News

Forget the top half of the table and focussing on the bottom seven places, matters are getting tighter.

Cross Keys and Ystrad Rhondda have resurged with a meaningful consistency that has dragged both clubs from the bottom spot to outside the relegation area. Four points above the two club buffer zone lie the Quins. Four points adrift of Cross Keys and occupying the final relegation spot, ten points behind the South Paraders sit Beddau.

Looking at this week’s fixtures, with the Quins entertaining the Bulldogs, the Maesteg men could make their position in the Championship for 2020-2021 a little more solid. Alternatively, they could be the biggest losers of the weekend. It is a taught tightrope they walk. The possibility of dropping two league places and allowing Beddau to come within a bonus point win of making the same number of league points is a sobering thought indeed.

At Mount Pleasant Quins got off to a good start, but as ever, the green and ambers got into their stride to claim a significant win by a good margin to record their first league win of the season. Don’t forget their first victory was the fantastic WRU Cup win over Bridgend.

In the ten games since Beddau have claimed three more wins. Trebanos and Ystalyfera who both stand below them, but two clubs who are always in the hunt if an opponent is not firing on all cylinders.

Purely from an outsider’s point of view, the key victory for Beddau was the home win over Narberth (41-22). Above all it their attacking potency manifested itself in the try count. There lies the danger, give Beddau a chance and they will take it.

Forget the home defeat to Pontypool in the first game of the New Year, the other two losses against Bedwas (27-10) and Cardiff Met (24-45) have shown the Bulldogs can tough it out against all opposition and traditionally are as stubborn as they come.

They also appear to be picking up the pace and intensity of their play, offloads being a key feature of their Met match as they tried to play the Students at their own game.

Like the Met against Beddau, the Quins must take their chances at a higher rate than they have of late, otherwise the longer Beddau are in the game the more uncomfortable events will be. Recent difficulties have to be put to one side regardless. Performance levels must be top drawer and discipline immaculate in order to level the score against the green and golds.

Saturday is certainly a ‘make or break’ fixture, no doubt. Matthew Rees and his charges will be confident of claiming a double.

Hopefully there will be more availabilities this weekend going into the final ten games of the season. Quins must galvanise themselves and return to the Glamorgan Wanderers mentality with the execution witnessed against Neath and Tata Steel. The ability and attitude is there, the benchmark has been set and evident in the near fifty percent win ratio so far this season. The coal black and blood reds must turn on the tap, South Parade this Saturday would be a good time to start.