Llanelli will pull off their second double if they defeat Pontypridd in this afternoon's Principality Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.

The Llanelli coach Gareth Jenkins was worried about how his players would react after being denied a place in the Heineken Cup final three weeks ago by a last-minute Tim Stimpson penalty for Leicester. But the team showed great heart by clinching the Welsh-Scottish league title last week, coming from 17 points down to defeat Cardiff at the Arms Park.

"The pressure will be off us against Pontypridd," said Jenkins. "The players became doubly determined to ensure that we did not finish the season without a trophy and winning the double for the second time would put us into the history books."

Pontypridd have made it to a European final: they take on Sale in the Parker Pen Shield next week when a place in next season's Heineken Cup will be the prize. "There will be no let-up against Llanelli," said Pontypridd coach Lynn Howells. "They will be the favourites and they have won the Welsh Cup so often [13 times] that they have probably already dusted down a space in their trophy cabinet, but we are a young side and will have the chance to find out where we are."

The Cardiff fly-half Iestyn Harris yesterday pulled out of next month's Wales tour to South Africa because of a groin injury while Newport have appointed Leigh Jones as their head coach to succeed Ian McIntosh.