Sir Gar have four survivors from the team that stopped arch-rivals Coleg y Cymoedd making it a hat-trick of titles last season – centre Joe Roberts, outside half Llew Smith, prop Adam Thomas and back row man Cam Lewis.
The pressure will be on Euros Evans’ side, who have reached all previous seven finals and won four of them, as they launch the new-style, 13 team tournament. Every team knows they have to match them and their opening day side boasts nine players who helped the Scarlets U18 side end the first phase of the Regional Age Grade Championship unbeaten.
“It’s another exciting season and the early indications show that we will be competitive again. We develop players, they move on and then it’s great to start working with a new generation,” said Evans.
“Hopefully, we will be there or thereabouts to win the trophy again. It was good to win it again last season because Cymoedd had started to build up a bit of a monopoly on the title.
“It was an especially sweet victory as we had to fight back from a big first half deficit. Ryan Conbeer stood tall that day and it’s great to see him moving on to play for Wales Under 20, Llanelli and the Scarlets.”
Sir Gar have taken their first fixture to the home of current Principality Premiership West Division leaders Llandovery where their director of rugby, Evans, is currently the head coach. The televised matches will all be broadcast live on S4C’s website and S4C Chwaraeon Facebook page and will be evening kick-offs on a Tuesday.
Rygbi Pawb will then show extended highlights on Wednesday nights from 10pm on the S4C TV channel.
“We have 13 teams in the Welsh Schools & Colleges League and then a further 19 schools split into two more divisions. We are providing an elite pathway for the top 350 players in the Under 18 age group via this tournament,” said Gethin Watts, WRU National Age Grade Performance Manager.
“When Wales went on tour this summer 40% of the players in Robin McBryde’s squad had played in this League. It really is the breeding ground for the next generation of Welsh regional and international players.”
Newport HS reached the Trophy final last year, where they were forced withstand a second half onslaught from Ysgol Glantaf before prevailing 25-22. Lennon Greggains, who was part of the highly successful Wales U18 tour squad to South Africa in August, was part of their title winning squad last season.
He made his Dragons debut in the pre-season friendly against Glasgow Warriors, while centre Corey Howells was a try scorer last weekend for Newport in their Principality Premiership win over Pontypridd at Rodney Parade. They will head to Llandovery with a team packed with Dragons Under 18 players and confident of causing an upset under the expert guidance of former Wales lock Rob Sidoli.
The rest of the games will be played on Wednesday. The full Round 1 fixtures are as follows, with Bridgend College receiving a bye:
Welsh Schools & Colleges League Round 1
Tuesday, 12 September
Coleg Sir Gar v Newport HS (Church Bank, Llandovery, 7.00pm)
Wednesday, 13 September
Llandovery College v Cardiff & Vale College
Coleg y Cymoedd v Gower College
Neath Port Talbot College v Whitchurch HS
Pembroke Schools v Gwent College
Coleg Llandrillo v Ysgol Glantaf
TEAMS
Coleg Sir Gar v Newport HS
Coleg Sir Gar: Osian Knott; Dean James, Joe Roberts, Bradley Roderick, Harrison Button; Llew Smith, Dai Jones; Keelan Jewell, Dom Booth, Adam Thomas, Ryan Evans, Jac Price, Steffan Richards, Cam Lewis, Sam Williams
Reps: Josh Bowen, Llew Phillips-Taylor, Kallum Lewis, Kingsley Powell, Ben Chiffi, Dylan Morgan, Ilan Phillips, Tom Evans
Newport HS: TBC
Cymoedd v Gower College Swansea
Gower College Swansea: Morgan Griffiths, Oliver Quick, Scott Hill, Fergus Kneath, Rhys Laugharne, Keiron Hughes, Evan Budge, Sam Hyde; Sam Cambriani, Josh Thomas, Luke Butler, Bradley Denty, Ben Cambriani, Llyr Gealy, Iwan RichardsReplacements: Iestyn Roberts, Rhys Thomas, Josh Mapstone, Dan Pritchard, Tamin Morgan, Liam Seaward, Iwan Jones, Danny Thomas
Llandovery v C&V&C
Llandovery College: Dylan Jones Ollie Robb, Harry O’Connor, Cian Ireland, Griff Evans, Liam Wheeler, Rhodri Bullock (C ), Olly White; Jordan Evans, Jack Evans, Sean Collins, Ty Jones, Tom Sandford, Toby Baldwin, Sam CourtReplacements: Lewis Jones, Dan Davies, Harry Olding, Jacques Kinnison, Deiniol Jones, Scott Rees
Cymoedd: Garyn Phillips, Garran Williams, Ben Warren, Cian Lewis-Hughes, Thomas John, Ioan Davies, Cerith Lloyd, Ieuan Pring; Josh Oakley, Rhys Davies, Dafydd Thomas, Joe Vickers, Leon Davies, George Thomas, Liam LloydReplacements: Ieuan Morris, Fraser Hughes, Iestyn Haskins, Mitchell Barnard, Lloyd Gregory, Nathan Griffiths, Cavan Slade, Ioan Evans
Welsh Schools & Colleges League Finals (formerly WRU Wednesday League)
2010/11: Coleg Sir Gar 20, Coleg Gwent 19
2011/12: Coleg Gwent 17, Coleg Sir Gar 16,
2012/13: Coleg Sir Gar 18, Coleg Morgannwg 16
2013/14: Coleg Sir Gar 25, Coleg y Cymoedd (formerly Morgannwg) 22
2014/15: Coleg y Cymoedd 13, Coleg Sir Gar 3
2015/16: Coleg y Cymoedd 44, Coleg Sir Gar 24
2016/17: Coleg Sir Gar 27, Coleg y Cymoedd 23
