Taffs Well aiming to be picture perfect for big Swalec final showdown
IT’S the stuff that dreams are made of.
And Taffs Well, a small village north of Cardiff, will have their own on screen magical moment when they travel to play Burry Port in the Swalec Bowl final at the Principality Stadium on Sunday.
Taffs Well have produced their own movie trailer to preview the most momentous sporting event of their lives when the Swalec League 3 East Central B taste the Welsh rugby big time.
One of the leading characters, prop and captain Gareth Gibbs, explained what this weekend represents for the club.
“It’s massive, not just for the club and the players but the supporters as well,” said Gibbs.
“We have seen some bad times over the years, but now we are having some good times.
“The club had been struggling to put a side out. Some weeks they would have to be phoning people on a Saturday morning to ensure they had a team.
“I wasn’t there at the time but you talk to the boys who were and they say they had poor numbers training.
“But this season you have had a lot of boys, including myself, who have come back to the club.
“My best mate is coach and asked me to come back.
“It was an easy decision to go back to the club I started as a kid because I am from Taffs Well.
“The boys have a lot of respect for the coaching staff of Axel Rees, Rhys Watkins and Gavin Close. The commitment is there and we have the will to win.
“It’s great we have 30 boys training every week and a lot of the success here is down to that commitment of turning up.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is tipping down with rain or whether the sun is shining, we are still having 20 to 30 boys.
“We have not called off one training session this season.
“If it has been raining we have gone for a road run or gone upstairs to do circuits training.”
And the dedicated squad will be well supported on Sunday.
“I know we have eight buses booked and seven of them are full already,” added Gibbs.
“There will be a lot of boys coming down on the trains, buses and cars.
“We should have a good turn-out and the whole village should be coming.”
Gibbs will also be able to pass on some invaluable information on the big day.
“I have played at the stadium before when I captained Senghenydd in 2011 when we won the Swalec Bowl final against Maesteg Celtic,” he recalled.
“The atmosphere is incredible and what every Welsh rugby player dreams of.
“It’s immense and all the boys are talking about the cup final.
“I have told the boys just to enjoy it and take everything in and don’t let the occasion get the better of you.
“If you do that it can spoil your day rather than it being the best day of your life.
“Or I should say the best day of your rugby life!”
Gibbs also admitted the squad had a wide range of interests off the field.
“We have police officers, care workers, carpenters, bricklayers,” he added.
“So, we have a bit of everything.”
Most teams who take centre stage at the Principality Stadium will have expert analytical advice on the opposition.
But Taffs Well don’t have any knowledge on their Swalec League Three West B opponents Burry Port.
“We don’t know anything about them,” added Gibbs.
“All we know is what we have seen on WRU TV and little bits and pieces on the internet.
“It’s the same for both teams.
“We don’t know what they are about and they don’t know what we are about.
“It’s all on the day on Sunday and who wants it more.”
Burry Port and Taffs Well kick off the day’s rugby action at 1pm, while local rivals Bedlinog and Penallta will battle it out for glory in the SSE Swalec Plate at 3.15pm.
The main event, the SSE Swalec Cup final takes place at 5.35pm when 2007 champions Llandovery take on 2010 finalists Carmarthen Quins in an all-Scarlets shoot-out.