By Twm Owen
The South Wales Warriors face their biggest game in seven years this weekend when they host the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts in the British American Football league’s Southern Conference semi-final.
The undefeated Warriors received a bye in the first round of the British American Football Association (BAFA) Division Two play-offs after the Worcestershire Black Knights forfeited ahead of their trip to Llanharan.
That means Sunday’s game (2.30pm) at the Warriors’ home at Llanharan Rugby Club’s Dairy Field is their first post season action since they lifted the Division Two Britbowl championship, as a wildcard, in 2011.
It’s unlikely the Black Knights, who fell to consecutive 48-0 defeats to the Warriors during the regular season, would have presented a significant challenge for the number one ranked Warriors.
But Sunday’s clash with the Dreadnoughts, who bowed out at the semi-final stage last year, is likely to be the sternest test the Warriors will have faced since their relegation from Division One last season.
Both the Warriors, who have given up just 12 points this year, and the Dreadnoughts, who conceded only 43 all season, have established reputations for mean defenses and a hard-fought, tight defensive battle is expected on Sunday.
While the Dreadnoughts offense hasn’t put up as many points as the Warriors both teams have also shown themselves capable of scoring on defense and special teams this season.
The 12 points the Warriors have conceded were touchdowns in their first and sixth games of the season, which were both away from the Dairy Field which the Warriors have established as a fortress. Home field advantage could prove to be vital against their visitors who face a long journey from Portsmouth.
This Sunday will see the Warriors play their semi-final game against the @DreadnoughtsAFC
This will be a home game at Llanharan RFC.
Kick off is at 2:30pm
Entry to the game is free and the clubhouse will be open and available to use. pic.twitter.com/tZ0G9VX8dk
— South Wales Warriors (@swwarriors) August 16, 2018
The Dreadnoughts finished this season second in the South division with seven victories and just one loss to division champs the Hertfordshire Cheetahs. That 20-0 victory for the Cheetahs at the end of July sealed the divisional championship and avenged a 23-12 loss in Portsmouth a fortnight earlier.
Despite finishing second in their division the Dreadnoughts enjoyed a home quarterfinal when they defeated the Torbay Trojans, who finished runners-up to the Warriors in the South West division, scoring 55 unanswered points.
Torbay had matched the Welshman stride for stride throughout the eight game season until the two undefeated sides met for the first time, in Devon, on July 8 when the Warriors came from behind to record a 6-14 victory.
In the return fixture at Llanharan a fortnight later the Warriors overcame a slow start to run out 42-0 winners and run away with the South West crown with a game to spare. The convincing manner of the victory hinted at how significant home-field advantage can be when teams make cross-country journeys on game days.
Following the 55-0 victory over Torbay last Sunday Dreadnoughts head coach Luke Head-Rapson said the convincing margin over the Warriors divisional opponents should give his team the confidence to know they can beat the home side this weekend.
But he also acknowledged absences had weakened the Trojans from the force they had been throughout the season which, for the neutral spectator, makes using the quarterfinal as a yardstick for how the Dreadnoughts and Warriors match up difficult.
The Warriors haven’t played since a 0-36 road victory over the lowly Cornish Sharks on July 29 but in a stop start season, that began in mid-April, the Warriors haven’t shown any signs of rust following long breaks between games, other than their hard-fought, opening day 6-8 victory at league newcomers the Somerset Wyverns in difficult weather conditions.
Head coach Geraint Roberts will expect his team to continue their momentum from a season where they have continually improved but will also expect his players to be prepared for their biggest challenge of a season in which they have been dominant so far.
South champions Hertfordshire Cheetahs face the South East champions, and number two ranked, London Blitz B in the English capital in Sunday’s other semi-final.