The great coming together of the East and West Divisions of the Principality Premiership is set to spark a highly competitive race for the title in the second half of the season.

With only seven points splitting the top and bottom teams after the opening phase of the campaign, there is little between all 16 teams as they embark on the home or away section that will see the league winners crowned in May.

RGC 1404 and Merthyr carry forward maximum points having finished on top of the West and East Divisions after the opening 14 matches. They both enjoy home advantage at the start of Phase 2 and won’t meet until the penultimate round on 5 May in Colwyn Bay.

For reigning champions Merthyr, the business end of the season couldn’t come quickly enough and head coach Dale McIntosh is looking to get off to a fast start against Cross Keys, a team that pushed them all the way at The Wern on the opening day of the season before going down to two late tries in a 31-29 defeat.

“The first half of the season was a bit of a dead rubber, but we used it well to build some momentum. Now the competition comes alive and gets real,” said McIntosh.

“It is as it should be in my eyes – a straight league shoot-out for the title. Perhaps it would have been better if we’d been able to play everyone home and away, but it is what it is.

“A lot is going to depend on how the draw for those home and away fixtures fall for the teams. I’m just pleased that after a steady start we were able to build some consistency and momentum.

“There is plenty of room for rest in the second half of the season with the cup games and international weekends. February and March will be tough and the key to everything will be staying injury free.

“We don’t have the strength in depth of a Cardiff or Pontypridd, with their links to a regional side, but we have a good squad. It is going to be difficult to defend our title, but that’s definitely the goal.”

Pontypridd won as many games as Merthyr and West champions RGC, 11, and actually picked up one more point that the Gogs. They also scored a dozen more tries in Phase One than the West winners.

No wonder, then, that Ponty head coach Justin Burnell is happy with the shape in which his side moves into the title race. They host Bedwas this weekend, a team that went to Sardis Road on the opening day of the season and won 39-27.

“They beat us here and then we went to them and won 37-15. It is going to be a tough way to start, but we are in a good place at the moment,” said Burnell.

“We are probably punching well above our weight at the moment and the biggest thing we need in the second half of the season is fit bodies. We’ve got to keep on playing and we need to got out there and score tries.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from coaching in England and Wales is that we tend to be more defence orientated here in Wales, whereas in England the teams are far more attack minded. They chase the four try bonus, rather than try to find a way to stay within seven points.

“The good thing now is that the pitches we play on enable you to play some good rugby. There are three 4G pitches, ours, at the Arms Park and Merthyr, and the surface at Rodney Parade is excellent as well.”

Principality Premiership – 30 December

Carmarthen Quins v Swansea
Ebbw Vale v Llanelli
Llandovery v Aberavon
Merthyr v Cross Keys
Neath v Bargoed
Newport v Cardiff
Pontypridd v Bedwas
RGC 1404 v Bridgend