PONTYPOOL are without influential number eight Geraint Morris for tomorrow’s Swalec Cup showdown at Tonmawr.

Morris broke a finger in Pooler’s 27-11 home win over Carmarthen Quins last weekend while full back Nick Wakley (shoulder) is also on the casualty list.

Better news, however, is that wing Oli Halford and lock Dale Critchley have recovered from knocks and are part of theMorris squad, the former starting and the latter named on the bench.

While acknowledging their first priority is league survival – a vital clash with bottom side Glamorgan Wanderers looms on Wednesday – assistant coach Wayne Jones said they are still up for the weekend’s challenge.

“We’re not out of the woods in the league yet, so that does come first,” he said.

“The cup always comes as a welcome relief and this is a great chance for us to progress in a good competition with the incentive of a final at the Millennium Stadium.

“It’s going to be a tough encounter at Tonmawr – they are a gravelly old side up front. But we are aiming to give them a game although we are disappointed not to go there at full strength.”

Pooler have yet to play Tonmawr in the league this season after their scheduled home game on December 27 and away fixture last month were postponed because of bad weather.

And this won’t be the first time the clubs have met after Pooler played them in a friendly at Dan-y-Coed. The club is just a couple of miles up the valley from Pontrhydyfen, the village where Welsh acting legend Richard Burton was born.

And the hell-raising Burton somewhat mischievously mentioned Tonmawr in the 1964 Oscar-nominated film The Night of the Iguana.

The club has come a long way in recent years before achieving promotion to the Premiership last season. They have had a mixed season to date and are tenth in the league, one place and 12 points above Pontypool who have three games in hand.

Tonmawr have won six, drawn two and lost nine league games, having picked up the scalps of Newport, Cross Keys and Aberavon along the way.

They enjoyed arguably their season highlight in a 31-8 Swalec Cup win over Llanelli at home.

Their squad includes former Newport Gwent Dragons centre/wing Tal Selley and talented Ospreys outside-half Dai Flanagan and winger Kristian Phillips.

Pontypool: G O’Driscoll, G Williams, D Robinson, P Price, O Halford, T Hancock, N Blake, R Buckley, J Jeune, S Pailor, R Bowen, T Organ, C Trayhern, L Dyckhoff. Replacements: G Fergusson, J Butler, M Thomas, C Attwell, D Critchley, J Faletau.