URC Is Coming Back To Premier Sports
Rhodri Evans
Premier Sports has announced it’s official relaunch in the UK after it’s acquisition of Viaplay Group UK Sports.
The relaunch will happen on Tuesday, April 9 and will be of interest to Welsh sports fans as they will be showing United Rugby Championship (URC) matches as well as international football, including EURO and World Cup qualifiers involving Wales.
Premier Sports will be covering every URC game live so fans of Cardiff Rugby, Dragons RFC, Ospreys, and Scarlets have a new home of rugby to enjoy.
They are also exclusively showing EPCR Challenge Cup matches including Ospreys’ progress.
NHL, La Liga, and Scottish Cup matches continue to be shown.
Premier Sports have also announced that it will be launching its own ‘newly enhanced’ streaming service to coincide with the relaunch in the UK.
From April 9th, Viaplay sports customers will seamlessly transition to Premier Sports, not matter which cable service they have.
Any new customers can can subscribe to the new Premier Sports website also from April 9th.
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Ellis Jenkins - Younger Players Coming Through Is A Version Of Success
Rhodri Evans
Ellis Jenkins is proud of Cardiff Rugby’s young internationals, saying that they have been “thrown in at the deep end and thrived” for both club and country this season.
Speaking to the Sportin Wales Podcast, the former Wales captain spoke about how one of Cardiff’s main goals this season was “to have youngsters coming through”.
Cardiff have had a frustrating season so far, winning just three of their 13 United Rugby Championship games while only losing by more than seven points in one of their nine defeats.
Inexperienced talents like Cameron Winnett, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, and Evan Lloyd have all had strong seasons for the Welsh region and have been rewarded with international selection for the 2024 Six Nations.
“It doesn’t hide away from the fact that results haven’t been great, but that is a version of success for us at Cardiff,” said Jenkins.
“One of our goals was to have the youngsters coming through and you saw during the Six Nations, you had Cam [Winnett], Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Evan Lloyd who realistically would have only had a couple of regional games this season if the squad was at full strength.
“They’ve been thrown in at the deep end and they’ve thrived. They got their rewards with international selection.”
The Cardiff back row spoke highly of all of Cardiff’s young players but singled out a few for specific praise.
“They’ve been awesome,” he said.
“Cam [Winnett] probably is the stand out. He played a couple of games last year.
“He’s talented but he’s quiet and shy. He’s taken his game to a different level this year. Every game for Cardiff he’s been one of our stand out players. And then seeing him step up seamlessly to international rugby was superb. He didn’t look out of place at all.
“It’s not easy to get into the national team but it’s easy when you get there to be in awe and try to exist but he was able to show what he can do and impress.”
Jenkins, though, has spent the most time in the back row with newly-capped internationals Alex Mann and Mackenzie Martin.
“They [Martin and Mann] are very different players,” says the former Wales skipper.
“Manny is one of our most professional players, he learns quickly, he’s very diligent and technically brilliant.
“He’s one where if we had been full strength he would have only played 5 or 6 games this year. He’s got a lot of physical development to do. Another one that has been thrown in at the deep end and thrived.
“Between him and Cam, they are probably the first two names on the team sheet at the moment.”
With Wales missing Taulupe Faletau for this year’s Six Nations, the team sorely missed his ability to consistently get over the gain and make ground. Jenkins believes that No.8 Mackenzie Martin can fill that role in the future for Wales and Cardiff.
“With Macca, he’s very different. He’s a big, physical athlete,” he said.
“You don’t realise how big he is until you stand next to him. He played his first game and Toby Faletau presented him his jersey and he’s stood next to Toby who is a big man and Macca is dwarfing him.
“If Toby can have some influence on Macca, that would be great because Toby, in my opinion, is the GOAT. He’s not getting any younger and we need someone to step in and I think Macca is definitely going to be one of the ones in the mix to do that.
“He’s big, he’s fast, he’s physical. He likes to think he’s tough. He talks about how he’s from Ely and you don’t want to mess with him!
“He has impressed me this season. He’s got some work to do in terms of learning the game and some softer skills but what was it that Gats said? ‘You can’t coach 6’5’’ and 19st’. He’s an exciting prospect.”
Ellis Jenkins also spoke about the role he has played this season in nurturing these young talents, saying that leadership is now “definitely a part” of his role within the squad.
