We have a final side, following the responses to the questionnaire that asked Llandovery RFC clubmen to nominate their best composite Drovers XV of the last 30 years writes Tom Hughes
Most people agreed with Huw S Thomas’s XV, with just two changes. Suggested by a majority of answers were the inclusion of wing Aaron Warren (for Joe Ajuwa) and lock John Westgarth (for Bryn Griffiths).
Some suggestions did not meet the criteria of the need to have played for the club on at least 30 occasions – Tadgh Beirne only played twice, both Jamie Cudmore jnd Macs Page just 23 times.
Carwyn Davies who went on to be capped by Wales on the wing could not be considered as his last game for the Drovers was back in 1992, four years too early for inclusion.
The main positions where selections differed from Huw S’s choices were at wing and lock.
Many disagreed with the inclusion of Joe Ajuwa and there were 80% in favour of replacing him with Aaron Warren.
It meant moving Mark Jones to the right wing spot and slotting Aaron Warren into his favourite left wing place.
The wing’s record of 120 tries in 262 appearances may never be beaten and both he and brother Adam make the All Stars XV by popular acclaim.
Back rower Marc de Marigny got a few surprise votes, the only man not to have featured in the original list of a possible 100 players to be considered.
The biggest difference of opinion was at lock where John Westgarth won heavy votes from the public.
The most insistent argument for the selection of Westgarth was the club President Handel Davies’s view that the hugely popular Geordie was the most rugged, strongest, hardest and most influential forward to have turned out for the Drovers in the last 30 years.
The Maltese-born former West Hartlepool second row played 108 games for Llandovery 1994-1999 and never took a backward step in the heat of battle, befitting a man who only lost an European Heavyweight title fight on a controversial split decision.
His early death at the age of 64 much saddened his Llandovery fans and friends.
POPULAR CHOICE ALL STARS XV (CHANGES FROM HUW S THOMAS’S SELECTION IN BOLD WITH NAME OF PLAYER REPLACED)
Full Back: Jac Davies
Wing: Mark Jones
Centre: Rhodri Jones
Centre: Adam Warren (pictured)
Wing: Aaron Warren (Joe Ajuwa)
Fly Half: Ioan Hughes
Scrum Half: Lee Rees
Loose Head: Wyn Jones
Hooker: Taylor Davies
Tight Head: Andrew Jones
Lock: John Westgarth (Bryn Griffiths)
Lock: Jack Jones
Flanker: Dafydd Jones
No 8: Jonathan Mills
Flanker: Chris Davies