CROSS Keys desperately need to do the double over Principality Premiership playoff rivals Cardiff when they welcome the Blue and Blacks to Pandy Park on Saturday, writes Chris Kirwan.

Sixth-placed Keys suffered a blow when they were edged out 37-31 by Bedwas at Bridge Field last weekend, although they did emerge from a tough battle with a pair of bonus points.

They are still in the mix for the playoffs and have two games in hand on third-placed Carmarthen Quins, who currently have a 13-point advantage.

But they must emerge victorious from a clash against a Cardiff side that they beat 30-24 in a thriller on the Arms Park plastic in September.

Keys showed plenty of attacking flair on that afternoon – with Dragons under-18s winger Lloyd Lewis scoring a try of the season contender when he jinked his way down the right flank – but it’s what they do without the ball that concerns head coach Greg Woods after their Bedwas loss.

“When you score four tries away from home you expect to win so our defence needs to improve,” he said. “Individual errors cost us at Bedwas because 80 per cent of our game was excellent.

“Cardiff pose a similar threat to Bedwas with a solid set piece and backs that can cause problems, so we have to do better in defence, especially from turnovers.

“It’s all pretty tight in the top half of the table and this is a massive game. We won there earlier this season and need to do the double over them.

“We have won our last two against Newport and Aberavon at Pandy Park and we need to continue that form after making an poor start to the season at home.”

Keys have no fresh injury worries but are set to be without flanker Scott Matthews because of Newport Gwent Dragons’ game against Exeter in the LV= Cup and loosehead prop Luke Garrett is unavailable because of Wales Under-20s duty.

Cardiff, who fielded Wales tighthead Scott Andrews when the sides met in the capital along with his fellow international Lloyd Williams at scrum-half, are likely to be hit hard by call-ups for the Anglo-Welsh encounter with Wasps.