The Drovers were one of only two teams that Leighton Jones’ Pooler side failed to beat last season in the old Indigo Premiership and they will no doubt be revved up to open the new season with a bang. The Drovers were 37-21 winners at home and then triumphed 48-26 at Pontypool Park last season when the two teams met.
The home side have included Dragons senior academy duo Ioan Duggan and Sam Scarfe in their starting XV. Duggan starts on the right wing while former Wales U20 hooker Scarfe once again packs down in the front row.
Kieran Meek, who has rejoined Pontypool from Ebbw Vale, will lead out the side as he marks his 100th appearance for the club.
The Drovers will arrive with Scarlets senior academy lock Will Evans at the heart of their pack. Wales U20 hooker Harry Thomas, who led the Scarlets in their opening pre-season friendly at Carmarthen Quins, is on the bench along with Wales U18 outside half Steff Jac Jones.
Pontypool: Jordan Thomas; Ioan Duggan, Joel Mahoney, Pat Lewis, Matt Powell; Kieran Meek, Matthew Flanagan; Sam Cochrane, Sam Scarfe, Kelvyn Williams, Morgan Allen, Dan Hill, Mike Herbert (captain), Callum Davies, Scott Matthews
Reps: Kyan Best, Darren Hughes, Jack Noyes, Ieuan Jones, Adam Stratton, Owen Leonard, Joe Scrivens, Tye Davies
Llandovery: Jack Maynard; Ilan Phillips, Adam Warren, Rhodri Davies, Aaron Warren; Ioan Hughes, Lee Rees (captain); Jamie Hughes, Taylor Davies, Llyr Green, Will Evans, Chris Long, Osian Davies, Stuart Worrall, Jordan Evans
Reps: Dino Dalavalle, Harry Thomas, Guto Jones, Jake Baker, Nathan Hart, Morgan Meaclem, Steff Jac Jones, George Macdonald
“The whole point about the slimmed down league is to provide the younger players coming through the WRU pathway with the right playing opportunities to accelerate their development,” said Huw Bevan, the WRU Performance Director.
“We’ve had some challenges getting into this position. It has been work-in progress over the last two years, but we believe this competition is worth that effort.
“For me, it provides an essential part of our development pathway. We have done an enormous amount of work in restructuring and revitalising that pathway, and it is critical that we have a competition at each stage along the way that is appropriate for the players.
“SRC will help to accelerate the development of our highest potential players in what I am sure is going to be an exciting, intense, competitive and progressive competition.
“We do need to provide our younger, talented players more playing opportunities, but within that they need to compete against seasoned rugby players. It will also provide another opportunity to those players who have missed out on academy contracts to demonstrate what they can do.”
The other matches in Round 1 of SRC take place on Saturday – Carmarthen Quins v Swansea, Ebbw Vale v Aberavon, Newport v Bridgend and RGC v Cardiff.
