Newtown heading to Bangor

Buoyed their dramatic late win last weekend against neighbours Llanidloes, Newtown make the long trip to Bangor and will be hoping to claim a scalp against the league’s bottom team.

Their hosts, Bangor, however, will be fighting for every point and have shown in earlier games this season that they have the backs to score some fine tries if their forwards can keep some possession coming their way.

Newtown will have to be at their best but will be confident of coming home with points in the bag.

Llanidloes, without a win since their opening day victory back in September, face another difficult afternoon when Mold are the visitors at Cae Hafren.

Despite Mold’s only defeat of the season coming last weekend, away at Colwyn Bay, they will be expecting to get back on to winning ways against the struggling Mid Walians.

Llani played some good rugby last weekend against Newtown and, if they can reproduce some of that passion and commitment, they are more than capable of putting another dent in the Mold promotion challenge.

In Division One North, COBRA have the opportunity, following their fine bonus point away win last Saturday at Dolgellau, to incur some more damage on their fellow strugglers when Bro Ffestiniog are the visitors to Meifod.

While fourth from bottom COBRA (11 points) take on bottom club BRO (10 points), the two clubs sandwiched between them Denbigh (11 points) and Dolgellau (10 points) also lock horns and. As you can see from the points each club has, these games especially against each other suddenly become even more of a must-win game.

Welshpool travel north to take on current Division Two North leaders, Rhyl & District, who sit four points clear at the summit.

Having being beaten 3-43 at the Maesydre in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, the Welshpool boys know they will have their work cut out to get anything from this game.

However, as coach Dai Roberts points out: ‘We were in a similar situation last season, losing heavily at home and then gaining a spectacular one-point advantage win later in the season when nobody gave us a chance, so there is no reason why we can’t do it again.

“For us to continue our improvement, these are the games we need to keep testing ourselves and I’m confident that we’ll be a much tough opponent for Rhyl than they are expecting.”

It’s definitely going to be a nerve-wracking start to 2020 for all our local clubs.

WRU Division One North

COBRA v Bro Ffestiniog

WRU Division Two North

Llanidloes v Mold

Bangor v Newtown

Rhyl v Welshpool