A clear demonstration of Jenkins’ leadership qualities was captured by the player mic talking Mackenzie Martin through his first actions after coming on against Stormers earlier in the season.
“He didn’t know what [the lineout call] was,” joked Jenkins.
“I said, ‘do you know what you’re doing’ and he went ‘yeah, yeah, I’m on the ball’ and I needed to explain it to him!
“There are obviously boys who are a lot younger than me in my position and are more athletic but there’s still a big element of game understanding and reading the game.
“If that’s what I can do to help the team, then great because it’s also what I enjoy doing too.”
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Bulut - Uncertain Future Maybe Harming Players
Rhodri Evans
Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut has admitted that the uncertainty over his own future may be affecting his players after they were soundly beaten 2-0 by Sunderland yesterday.
Bulut signed a one-year deal with the Bluebirds last summer and has never given any indication that the club are negotiating an extension.
When asked if uncertainty around his future is affecting the players, Bulut admitted: “It can be.”
He added: “I don’t have any problems. I respect it from the board if they are not coming with a new offer.
“I’m focusing on my job until the end of the season. Until now we haven’t had any communication about that, so let’s see.”
Despite what Bulut described as his side’s “worst” performance of the season, the former Galatasaray boss has overseen some improvement in the capital.
After their 21st place finish last season under Sabri Lamouchi, Bulut has guided Cardiff to a likely top half finish and, until Friday’s game, a potential play-off charge.
However, it is now two defeats on the spin after a derby day defeat at Swansea before the international break.
Cardiff’s two recent performances have shown a side that is lacking inspiration as they sleepwalk to the end of the season.
Bulut urged his players not to be “comfortable” with 53 points.
“We still have seven more games to play and we have to try to get as much points as we can,” he said.
“I told them when they came in [to the changing room], ‘We cannot be comfortable because we have 53 points’.
“Everybody has to fight back from this performance and get back to our best shape.
“We can’t stop the season from now. The last seven games we have to try to make the best for the fans first of all, and for the club, also for themselves.
“I think there will have to be a change mentally when we are on the field.”
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Cardiff Disappoint At Home
Rhodri Evans
Goals from Adil Aouchiche and Jobe Bellingham consigned Cardiff City to defeat and finally put an end to their play-off ambitions.
Sunderland went ahead after twelve minutes thanks to Aouchiche’s confident penalty and from there dominated the game. Bellingham converted from close range fifteen minutes later, getting on the end of Aouchiche’s perfect cross.
Cardiff themselves may have felt aggrieved at the awarding of a soft penalty when a shout of their own was turned down swiftly by referee Jeremy Simpson in the second half.
Both sides have had mixed campaigns up until this point, with Cardiff’s recent run of four straight wins punctuated by a chastening derby day defeat at Swansea.
Sunderland were winless in seven, slipping into middle table obscurity after a promising start to the campaign.
After a hint of Cardiff’s attacking play – right winger Josh Bowler cutting inside on his left to strike low into the side netting – the first period fell into a pattern.
Sunderland, in spite of Cardiff’s pressure, were able to easily progress the ball into the home side’s half, mostly through Aouchiche dropping deep. From there, Chris Rigg and Abdoullah Ba were constant threats in behind.
Cardiff, on the other hand, often looked to set their wingers, Bowler and Callum O’Dowda, away early. One of the few times they did try to play their way out of the back, Dimitrios Goutas’ loose ball was pounced upon by Aouchiche for Bellingham to win the penalty.
The home players and fans will no doubt have felt aggrieved with the concession of the penalty as Bellingham seemed to go down easily under pressure from Goutas and Nat Phillips. Aouchiche stepped up and put the ball high and hard down the middle.
From there, Cardiff were visibly shaken, with passes finding touch rather than blue shirts.
The warning signs for more Sunderland goals were loud and clear as Ba and Rigg went close after good work from Aouchiche and Bellingham respectively.
Sunderland’s settler came in the blink of an eye. Trai Hume turned on the touchline and looked for Aouchiche behind Joe Ralls. The Cardiff captain stretched, but could not reach the ball. From there, all the French youth international had to do was look up and find Bellingham and the back post for his seventh league goal of the season.
The Bluebirds often left their midfield too exposed in build up, making Sunderland’s attacks all the more threatening when the ball was turned over – something that happened regularly throughout the opening period.
