British & Irish Cup preview

The British & Irish Cup qualifying stages will come to a conclusion as the fifth round of pool games are played out over the coming week.

The full round of forthcoming fixtures is as follows:

Friday 5th March

Moseley v Bedford Blues (Billesley Common, 7.30pm) Pool C

Saturday 6th March

Plymouth Albion v Exeter Chiefs (Brickfields, 3pm) Pool A

Neath v Coventry (The Gnoll, 2.30pm) Pool B

London Welsh v Llanelli (Old Deer Park, 2pm) Pool C

Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights (Clifton Lane, 2pm) Pool D

Birmingham & Solihull Bees v Pontypridd (Sharmans Cross Road, 3pm) Pool D

Cardiff v Ayr (Arms Park, 2.30pm) Pool D

Sunday 7th March

Cornish Pirates v Newport (Camborne Recreation Ground, 3pm) Pool A

Nottingham Rugby v Bristol Rugby (Meadow Lane, 3pm) Pool B

Wednesday 10th March  

Gael Force v Leinster (Bridehaugh, 7pm) Pool A

Friday 12th March  

Munster v Heriot's (Musgrave Park, 7.30pm) Pool B

Ulster Ravens v Aberavon (Ravenhill, 7.30pm) Pool C

POOL D Preview

Rotherham Titans v Doncaster Knights 6th March.

Referee: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

Rotherham Titans’ three game winning run in all competitions came to an end at Cardiff on Saturday. The Titans are in 10th place in the RFU Championship and must beat Bedford next week at Goldington Road to give themselves any hope of making the Promotion Playoffs. Doncaster Knights have already qualified for the semi-finals following their encounter at Pontypridd on Wednesday. The Knights have a played four, won four record so far in the British & Irish Cup and lie in 7th spot in the RFU Championship table. Rotherham have won this local derby against Doncaster just once in the last nine meetings since 2005: 11-7 at Clifton Lane in the Championship on 14th November 2009.

Birmingham & Solihull Bees v Pontypridd 6 th March.

Referee: Paul Haycock (IRFU)

Neither side can progress to the last four of the British & Irish Cup. Birmingham & Solihull Bees have not won a game since beating Redruth at Sharmans Cross Road in National Two on 25th April 2009. Pontypridd lie in third place in the WRU Principality Premiership. The two teams have never met before in league or cup.

Cardiff v Ayr 6th March.

Referee: Darren Gamage (RFU)

Cardiff are in 6th place in the WRU Principality Premiership and in the British & Irish Cup have beaten Pontypridd, Birmingham and Rotherham but lost out to Doncaster. Ayr cannot qualify for the last four having a won two, lost two record so far. The Scotsmen beat Rotherham and Birmingham but were defeated by Doncaster and Pontypridd. The two teams have never met before in league or cup.