Wizards keep their eyes on the league

ABERAVON may have a cup final on their minds, but head coach Jason Hyatt insists they won’t be taking their eye off the ball in the Indigo Group Premiership when they head to Bridgend today.

The Wizards will tackle Newport at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, April 24, hoping to win at the home of Welsh rugby after three previous cup final failures in the WRU Challenge Cup final.

This time it will be the Indigo Group Premiership Cup up for grabs, but it remains a top prize in a Covid-ravaged season and is set to provide a fitting spectacle as the showpiece of the WRU’s Road to the Principality events.

Having been pipped by a point at home last weekend by Llandovery, the team they beat to reach the cup final, Aberavon are keen to get back to winning ways in their dress-rehearsal for next weekend.

“We won’t be underestimating Bridgend, even if they are bottom of the table.

“I have worked hard at creating a strong, no-nonsense culture at Aberavon and that doesn’t include taking other teams lightly,” said Hyatt.

“If you look at the recent performances by Bridgend, they may have lost games, but they’ve always been in contention going into the last 20 minute.

“I have chopped and changed the team a little bit to keep players fresh for the Cup Final next week.

“We’ve worked hard to create strength in depth and I’ve got three good players in every position.

“With Newport having lost the last couple of games it has made these last few weeks more interesting in the Premiership.

“It’s great we’ve still got a mathematical chance of winning the title, but realistically that has to be seen as unlikely.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t want to finish as high up the table as we possibly can.”

Bridgend are currently bottom of the table and have only won once this year and twice all season in the league.

With no relegation this year, they will be looking for a grandstand ending to their campaign at home having recently been buoyed by the re-signing of five forwards and Joe Gage.

The other game today sees Carmarthen Quins host Llandovery in a west Wales derby.