MIKE RUDDOCK has thanked Welsh international lock Gareth Llewellyn for giving Ebbw Vale every incentive to turn Neath over this weekend.

The Eugene Cross Park coach was at a Wales squad session yesterday where he saw Llewellyn after the second row had commented about playing the Steelmen on Saturday.

Ruddock pulled the Neath players' leg after Llewellyn said he wished he could be playing Gloucester or London Irish this weekend but 'unfortunately we have to go to Ebbw Vale'.

The Welsh All Black insisted he was not trying to be disrespectful to Vale and Ruddock stressed there was no axe to grind with him and, in fact, they were very good pals.

However, the Vale coach said: "We will be getting a few copies of that paper and putting them up on the wall of our dressing room.

"There will be no need to get the players up for this game now - Gareth has done it for us! "We can direct ourselves more to Neath than Gareth and don't forget we beat them in the cup last season up at Ebbw Vale.

"I'm not going to fire any bullets towards him. I spoke to him at a squad session yesterday and pulled his leg about it. I've worked with him with the A team and he's a good guy."

Vale need to get their act together as well on Saturday to get over the misery of their 63-17 Parker Pen Shield quarter-final defeat when the wheels fell of the wagon with a semi-final place within their grasp. But it was just typical of Ebbw's season so far - great one week, poor the next.

Ruddock added: "The biggest thing we need at the moment is a bit of consistency but it's something we cannot sort out.

"We beat Llanelli a couple of weeks ago and then lost to Cardiff. Then, a couple of days later, we went to Pontypridd and won again.

"Our Pontypridd result was outstanding and, if we can get our heads on the plate for 80 minutes, we can do ok."

Ruddock kept in touch with his coaching staff yesterday about any possible injuries but said there was nothing to worry about apart from a few bumps and bruises.