Old rugby foes set to clash

 

Weather permitting Newtown will play a sizzling rugby match this weekend with arch enemies Welshpool playing host.

 

Welshpool still sit at the bottom of the Gogledd Division Two (north) table without a victory from seven league starts, and progress has not been made any easier with the limited training opportunities during the enforced break. But the visit of the old enemy presents an ideal opportunity to shake off the poor 2010 and start afresh.

 

Newtown enter the game on the back of some encouraging recent displays, notably the Swalec Bowl victories over Denbigh and Wrexham.

 

Newtown make one notable change from their previous match, the experienced Sam Harris coming into the centre to replace the injured Ashley Evans, who faces a lengthy lay off with a broken collar bone.

 

The match is scheduled to kick off at 2.30pm.

 

Newtown 2nds are also back in action, as they head in the opposite direction with a trip to Llanidloes 2nds in a re-arranged Mid Wales Cup quarter final match.

 

With no league action since the sides met in October, and with just one friendly fixture since, Newtown will be keen to continue their good form this season, although the lure of a semi-final spot will no doubt ensure that this is yet another tightly contested match between these two sides.

 

Newtown welcome back last season’s captain Gideon Berends to the bench having missed the entire first half of the season through injury, into an otherwise relatively stable squad.