PONTYPOOL might be the only team outside the top flight left in this season’s WRU National Cup but none of the Principality Premiership big boys will relish facing them in the quarter-finals.

Pooler joined fellow Gwent sides Ebbw Vale and Cross Keys in the hat for the last eight on Saturday evening with another accomplished performance against one of Welsh club rugby’s elite.

Their sensational 43-32 triumph over Cardiff at the Arms Park followed a 19-11 defeat of Llanelli in the previous round and fully underlined Pooler’s credentials as cup contenders.

The visitors’ high work rate, big hitting and strong running helped them to another well-earned knockout win on their travels.

“I think it does top the Llanelli win because we were comfortable and never felt threatened in that match, whereas Cardiff played some really good rugby and exposed us at times,” said Pontypool head coach Leighton Jones.

“I don’t think I’m biased in saying the best team won. They chucked a lot at us at the start and we gave away a couple of cheap penalties, and I think indiscipline has probably cost us 15 points.

“We spoke about discipline at half-time and stamping our style on the game, and I think showed that in the second half.

“We mixed it up a bit and scored a couple of nice tries, we didn’t just use our forward grunt, so we were very pleased with the overall performance.

“Cardiff thought they would play a fast and expansive game but our boys are conditioned to a high standard so we were never really worried about coming down and playing a fast game.”

He added: “For me, the pleasing thing was the mental strength of the team and our togetherness.

“Even when we did have our backs against the wall we had that self-belief that we could keep going.

“Our conditioning coach, Simon Church, has done a fantastic job with the boys and we’ve seen the players get stronger throughout the season.

“There’s no let up from us, we can play with that tempo and intensity for 80 minutes, and we’re not worried about what’s in front of us.”

Hailing the army of fans from Gwent that made the trip to the capital, Jones said: “The league is our focus and we want to do a job there, we’ve set ourselves a target and we will be focusing back on that after this game.

“But these cup runs are great and the local community has got right behind us, and the supporters are fantastic.

“So to go on a cup run is nice for the boys but good for the fans as well because they want to see us playing against these Premiership teams, and we want to be playing against them.

“And I think we are proving that we can hold our own against them.”

Despite tries from wings Nathan Brooks and Josh Hurley, Pooler trailed 19-17 at the break, with Gareth Thompson scoring all of Cardiff’s points.

But the visitors made a brisk start to the second period and surged into a 27-19 lead thanks to Clayton Gullis’ try and Matthew Jones’ boot.

Thompson dragged the hosts back into it but when flanker Rob Nash crossed the wind really was taken out of Cardiff’s sails.

Jones added six more points after home replacement Johnny Edwards was sin-binned and, although Blue and Blacks hooker Ethan Lewis crossed late on, there was still time for Jones to kick a fifth penalty.

“The team has showed, and the supporters have showed, we will go anywhere and we will play our game anywhere,” added Pooler chief Jones.

“There are some good teams left and we would love to get a home draw in the next round.

“We would love to get someone up Pontypool Park and really get the community behind us again, and show the passion for rugby in the area.”