The Drovers open their season in the new Super Rygbi Cymru league with a trip to Pontypool Park on Thursday night writes Huw S Thomas.
They did the double over Pontypool last season on their way to take a clean sweep of honours in the Indigo Premiership but will now be the target for all the other nine teams in the new semi-pro world of the SRC.
They have lost their retired captain, lock Jack Jones, and have also been hit by the temporary absence of talented No 8 Joe Powell, away on business for a few weeks.
There is extra spice to the game as last year’s defence coach Tom Hancock is now backs coach at Pontypool and he will have rare insight into Llandovery’s patterns of play.
Hancock was generous with his praise of the Drovers set up.
“I was very fortunate to work with some outstanding people at Llandovery and the Scarlets Academy and learned so much. Specifically coaching the defence at Llandovery improved my holistic understanding of the game and definitely made me a more rounded coach.”
A key signing for Pooler has been former Cardiff No 8 Morgan Allen whilst there are big hopes of last year’s Wales U20 fly half, North Walian Harri Ford.
Llandovery lost to Merthyr in a pre-season friendly, surprisingly outscored by six tries to four by the Premiership side, after the pack had to give second best in tight and loose.
Bookmakers Dragonbet report a lot of money on Pontypool to win the SRC outright and have had to cut the price from 7/1 down to 3/1, such are their liabilities on Pooler.
They quote Newport as 5/2 favourites with Llandovery and Cardiff joint second favourites with Pontypool at 3/1.
The Pooler pack will be a match for all and if Llandovery are to start on the right foot, they will need parity up front to give their free running backs the chances of tries.
33 year old Lee Rees is the new Llandovery captain, the leading scrum half in Welsh semi-pro rugby over the last decade, and he will again be the key to the fortunes and ambitions of the Tywi Valley club.
Last season, the Drovers profited from the regular presence of Scarlets Academy players such as hooker Harry Thomas, prop Josh Morse and centre Macs Page but their availability and that of other talented youngsters is not yet clear or finalised.
Thursday’s game – KO 7 30 pm – will be televised live on S4C.
SRC Saturday fixtures are Ebbw Vale -Aberavon, RGC -Cardiff, Newport -Bridgend and Carmarthen Quins -Swansea.
DRAGONBET odds to win Super Rygbi Cymru regular season
NEWPORT 5/2; LLANDOVERY 3/1; PONTYPOOL 3/1; CARDIFF 3/1; EBBW VALE 7/1; ABERAVON 7/1; BRIDGEND 7/1; SWANSEA 7/1; CARMARTHEN QUINS 9/1; RGC 11/1
The Pontypool v Llandovery is the first of 10 games which have been announced for live broadcast before the new year.
The 10 games confirmed to be televised on S4C are:
- Thursday, 12 September: Pontypool v Llandovery
- Thursday, 19 September: Cardiff v Ebbw Vale
- Thursday, 26 September: Aberavon v Newport
- Thursday, 03 October: Bridgend v Swansea
- Thursday, 10 October: Newport v Llandovery
- Thursday, 17 October: Llandovery v Swansea
- Thursday, 24 October: Swansea v Pontypool
- Thursday, 12 December: Carmarthen Quins v Aberavon
- Sunday, 22 December: Cardiff v Newport
- Saturday, 28 December: RGC v Bridgend