TRFC enter the house of the Welsh dragon

Tony Yapp takes his Taunton Titans across the bridge for one last pre-season hit out ahead of the National League One season this Saturday. Somerset’s finest take on the students of Cardiff Met University but if that sounds like men against boys, think again. The two teams are frequent foes in friendlies in what is becoming something of a traditional fixture and anyone who was present at Veritas Park for Cardiff Met’s visit last season will recall a large, physical side with a large and vocal travelling support.

Coached since 2017 by Danny Milton who took the students to the British Universities Super Final with future England international Alex Dombrandt in the side, Cardiff Met has a rich pedigree. Yes, it is a university team but, like their opponents last weekend Loughborough Students who they vanquished with a last-minute penalty goal, they play in the senior league system. But, whereas the Leicestershire students play in English National League Two North, Cardiff Met University is in the Welsh Championship. That’s the second tier of competition in the principality, where they encounter household names like Neath and Pontypool.

Titans’ forwards coach, Chris Brown, gave this assessment of the test presented by Cardiff Met, “They are sure to challenge us at the breakdown and have a tenacity which always ensures that our skills have to beat their best ahead of a league season. The breed of player and experience of their coaching team is always a pleasure to engage with. It’s sure to be astern test”

With a great many Welsh internationals having passed through their ranks, including the man selected by Rugby World magazine as the greatest player of all time, Gareth Edwards, who knows what stars of the future might betaking on the Titans this Saturday? It will be the last game before Yapp’s squad prepares for the opening league fixture away at Leeds so players will be striving to show how they can be part of the twenty-one for that match-day.

Kick-off at Cardiff Met University’s Cyncoed Pitch 1 at the Cyncoed Campus on Cyncoed Road near the Cardiff East Park and Ride is at the slightly earlier than usual time of 11.30pm with the 2nd teamkicking off at 14:00

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