Manager Erol Bulut tried to switch things up at halftime as Ruben Colwill was replaced by Aaron Ramsey and Famara Diédhiou caused a reshuffle on the wings.
In truth, none of Bulut’s changes worked, with Sunderland happy to let Cardiff play into their hands after the break.
When Cardiff did manage to claw their way forward, sloppy ball control let them down. Crosses found the first man, dribbles into a crowd of bodies, and rare shots high and wide.
Dan Neil in Sunderland’s midfield was always game. Always showing for the ball, when on it, he was a sources of quality. Aouchiche was able to find him in space on a number of occasions, the most threatening of which lead to the 22-year-old curling just wide of Ethan Horvath’s goal.
Goutas went close from a corner when his near post header clipped the top of the bar with Anthony Patterson beaten in the Sunderland net but that was as close as Cardiff would get all afternoon.
Some good saves by Ethan Horvath in the Cardiff goal saved his side from a bigger defeat but 2-0 flattered the home side who were never close to getting a result.
Despite the gap in quality on the day, both sides remain where they started today – Cardiff one place above Sunderland in 11th and the visitors in 12th with both clubs’ hopes of a late play-off run long gone.
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Rees-Zammit Signs For Superbowl Champs
Rhodri Evans
Louis Rees-Zammit has signed for reigning NFL Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.
The former Wales wing has made waves in the world of NFL after impressing at the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) ‘Pro Day’.
Rees-Zammit has since visited his new side as part of a tour of numerous interested teams, including the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs, however, won the race to sign him.
Rees-Zammit will join a squad containing global superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the latter the partner of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.
Rees-Lightning has arrived ⚡
Help us officially welcome @LouisReesZammit to Chiefs Kingdom! pic.twitter.com/6d7S4XQMLp
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 29, 2024
The deal comes just days after the former Wales and Gloucester wing was announced as Roc Nation Sports’ latest big-name client on Tuesday and his new representative, Kimberley Miale, has already claimed “the sky is the limit” with regards to Rees-Zammit’s potential in the NFL.
After signing for the Chiefs, Rees-Zammit will join up with the team’s pre-season training ahead of the start of the 2024 NFL season in September.
With the Chiefs current dominance – they have won three of the last five Super Bowl titles, including the last two in a row – the former Wales and Gloucester wing will have no doubt boosted his chances of winning the coveted title.
Speaking to the BBC in February, Rees-Zammit spoke of how “in the next five years I want to be a Super Bowl champ”.
“These are very much dreams but I’m desperate for these things to happen. And I want to be an inspiration for anyone coming through the IPP, and any international player that wants to get through to the NFL.”
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Louis Rees-Zammit Signs For Roc Nation Sports
Rhodri Evans
Louis Rees-Zammit has officially signed with internationally renowned agency Roc Nation Sport as he bids to play in the NFL.
The former Wales and Gloucester wing was announced as the agency’s latest big-name client on Tuesday and his new representative, Kimberley Miale, has already claimed “the sky is the limit” with regards to Rees-Zammit’s chances of making it in the NFL.
Roc Nation, founded by US rap icon Jay-Z, boasts an array of high-profile of sporting talent on its books with Rees-Zammit joining the likes of Siya Kolisi and Marcus Rashford, as well as British and Irish Lions teammates Marcus Smith and Maro Itoje.
“The past few months since announcing my career decision to join the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) have been an exciting whirlwind,” Rees-Zammit said.
“Following 10 weeks of training at IMG academy, the IPPP’s pro day led to a lot of interesting calls and scheduled visits to a few NFL teams. These developments have ultimately directed me to make my next decision as I pursue this new challenge in my career.
“I have decided to sign with Roc Nation Sports and agent Kim Miale to represent my NFL endeavours and negotiate my on-field contract. It was an easy choice to select an agency that could properly advocate for my new NFL career venture while also understanding the significance of my time as a rugby player.
“Roc Nation Sports International represents an arsenal of impressive rugby players and I am so proud to be the first athlete to bridge the gap between Roc Nation Sports and Roc Nation Sports International. I’m confident in my choice to entrust Roc Nation and Kim with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and believe that they will help me best navigate this next chapter.”
