A VICTORY for Cross Keys against Bridgend tonight will be enough to clinch a Principality Premiership play-off spot for the Pandy Park side for the second successive season.
Although Cardiff are breathing hard down the Gwent Valleys side's neck, four points this evening will guarantee them another crack at taking Pontypridd's title after losing last season's Grand Final to them.
Should Keys finish in the top three, they will face a mouth-watering showdown with neighbours Ebbw Vale for the opportunity of toppling Ponty at Sardis Road in the big final next month.
Vale have already qualified for the play-offs after finishing an impressive season, following last year's promotion as runaway winners of the Swalec Championship, on 69 points with a game left.
Keys are currently on 61 points with two games to go, Bridgend to come tonight before ending the regular season by hosting the Ravens at Pandy Park on Saturday.
Cardiff have amassed 60 points and finish their season by hosting Vale on Friday night, the Steelmen able to guarantee a home league play-off advantage by beating the Blue and Blacks.
A win for Keys today will see them home by virtue of having chalked up more victories than the capital city side, should they beat Vale with a bonus point towards the end of the week.
Keys pushed reigning league and Swalec Cup champions Ponty hard at Pandy Park on Saturday before succumbing to them 27-19 just seven days after bowing out of the cup to the same opponents 33-27 after an epic semi-final at Cardiff Arms Park.
After enjoying a nine-match run of successive victories, the Gwent side look to end their back-to-back defeats when they face a Bridgend side who are five points clear of bottom side Newport.
The Ravens have the incentive of avoiding last place but they will probably be resting several players ahead of their huge Swalec Cup final clash to come against Pontypridd at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in under a fortnight.
Keys head coach Greg Woods believes his men can finish the job in hand today: "We've got to get four points out of our last two games and we remain confident we can make the play-offs.
"We'll be fully focussed for both encounters and look to bounce back after the disappointments of losing to Pontypridd."
At the other end of the table, Newport will be looking to end their season on a high and build on last week's encouraging 22-21 victory over Llandovery at Rodney Parade.
A try in the dying seconds by full back Llywarch ap Myrddin, his second of the game, saw the Black and Ambers snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a thrilling denouement.
Although on paper they face a mammoth task on paper against Pontypridd at Sardis Road tonight, a win might not be as unlikely as some might think.
With Ponty already having secured home advantage in the Premiership Grand Final and with a Swalec Cup final to come, they might not be busting a gut this evening and could have their eyes on the bigger pictures with, effectively, nothing to play for.
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