Pontypool have been waiting 36 years to become the Cup Kings of Welsh rugby, but they can move within two games of wearing that crown again after the draw for the last eight of the competition.
Pooler will be looking to repeat their heroics of two seasons ago when they beat Carmarthen Quins on home soil when the two teams meet again in the quarter-finals of the Specsavers National Cup.
The Gwent club last reached the Cup Final back in 1991 and have to go back to 1983 for their only Cup triumph. Unbeaten to date this season, they will provide any team that travels to Pontypool Park a torrid time, but they will have to handle the Quins’ driving maul if they are to go through to the semis.
Pooler’s 66-21 home win over fellow Championships side Cardiff Met last weekend carried them into their fourth successive quarter-final and now they have a shot at going one step further against the Quins, who were beaten 23-8 at Pontypool Park two seasons ago.
The Quins are just one of six Premiership clubs to fall to the multi-Championship winners in recent seasons – Cardiff, Llanelli, Carmarthen Quins, Bridgend, Cross Keys, Swansea – and they will be aiming for their first semi-final for many years.
“A home draw is great, and it didn’t really matter who came out of the hat,” said Pontypool backs coach, Tom Hancock.
“There are a lot of big names that have gone out in the early rounds. We want to go as far as we can in the Cup, and to win it if possible, but the league is our number one priority.“
Cup holders Cardiff will head west to Parc Y Scarlets to take on Llanelli in a game that is a repeat of the 1973, 1985 and 1994 finals. Llanelli won the first two and Cardiff triumphed in the latter.
The Blue & Blacks have already won once this season at Parc Y Scarlets, 33-10 in the Premiership on 21 September, and are currently unbeaten this season. They scored 11 tries in their massive 78-12 home win over Ebbw Vale in the last round.
Neath will be the other Championship club in the last eight following their comeback victory over Cross Keys last weekend at The Gnoll. They head to The Wern to meet last season’s runners-up and reigning Premiership champions, Merthyr.
The other game sees Aberavon at home against Llandovery in a reversal of the Premiership fixture that was due to take place on that same weekend. The Drovers won the Cup in 2007 and 2016, while the Wizards last reached the final in 2011.
They lost that one to Pontypridd having been beaten by Llanelli in the 1974 and 1975 finals. Will this finally be their season?
Specsavers National Cup Quarter-Finals
Matches to be played on the weekend of 25 January
Aberavon v Llandovery
Llanelli v Cardiff
Merthyr v Neath
Pontypool v Carmarthen Quins