Rees-Zammit, 23, dramatically announced his decision to walk away from rugby in January, the same day as Warren Gatland named his Wales Six Nations training squad. His decision shocked the sporting world by immediately leaving his Gloucester contract to join the NFL IPPP.
Established in 2017, the IPPP provides elite athletes from outside of the USA the chance to earn a spot in an NFL roster.
The program is a 10-week crash course aimed at teaching athletes the finer details and skills needed to make it in the NFL.
The Welshman is said to have impressed scouts at the all-important IPPP ‘Pro Day’ in Florida last week and has spent the last few days visiting potential destinations.
Rees-Zammit travelled to the Cleveland Browns before flying to New York for the Jets and then on to the Denver Broncos and even Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Tampa Bay Times journalist Matt Baker, who watched Rees-Zammit closely on trial day, said that the former rugby player “did not look like a rookie”.
“His measurables were good enough. At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, he is about the same size as Bucs receiver Chris Godwin. His 40-yard dash was unofficially around 4.4 seconds — a tick slower than what he expected, but NFL-worthy.
“Judging by the crowd of scouts grilling him for more information afterward, he, at minimum, is an intriguing prospect.”
The former Gloucester wing, who scored 14 tries in 32 caps for Wales and toured South Africa with the Lions in 2021, was previously represented by Welsh-based rugby agency Engagesport.
His decision to sign with a big player in Roc Nation Sports will no doubt be a boost to his hopes of living his dream of playing in the NFL.
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Poland Penalty Heartbreak For Wales
Rhodri Evans
Wales suffered the agony of a penalty shootout defeat to Poland at the Cardiff City Stadium, as Dan James missed the only penalty in a 5-4 defeat.
With nothing to separate the two sides in regular time, the match went to penalties.
Nine perfect penalties were scored before Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saved James’ kick and send his side to Germany for EURO 2024.
The two captains, Robert Lewandowski and Ben Davies, stepped up first and tucked theirs away with ease.
Kieffer Moore’s penalty rattled the underside of the crossbar before hitting the roof of the net.
Two excellent Polish spot kicks made it 3-2 before Wilson’s strike levelled things up.
Nicola Zalewski placed his to perfection before Neco Williams gave Szczesny the eyes.
Perfect up until this point, the match was abruptly at sudden death.
Krzysztof Piatek scored and heaped the pressure on Dan James. The winger’s penalty was struck to the right of Szczesny who stretched to save and put Poland through to EURO 2024.
It is a devastating blow for Rob Page’s young side who played well in patches and should have won it long before the spot kicks.
Wales had a Ben Davies header ruled out when Kieffer Moore was adjudged to have assisted him from an offside position.
With mere seconds remaining in extra time, Chris Mepham was sent off for two bookings in a matter of moments.
The Bournemouth defender lunged in on Piatek and did not take kindly to Daniele Orsato cautioning him. The Italian referee then saw fit to show him a second yellow for his complaints and Wales went into penalties with 10 men.
Poland captain and talisman, Robert Lewandowski, had a quiet evening and has now not scored in four games against Wales despite tucking away his penalty with confidence.
A cagey start to the game sparked into life in the twelfth minute when Przemyslaw Frankowski’s teasing cross just evaded Karol Swidewski’s lunge.
From there, the game opened up to Wales’ benefit. Ethan Ampadu started to exert control over the tempo and often looked to set Williams and Brennan Johnson away down the left.
Wales’ best chances of the opening stages came down the right, however, as Harry Wilson’s bustling run and low cross was cleared from inside the six-yard box.
Immediately after, Connor Roberts’ long throw found Moore at the back post but he could only turn the ball over the bar.
Sensing their side were starting to build some pressure, the Red Wall went through their repertoire with gusto, urging Wales to keep pushing for an opener that almost came with the last touch of the half.
Captain Davies had the ball in the net from another Wilson corner but not before Moore’s flick-on header was ruled to be offside by the linesman.
Moore went close himself just after the break as his goal-bound header was clawed away from the top corner by Wojciech Szczesny.
As the tension built, both sides started to really bite into the challenges. Jordan James and Nicola Zalewski picked up yellows card with others having lucky escapes.
The game started to meander and Rob Page shuffled his pack, initially switching Wilson and Johnson on the wings and then bringing on Dan James and David Brooks for Johnson and Roberts in the hope of finding the opening goal.
