PONTYPOOL hope to welcome back to action influential captain and back row star Luke Dyckhoff for their home Swalec Championship clash with Bargoed tomorrow afternoon, writes Iwan Gabe Davies.

Pooler bounced back to halt a two-match losing streak when they won their Gwent derby 25-20 away at Blackwood earlier this month.

Wales’ autumn series clashes with South Africa and Argentina mean Pooler, sixth in the table, and the league’s other sides haven’t played since November 2.

Pontypool head coach Mike Hook outlined how his side are raring to go against fourth-placed Bargoed.

“No coach likes such a long break but we’ve used our time productively with a couple of training sessions with Talywain and Pontypool United as well as a friendly against Abertillery,” he said.

“Bargoed haven’t had the best of starts by their own high standards and they will be looking to get their season back on track.

“They are a big, physical side and we will look to get into them early, like we did against Ebbw Vale (Pooler losing a titanic derby clash 19-13 at home last month), to see what they are about.

“We have set ourselves targets and this is one of those – it’s a big game for us with another week off to come at the end of the month before a busy Christmas schedule to come.”

Hook is hoping Dyckhoff will overcome a foot injury to play against the Rhymney Valley side, but Pooler will be without fellow highly rated back row forward Ben Sparks (appendix) tomorrow.

Unbeaten so far this season, reigning champions Ebbw Vale have again taken the league by storm and already lead by 12 points after just nine games.

It’ll take something almost superhuman from Beddau to stop the Steelmen this weekend, Vale looking to extend their gap from second-placed Narberth who are away at Tata Steel.

Newbridge have shown glimpses of their considerable potential and would be sitting far higher that their 11th position in the 14-team league had it not been for some narrow defeats – including an agonising 6-5 reverse to high flying Narberth last time out.

But it won’t be easy against a capable Cardiff Met outfit who are the visitors to the Welfare Ground this weekend.

Blackwood earned a bonus point in their narrow defeat to Pooler last time out and can put some distance between them and bottom side Bonymaen if they can get just their second win of the season at Tondu who are just one place and four points ahead of the Glan-yr-Afon Park outfit, the Bridgend team in 12th place.

Swalec Championship fixtures (all kick-offs 2.30pm): Beddau v Ebbw Vale, Bridgend Ath v RGC1404, Llanharan v Bonymaen, Newbridge v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Bargoed, Tata Steel v Narberth, Tondu v Blackwood.