The Black & Ambers have just one win out of five leagues matches played. Llandovery are currently fourth in the Premiership with three wins and a draw against last season’s champions Pontypridd from their five matches.
We have to go back to April 2011 to see Newport’s last win against the Drovers when they won 29-18 at Church Bank.
Newport are without a number of players including Tyler Morgan, Alex Jeffries, Elliot Frewen, Jamie Jeune and Andrew Brown. Fortunately Newport welcome back hooker Dale Rogers and centre Dan Robinson and have the services of Dragons centre Ashley Smith.
Eighteen-year-old hooker Henry Palmer, born in Abergavenny, who has yet to make his Premier League debut, is on the bench on permit from Cross Keys.
The Drovers will be keen to continue their home league record which has seen them unbeaten since Boxing Day 2012 although both the most recent games, against Pontypridd (27-all draw) and Neath (34-31) were very close run affairs.
Llandovery: 15 Lee Rees 14 Chris Knight 13 Matthew Jacobs 12 Craig Woodall 11 Aaron Warren
10 Ian Brooks 9 Rhodri Davies; 1 Wyn Jones 2 Tom Ball 3 Greg Cunniffe 4 Bryn Griffiths 5 Llewelyn Jones 6 Phil Day (Captain) 7 Shaun Miles 8 Richard Bloomfield
Replacements: 16 Andrew Jones 17 Dorian Williams 18 Lawrence Reynolds 19 Richard Brooks 20 Luke Lewis 21 Sam Soul 22 James Garland
Newport: G O’Driscoll, O Broad, D Robinson. A Smith, M O’Brien, A Hewitt, J Leadbeater, D Pattison, D Rogers, G Robinson, Adam Brown, A Frampton, B Lampitt, O Griffiths, L Beach (capt).
Replacements: H Palmer, J Monck, J Greenfield, C Attwell, A Quick, D Franchi, T James, D Rosser.