Poland carried a threat throughout, with Zalewski and Bartosz Slisz making forays into Welsh territory on occasion.
Some excellent box-defending by Chris Mepham and Joe Rodon in particular kept Lewandowski at bay from set pieces.
As the game approached the final stages, space started to open up and cool heads began to dominate tired legs and none came cooler than Zielinski.
The Polish number ten started to drop deep in search of the ball and, in doing so, managed to free himself from Ampadu’s shackles and exert some influence.
He was able to find Lewandowski in a pocket of space but his captain could only drag his shot wide for the last chance of normal time.
Extra time was more open as both sides traded blows. First, Wilson’s freekick struck the wall, then Jakub Piotrowski curled wide from 25 yards.
Just before halftime, Kieffer Moore pounced on Jakub Kiwior’s error but hesitated at the wrong moment and saw his shot blocked.
Brooks had a good sight of goal saved by Szczesny after the break but had to go off before the final whistle. Rob Page confirmed that the midfielder had been ill and not trained since Thursday.
Even more interesting was the fact that Broadhead, brought on for Brooks with seven minutes to go, was not one of the five initial penalty takers.
As extra time wore on, Moore cut an increasingly lonely figure up front as Lewandowski and the newly introduced Piatek started to get some joy for the visitors.
Just as many around the ground turned their attention to the prospect of penalties, Mepham was sent off for two bookable offences.
His sending off mattered little in the end as the agony of a penalty defeat will only bring questions to the door of coach Robert Page and his team.
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Potent Poland Pose Page Problems
Rhodri Evans
While all the talk before Wales’s massive play-off final against Poland this evening is who Page should start in the front three, the visitors will be arriving in Cardiff with their own array of threats.
Poland ran riot against Estonia in their play-off semi-final, dismantling their opponents in a 5-1 home win as the visitors had Maksim Paskotsi sent off after just 27 minutes.
The most remarkable aspect of that game was the lack of Robert Lewandowski on the scoresheet.
The Barcelona striker is his countries’ all-time top scorer and has been one of Europe’s best strikers over the last decade but failed to convert from eight shots on Thursday night.
Lewandowski has 82 goals in 147 games for the national side and will command the attention of the likes of Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, and Ben Davies.
The Poland captain has not scored against Wales in any his previous three matches but has 16 goals in his last 27 appearances for his country.
Davies spoke yesterday on the prospect of facing one of the world’s best forwards.
“He’s [Lewandowski] one of those strikers where if you give him any sniff of a chance and he can turn it into a goal,” said Davies.
“We’ve got to be fully focused, and really be dialled in to stop him.
“Someone like him has seen it all and scored all types of goals against all types of defenders so he knows what’s expected from him and we know what he’s capable of doing in any moment.
“Tomorrow is a game where we have to focus on ourselves. We have to do our job and we know that we have played against some of the world’s best players in the past and got good results.”
Wales manager Rob Page noted the similarities between Lewandowski and Gareth Bale.
The Polish talisman, who turns 36 during the summer, is looking to lead his country to one last major tournament before retirement, just as Wales’s own all-time top goal scorer did for the 2022 World Cup.
“He’s a fantastic player,” said Page.
“We have to respect [his record] but it stops there. We’ve done some analysis on him, shown the defenders his strengths and weaknesses.
Poland, though, will also be looking to Lewandowski’s supporting cast to provide some inspiration.
Napoli schemer Piotr Zielinski, who will line-up against 19-year-old Jordan James in the midfield, is a hazard with and without the ball.
A mainstay in Napoli’s high-pressing, high-possession system, stopping Zielinski will go a long way to cutting off Lewandowski’s service.
He had an excellent 2023, helping Napoli to their first Serie A title for over 30 years and stopping his captain’s run of eleven straight Polish Footballer of the Year titles with his own win.
To counter the threat posed by Poland’s midfield, Page said the squad have lent on the experience of captain Aaron Ramsey:
“Having people like Rambo in the squad who has been up against experienced players like [Zielinski]. That’s where he can step up and be a help for us off the pitch.
“I’ve got no worries with JJ [Jordan James] and Ethan [Ampadu]. They are so confident, and they will respect what [Poland] are all about.”
Poland most often lineup in a 3-5-2 formation, with Juventus veteran Wojciech Szczesny in goal and Arsenal’s Jakub Kiwior in the back three.
