Cardiff Rugby U18 coach Saul Nelson will return to familiar territory this weekend as his table-topping side travel north to face RGC in Colwyn Bay.
Nelson, who spent nearly four years in charge of the RGC academy before moving south to the Arms Park, leads his Cardiff side into the fixture on the back of a commanding 34–12 victory over reigning champions, Ospreys. That result extended Cardiff’s perfect start to the Regional Age-Grade Championships , with five wins from five and four bonus-point victories collected in the opening block of the season.
Six tries on home soil underlined Cardiff’s title credentials last weekend, as they completed a league double over an Ospreys side that edged them in last season’s final. Cardiff were powered to victory by a standout performance from Coleg y Cymoedd wing Calen Edwards, who crossed for a first-half hat-trick. Evan Hughes secured the bonus-point try, with Will Adams and Harry Kinsey also getting over the whitewash.
Cardiff will now look to continue their perfect run, this time away from the comforts of the Arms Park. For Nelson, the trip carries added significance.
“Having been born and raised in north Wales, it will be nice to head home, see a number of family members and also reconnect with many of the players I used to work with at RGC,” he said.
“Everyone connected with RGC is incredibly proud to represent their club and region. They are always committed and competitive, so we know we’re in for a very different test to what we faced against the Ospreys.
“We’ve developed real strength in depth within our programme and there is strong competition for places throughout the squad. There’s a lot of talent in our region and the pathway is working extremely well.”
That pathway will again be on display this weekend, with several Cardiff U18 players set to feature for Cardiff RFC against Wales U20 on Friday night. Ben Coomer, Sonny McCabe, Harry Turner, Arthur Garfield and Ioan Leyshon are all in contention, while hooker Tom Howe—who only recently turned 18—has been named in the Wales U20 squad.
Cardiff now turn their focus to Colwyn Bay, aiming to maintain momentum and extend their unbeaten run as the championship campaign gathers pace.