Coach Greg Woods demands Cross Keys backlash (From Campaign Series)
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Coach Greg Woods demands Cross Keys backlash
6:42pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in Gwent rugby
By Iwan Davies
CROSS Keys head coach Greg Woods is demanding a backlash from his side ahead of their must-win away clash at Llandovery tomorrow night.
The Pandy Park side have to pick up the pieces after a shattering and unjust 24-21 defeat to Cardiff in the dying seconds last week.
Keys old boy Jamie Davies broke the visitors’ hearts, the wing scoring his third try right at the death after brushing off some poor tackling.
But the play leading up to his hat trick score should not even have been allowed to happen.
Referee Sean Brickell permitted a home lineout to take place after 80 minutes were up on the Cardiff Arms Park clock which was being halted at every stoppage.
That defeat has put a serious dent in Keys’ play off ambitions.
Tomorrow’s showdown between the third in the table Gwent side and the fifth placed Drovers is of enormous significance to both.
Although the defeat in Cardiff was a devastating one for his side, Woods is calling on his troops to rally and resume their assault on an outside chance of a top three play off place.
“It was tough the way we lost to Cardiff but we’ve got to move on quickly," he said.
“There’s no point moping around – we’ve got to get back in the race.
“I’m expecting a big reaction and we’ve got to go to Llandovery and win.”
Pontypridd are the runaway league leaders and will almost certainly be guaranteed a place in the final with a home draw.
That leaves Keys, Bedwas, Llanelli and Llandovery as realistic contenders for the other two spots, all having at least one game in hand over Woods’ men.
He added: “We are a quality side and we should be in the play offs.
“But making them now is out of our hands because we’ve also got to rely on other results going our way.”
Keys had the measure of the Drovers in November at home when they inflicted on Llandovery their first defeat of the season after they had gone ten games unbeaten.
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