Zielinski will most likely partner the inexperienced duo of Bartosz Slisz and Jakub Piotrowski in the middle, while Roma’s Nicola Zalewski will try and cause the moustachioed Connor Roberts problems on the right flank.
At the top end of the of the pitch, Lewandowski will be partnered with Hellas Verona’s Karol Swiderski who has proved to be a useful foil for his captain throughout this campaign.
Poland’s major injury blow is to Aston Villa’s Matty Cash. The Berkshire-born right back came on at halftime against Estonia but only lasted 11 minutes after injuring his hamstring colliding with an advertising hoarding.
Whoever starts for Poland this evening, Page stressed that the match will come down to his Wales side imposing themselves on the contest:
“Individually they [Poland] have got some good players but collectively, as a team, we are more than capable of reaching a level of performance to get the job done.”
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Page – World Cup Lessons Have Brought Us Here
Rhodri Evans
Wales manager Rob Page highlighted the experience that his current players had at the 2022 World Cup as key to helping them to Tuesday’s play-off final against Poland.
Wales qualified for the 2022 World Cup, their first since 1958, but struggled in a difficult group, returning home having failed to win a single game.
Wales now have several younger members of the squad following the retirements of the likes of Gareth Bale and Chris Gunter with Jordan James, 19, and Neco Williams, 22, becoming regular starters.
Page believes that the age profile of the squad is ideal for what is a quick turnaround in games from Thursday’s 4-1 semi-final victory over Finland.
“We are in a healthier position with regards to the age and the lads we’ve got on the pitch,” said Page.
“Having younger legs does not guarantee that you will get positive results, but it gives us the best opportunity and I think by having a younger squad that brings athleticism.”
Page underlined the importance of the 2022 World Cup as not only a learning curve for his team but also an opportunity for himself to see what other successful international sides were doing well and transfer that to Wales.
“One of the biggest things we took from the World Cup was seeing some of the teams Canada, Morocco and USA’s midfield three, they were athletic,” said Page.
“And I think now you can see that, you know, having that in the back of our mind the athleticism that we need as well in Jordan James and Ethan [Ampadu] in the middle of the park. We are getting there.
“It’s still going to be a tough challenge. Don’t get me wrong, but we’re prepared for tough times.”
With the recent retirements of Jonny Williams, Chris Gunter, Joe Allen and Gareth Bale, Page has given younger players such as Harry Wilson and Ethan Ampadu increased leadership roles.
The Wales coach is proud that his young team have reached this stage without his country’s all time top scorer in Bale.
“You look back to the semi-final and final [of qualifying] for the World Cup. Gareth scored three goals,” said Page.
“Would we have qualified without the goals? No. Would Gareth have played in a World Cup without his teammates? No.
“It shows how far we’ve come in a short space of time. We are only one tournament past Gareth [Bale’s] retirement, and now we are one match away from qualifying.”
This current Wales squad is one that manager Rob Page is happy to call ‘his own’ now, having brought through talents like Jordan James and Neco Williams and saying goodbye to Bale and Allen.
However, he was keen to stress the importance of the work that previous manager Ryan Giggs did in working with Page while he oversaw the U21 team.
“When I took over from Ryan [Giggs], there was nothing wrong, the team were winning,” said Page.
“Ryan [Giggs] had implemented some great, great changes, and so it would have been foolish to make any drastic changes. I just continued the motion of success.
“Slowly along the way, we tweaked some of the personnel in the staff, some of the personnel in the playing squad, and the style in which we play has changed.”
Page and defender Ben Davies also expressed their confidence in the squad if tomorrow’s match does go to penalties.
“We’d be stupid not to [practice],” Page remarked.
“We know it’s a possibility and we’ve done some work on it. It does not take away our confidence. We believe we will get a positive result, but you would be foolish not to.
“Let’s hope it does not get there but we have been practicing all week,” said Davies.
“I don’t know what the lineup [of takers] is, but we have 11 pretty good takers at the moment!”
Finally, Page stressed the importance of playing the final at the Cardiff City Stadium in front of the Welsh faithful.
“We are 21 unbeaten in our last 23 at home and our supporters are massive for us,” said Page.
“They took the roof off with the anthem on Thursday and I say bring it on again Tuesday and let’s use that crowd to our benefit and get across the line.”