The Drovers have lost three of their four games to date and surrendered the new SRC Challenge Shield in losing at home to Ebbw Vale last weekend. The incentive for Newport today will be to leap-frog arch-rivals Cardiff at the top of the table if they can extend their unbeaten run to four games.
Tonight’s (Thursday, 10 October) televised game will be a chance for Ty Morris’ home side to find greater rhythm in their game, and for the visitors to find a way to rediscover their all-conquering form of last season when they complete a league and cup double.
“We’re not at our best at the moment and we have to work our way through this sticky period,” admitted Drovers’ head coach Euros Evans.
Newport had their last televised game at Aberavon postponed at half-time after a deluge left a pool of water on the Talbot Athletic Ground pitch. Other than that, they have beaten Bridgend, Swansea and Aberavon.
“I don’t think either team has reached the standards they were at the end of last season. We’re both trying to tweak a few things here and there and get a settled pattern of play,” said Newport head coach Morris.
“Their attacking game looks really good, but perhaps their set-piece is struggling a little bit at the moment. The challenge for us is to put together more than 10 minutes of quality action at a time – we’ve got to be at our best this week.
“We lost to them at Church Bank in the last game of last season, but that’s not going to play into this occasion. We’re a different team with a different set of coaches this season.
“It would be nice to pay them pay for that final defeat, but we haven’t really looked back that far. We’re just trying to find greater consistency in our play.”
Morris has already lost lock George Young for the game because of a virus and will be taking a late call on Josh Skinner, who has also been struck down. But he will have talisman Matt O’Brien back at No 10.
He also hopes to have former Wales U20 and Dragons lock Max Williams on the bench for the first time this season after his return to action. Williams was struck down in his prime by a ruptured Achilles and attempted a return to action with Coventry in the English Championship.
An athletic second or back row forward, the 6’5” Williams was predicted to have a big future after playing more than 20 games for the Dragons before injury struck.
“We’re delighted to have Max back in the fold. Injuries forced him to miss a lot of rugby, and I think that probably dented his love for the game a bit, but he’s looked good in training,” added Morris.
Newport: Ioan Davies; Jon Morris, Chay Foster-Smith, Elliot Frewen; Matt O’Brien, Dafydd Buckland; Harry Fry, Henry Palmer, Ollie Drake, Josh Skinner, Nick Thomas, George Young, Josh Reid, Ben Roach (captain)
Reps: Tyler Olding, Tom Workman, Nathan Evans, Joe Peard, Kyle Tayler, Luke Crane, Carwyn Penny, Barney Nightingale.Llandovery: Jac Davies; Toby Baldwin, Adam Warren, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Ioan Hughes, Lee Rees (captain); Jamie Hughes, Taylor Davies, Gabe Hawley, Chris Long, Ed Scragg, Osian Davies, Evan Sheldon, Nathan Hart
Reps: Finn Thomas, Dino Dallavalle, Berian Watkins, Lewis Ellis-Jones, Tom Poole, Ilan Phillips, Jack Maynard, Harri Morgan
