LLANDOVERY COLLEGE COACH NATHAN THOMAS PLAYING FOR BATH

AN OLD LLANDOVERIAN, HE IS HOPING TO LEAD THE COLLEGE TO A WELSH SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES FINAL WIN AGAINST YSGOL GLANTAF THIS WEDNESDAY

These are indeed heady days for the small market town of Llandovery – population 2,000 – with both town and gown shining brightly in the world of Welsh rugby – writes Huw S Thomas.

The town club – the Drovers – sit proudly on top of the Indigo Welsh Premiership and the Lilywhites of Llandovery College have just finished top of the Welsh Schools and Colleges League.

And the College’s girls side has also qualified for the Schools and Colleges Girls final, with both finals scheduled for the Principality Stadium this Wednesday night

Despite last Saturday’s Indigo Premiership game against Swansea being postponed because of the icy weather, the Drovers are five points clear of chasing Ebbw Vale.

They have also played one game less than both second place Ebbw Vale and third placed Pontypool and must be counted – despite the protestations of coach Euros Evans – favourites to head the table come April 2024.

The top four will contest the end of season play offs to decide the champion club of Wales, a title that Llandovery claimed last year.

The Drovers – led by Old Llandoverian and lock Jack Jones (above) – finished second in the regular league but turned over Cardiff in the final winning 24-8 at the Arms Park.

Two tries from effervescent scrum half Lee Rees and 14 points from the boot of full back Jack Maynard clinched a famous and well deserved win.

They are also involved in the Welsh Cup and on Saturday (Dec 9) play Aberavon at Church Bank in the quarter final stage of a competition which they have twice won, in 2007 and 2016.

This Wednesday night Llandovery College will try and add the title of Schools and Colleges champions to their top finish in of the league.

They are coached by ex Bath and Wales back row and Old Llandoverian Nathan Thomas (pictured playing for Bath) who towards the end of a distinguished career played six games for the Drovers.

Thomas is no stranger to Cup finals at the Principality Stadium.

In 2029, at the the age of 43 and more than 21 years after lifting the Heineken Cup with Bath, the player-coach of Abergavenny lifted the WRU National Bowl when his side beat Oakdale 27-23 with a last gasp try.

There is a further, more recent connection between town and college in that star Drovers centre Adam Warren is now on the College staff and a huge help to Thomas in his preparations.

The Carmarthenshire independent school take on Cardiff’s Ysgol Glantaf at the Principality Stadium (KO 7 20 pm) in a game that will be televised live on S4c Clic.

 They scraped home 23-21 against the Cardiff Welsh language comprehensive on Tredegar Close back in October and the final promises the tightest of contests.

Fly half Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and lock Will Evans who are both in the Wales U18 squad will be key men as both Llandovery College and Ysgol Glantaf try to become the first school, rather than sixth form college, to be crowned Welsh Schools and Colleges champions

Both schools keep providing the Wales national side with one good, even great rugby player after another.

George North, Alun Wyn-Jones, Andy Powell, Peter Rogers (Llandovery), Jamie Roberts, Jamie and Nicky Robinson, Max Llewellyn and Rhys Patchell (Glantaf) come quickly to mind amongst the players to shine in the past and present.

In the semi finals the Lilywhites extended their unbeaten record in Conference A to eight games with a 29-11 home win over reigning champions Cardiff & Vale College whilst Ysgol Glantaf joined them in the final, edging out  Coleg Sir Gar – coached by one Euros Evans – 22-17 later in the day.

The College girls face Coleg Gwent in one of two curtain raisers to the big game.

The other curtain raiser sees Mynydd Mawr and Dinefwr U16s take on Bridgend Schools in the final of the Dewar Shield with Llandovery College providing six players to the MMAD squad which is coached by former College and Llandovery RFC fly half Tomas Marks.

Wednesday 6th December at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.   

MMAD v Bridgend Schools U16 Dewar Shield Final. KO 3pm   

Llandovery College U18 Girls 1st XV v Coleg Gwent. KO 5.20pm (Senior Girls Final).  

Llandovery College U18 Boys 1st XV v Ysgol Glantaf. KO 7.20pm (Senior Boys Final). 

 

 

Photo of Drovers captain Jack Jones who will be rooting for his old school on Wednesday night