THE equation for Pontypool this weekend is simple – win and they will be playing Principality Premiership rugby again next season.

On paper, Pooler’s task looks a straight-forward one, yet it is set to be anything but that given the team they face, RGC 1404, are also desperate for promotion from the Swalec Championship.

Not that Pontypool head coach Louie Tonkin and his players are thinking about losing, but if they do suffer a fifth defeat of the season then they still have one more fixture left after this weekend to get the job done.

However, that is away at fellow promotion hopefuls Bargoed, who go to Tata Steel on Saturday, so Tonkin’s charges will be keen to make home advantage count at Pontypool Park (2.30pm).

Pooler were on a four-match winning streak when they lost the reverse fixture against RGC 25-11 early last month.

Since then both Pooler and RGC have been scoring points for fun, however, the North Walians have lost two of their last four outings while Pontypool are unbeaten during the same period.

One of those RGC losses, away to Swansea, came in the cruellest of fashions when the hosts won thanks to a drop-goal with the final kick of the contest.

That gave the Gwent club a huge lift, as did the news this week that backer Peter Jeffreys announced he would not be walking away even if promotion to the Premiership doesn’t happen this season.

Jeffreys saved Pontypool from being wound up in 2012 – the last time they were in the Premiership – after the club failed to get the WRU’s decision to demote them from the top tier overturned.

Everything that went on during that period would make a return to the Premiership all the sweeter, with Pooler able to look forward to battles with Gwent rivals Cross Keys, Ebbw Vale and Newport.

In the build-up to last Saturday’s 35-11 win at Bridgend Athletic, Tonkin stated that this week would be the biggest of his coaching career.

It hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far, with Tonkin’s Cardiff University side suffering a 16-10 defeat at the hands of Swansea in the Welsh Varsity clash at the Liberty Stadium.

But the week isn’t over yet and it could still end on a real high for Tonkin and everyone else at Pontypool Park.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Newbridge, up to ninth following a midweek victory over Glynneath, travel to Narberth (2.30pm).

Championship: Cardiff Met v Glynneath, Narberth v Newbridge, Newcastle Emlyn v Llanharan, Pontypool v RGC 1404, Tata Steel v Bargoed.