CROSS KEYS V NEWPORT (Tonight KO 7.15)

FIFTY-ONE games of hard-fought Premiership action have boiled down to 80 minutes of winner-takes-all rugby for Cross Keys and Newport.

The two rivals meet at Pandy Park this evening for the right to represent Gwent in next season’s British and Irish Cup.

The play-offs cop a lot of flak and last year’s were a drawn-out shambles, but the Welsh Rugby Union have got lucky with tonight’s fare.

This is no dead rubber and both sides are desperate to be in next season’s cross-border competition.

Keys earned the bragging rights in terms of league placings – sixth to Newport’s seventh – but that will count for little if they lose this evening.

Newport earned the bragging rights in terms of clashes in the regular season – a convincing win at Rodney Parade and a draw at Pandy Park – but that will count for little if they lose this evening.

It is a mouth-watering clash between two Gwent rivals and one that is hard to call.

While (for reasons out of the control of the coaches) Newport’s team selection this season has been as consistent as that of France’s Marc Lievremont, Keys head into tonight’s game with a settled side.

There are few surprises in their selection and they will look to put the squeeze on up front, as they have all season.

Tonight’s hosts have a mixture of power and mobility – the grunt of loosehead Richard Cornock, tighthead Marc Jones and lock Dan Hodge mixed with the agility of sevens experts second row Tom Lampard and number eight Jevon Groves.

Keys will be fired-up, physical and abrasive but there is a danger of being too pumped up.

The sight of a black and amber jersey can derail Gwent players from a game plan; they can start playing as individuals looking to settle scores.

That would play in Newport’s hands and it should be stressed that they themselves also have a front eight that can handle themselves.

Tighthead Gethin Robinson, hooker Andrew Brown and flanker Sam Waldron have a wealth of experience while lock Dafydd Rosser is hardly a shrinking violet.

Tonight will be a big night for young loosehead prop Dafydd Morgan who has done very well so far for an 18-year-old flung into the deep end.

But Newport have missed prop Dai Pattison, not only in terms of the set piece but in terms of leadership and communication, and he is a welcome presence on the bench tonight.

The absence of Pattison has not been felt quite as hard as that of Matt Evans, the Canadian international who cut Keys to shreds in Newport’s win at the Parade and then crossed for two tries at Pandy Park.

He provided a real spark behind the scrum on those occasions, as did Rhys Jones at fly-half. Gareth Bowen wears the number 10 jersey this evening – a man who is more Andrew Mehrtens to Jones’ Carlos Spencer.

Newport do, however, have a real livewire in their team in the shape of scrum-half Jon Evans.

The 18-year-old caused Tonmawr all sorts of problems last Saturday and Keys openside flanker Rob Nash will be charged with keeping a close eye on the Wales Under-20s starlet.

The youth and experience combination of Newport’s half-backs is a blueprint shared by Keys, albeit they have their young guns at outside half.

Steffan Jones has had a tremendous first season in the Premiership and earned a chance with the Dragons at the end of the campaign, an opportunity he took with both hands.

He has formed a terrific partnership with Keys scrum-half Ryan James, though the number nine is hardly a calming influence.

James is a spiky, in-your-face player but has come on leaps and bounds this season in terms of his game management and keeping his side ticking.

Keys will be looking for their controllers to get their pack into enemy territory but they will also look to counter if Newport kick loosely and chase badly (something that can occur given their unsettled line-up).

Everything points towards a cracking encounter that could go down to the wire. Hopefully the game will live up to expectations.