Builth Wells will be looking to bounce back from being knocked off the top of Division Two (West) when they go in search of a slice of glory at Welsh Principality Premiership side Cross Keys in the fifth round of the Swalec Cup tomorrow.
Cross Keys, one of the stalwart clubs of Welsh rugby, are sure to provide the Bulls with a stern test of their higher division credentials when the teams clash at Pandy Park.
The Keys are currently tenth out of the 14 top-flight clubs but were well beaten 39-3 at Swansea last weekend.
At the same time the Bulls, renowned as brave cup fighters, surrendered top spot in the Swalec League Division Two (West) table after losing narrowly 11-10 at local rivals Ammanford, the decisive points coming in the last minute.
The defeat, only Builth’s second of the season, sees them fall from top to third place in the pecking order behind new joint leaders Loughor and Bridgend Athletic.
Owing to bad weather it was the first game for either side in 2009 and it was played in gale force winds and driving rain.
Ammanford were the last team to have scored a try on the Groe in a league game, back on September 21, when they demonstrated their ability to run the ball, but the conditions did not allow either team to deploy such tactics last weekend.
Despite the possession and territory advantages going to Builth, Ammanford capitalised on their penalties by converting two of their five first-half kicks to lead 6-0 at the interval.
The traversing wind was slightly in the Bulls’ favour for the second half, with Rob Lloyd taking full advantage with some long kicks to the line.
One such penalty kick gave the Bulls a line-out deep in the Ammanford 22 metre area. From the resulting ruck, scrum half Rob Jones darted through a defensive gap to cross for a try which John Thurston converted.
A further penalty from Thurston took Builth into a 10-6 lead which remained the score until the last minute of the game when Ammanford managed to score a try in the corner to give them victory by the slimmest of margins.
BUILTH (v Ammanford): Gavin Lockyer, Shaun Hughes, Jonathan Taylor (Rob Mills), Luke DeWinton, Chris Davies, Marc Thomas, Wayne Morris, Hugh Thomas, Rob Jones, Rob Lloyd, Mike Davies, John Thurston, George Jenkins, Ed Jenkins (Gethin Davies), Dorian Davies.
