against Exeter, especially after what happened in last season’s semi-final. They have lost their opening two games, so they will be coming to us to make a statement, and we’ve got to make sure we get our discipline right on the night.”
Head coach Danny Milton has switched half-backs for the game, promoting Ethan Morgan and Ali Stacey from the bench in a switch with Rory Morgan and Brad Roderick-Evans.
Meanwhile, Swansea University head north for a crucial basement battle against Leeds Beckett with both sides seeking their first win. Having let a half-time lead slip against Cardiff Met at St Helen’s in Round 1, eventually losing 42-30, they went to Nottingham a week later and lost 34-10.
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No wonder, then, head coach Hugh Gustafson describes the game as a “must win” game against the only team below them in the 10-team league table.
Cardiff University (v Durham Uni): Felix Gilbert; Max Ashton, Luke Pollock (captain), Oscar DeVenter, Rhydian Williams; Ed Dunford, Josh Thomas; Theo Bavacqua, Ben Chapman, Adam Williams, Ethan Phillips, Alex Ashton, Billy Moxley, Gwilym Evans, George Shaw
Reps: Ed Thompson, Lewys Williams, James Pollard, Ben Roberts, James R. Roberts, Dai Jones, Cam Scott, Pelo Kgalthanye
Cardiff Met (v Exeter Uni): Oliver Gibbon; Jake Thomas, Joe Westwood, Bingo Ivanisevic, Roma Zheng; Ethan Morgan, Ali Stacey; Joe Cowell (captain), Tyler Olding, Eliot Salt, Barnaby Waddell, Barny Langton, Jack Wickham, Ewan Guy, Jake Bond
Reps: Connor Chapman, Ben Murphy, Math Iorweth-Scott, Brandon Harvey, Bertie Taylor, Rory Morgan, Brad Roderick-Evans, Steff Davies
Swansea University (v Leeds Beckett Uni): Kian Abrahamt; Cameron Taylo, Rory Case, Bradley Roderick, Llien Morgan; Bernardo Nogueria, Rhodri Lewis; Max Marshall, Garin Lloyd, Louis Fletcher, Joe Greaves, Peter Vickesr, Ben Gregory (captain), Will Barraclough, Cai Davies
Reps: Jamie Phillips James Wallis-McLachlan, Tom Furtado-Mills, Chris Thompson, Dai Francis, Dafydd Land, George Stephens, Gabe Lacey