IN-FORM Ebbw Vale welcome Glamorgan Wanderers to Eugene Cross Park tomorrow afternoon with head coach Pat Horgan keen for more free-flowing rugby.
The Steelmen have got used to crossing the whitewash in recent weeks, racking up 15 tries in their cup quarter-final loss to Aberavon and back-to-back bonus point wins over Llanelli and the Wizards.
And Horgan has once again praised the efforts of makeshift fly-half Bryan Shelbourne who using his experience and handling skills to get his backs firing.
"I think the last few games have been some of the best rugby we have played and perhaps that is because the pressure is off," said Horgan. "The players are expressing themselves and enjoying their rugby.
"It has been a bit more open and maybe that is down to the personnel who are playing, we haven't been able to field some members of the team who tend to dominate and dictate the style of play and now it is more of a 15-man game.
"Bryan is playing really well at ten and his distribution is bringing the best out of those outside him and Kristian Owen is definitely one of those benefiting from it.
"He has got a lot of pace and he is having quicker ball put in front of him to attack rather than slow ball from a driving line-out with a defence that is prepared for what is coming."
Vale head into this weekend's clash in third place, five points behind Cardiff, and Horgan believes that represents another good campaign considering the club was in a relegation dogfight two seasons ago.
He said: "I suppose you could say there are encouraging signs but I have always had belief in the squad that we could challenge and I think it was just that the injuries and unavailabilities through sevens that hit us hard.
"And we have had to go through the season without a regular fly-half, so I think a second or third-placed finish represents another excellent year for Ebbw Vale."
The Steelmen will monitor a number of bumps before naming their side, with Shelbourne (ankle) among the doubts, but one man who will miss out is young prop Aaron Coundley.
The academy loosehead has broken a rib and is likely to miss the rest of the campaign - a blow as he had been performing superbly and was part of a dominant front row at Stradey Park that even caused mayhem in the scrum when the pack was down to seven men.
"It's a real shame for Aaron because he was one of those players who was really enjoying himself and he was in excellent form," said Horgan.
"One of the things about him that shines out is his fitness levels, he is still running and wanting to carry when other props are out on their feet."
Full-back Andrew McLaughlan and lock Will Jones are set to return after missing out on the midweek win over Aberavon.
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