Pontypool, the champions of the WRU National Championship, will meet Merthyr, last season’s Principality Premiership and Cup winners, in the semi-finals of the WRU National Cup.
Pontypool extended their unbeaten run in league and cup to an amazing 18 matches this season with an extra time triumph over Bridgend in last weekend’s quarter-finals to reach the last four of the cup competition for the first time since 1991.
The 21-11 win over the Ravens came on top of a 12-9 victory at Pandy Park over Cross Keys in Round 2. Now, Pooler will be aiming to make it a hat-trick of Premiership scalps as they aim to reach their first final in 28 years and stay on course to lift the cup for the first time since 1983.
The two teams met in the quarter-finals last year at The Wern, when Merthyr came out on top 21-6 on their way to winning the title for the first time in their history.
The other semi-final, between Llandovery and Cardiff, will be a repeat of the 2007 final, when the Drovers lifted the cup for the first time thanks to a 20-18 victory at what was then the Millennium Stadium. Future Welsh internationals Jamie Roberts and Rhys Gill were in the Cardiff side that day, while another cap in the making in the Llandovery front row was Emyr Phillips. Second row James Down is the only surviving Cardiff player from that day.
The Drovers were convincing winners at Church Bank when the two teams met first this season, winning 20-3 on 8 September. Then a last minute drop goal from Jack Maynard at the Arms Park on 22 December earned Llandovery a 32-32 draw when they last met.
As well as their maiden victory in the 2007 final, Llandovery also lifted the cup in 2016, when they beat arch-rivals Carmarthen Quins 25-18. They beat Swansea 28-7 at home last weekend to reach the last four.
Cardiff, meanwhile, overcame Bedwas 43-12 to reach their first semi-final since 2010. That defeat by the Drovers in 2007 was the last time they reached the final and the last of their seven cup final wins came as far back as 1997.
WRU National Cup Semi-Finals
Matches to be played on weekend of 6 April
Llandovery v Cardiff
Merthyr v Pontypool
