And Mark Jones’ men will be doing so on the back of a perfect start having beaten Bridgend and Neath on the road in their opening two fixtures. This time, though, they will be hosting one of the top teams in the league in Llandovery.
It will be a special day for new head coach, Jones, who used to play for the Drovers, while it will also be an emotional occasion for stalwart lock Bryn Williams. He is making his final appearance in RGC colours after deciding to hang up his boots having helped the club climb up the rankings from Division 1 East.
Llandovery lost at Aberavon on the opening day of the season, but hit back with a big dome win over Bargoed last weekend. Bargoed, who joined RGC in promotion from the National Championship last season, need to pick up the pace at home against Swansea after two defeats.
Something will have to give at the Talbot Athletic Ground when two unbeaten teams, Aberavon and Carmarthen Quins, clash. The Wizards have given Steff Williams a run at No 10, have new Ospreys prop recruit Rowan Jenkins continuing in the pack and Wales Under 20 lock Adam Beard behind him.
The Quins followed up their opening day triumph at Swansea with a crushing 41-10 defeat of arch-rivals Llanelli last weekend. That performance and result had head coach Richard Kelly purring with delight.
“All the areas of the game clicked against Llanelli and it’s great for that to happen in a derby. We will try to keep level-headed because we know we have a tough game ahead against Aberavon,” said Kelly.
Scarlets No 8 Morgan Allan continues in the back row for the Quins, while one of his rivals for that jersey at the region, Josh McLeod, turns out for Llanelli in their home fixture against Pontypridd. Having beaten reigning champions Ebbw Vale at home in their opening match they will be seeking to put one over on last season’s runners-up.
Ponty wing Alex Webber wrote his name in the record books in this game lst year when he scored the first six point touchdown in Welsh rugby history. That was one of nine tries in a comprehensive 68-32 that the then champions followed-up with a 38-6 home win.
Dafydd Lockyer’s side had a weekend off last week, but still have a lengthy injury list with full back Geraint Walsh (broken keg), winger Chris Clayton (shoulder),centre Gary Williams (knee), scrum half Wayne Evans (knee), prop Pat Palmer (shoulder), and flankers Dafi Davies (bruised chest) and Darren Waters (knee) all unavailable. They do, however, have Blues squad members Aled Summerhill and Garyn Smith in their back line.
Cross Keys head coach Greg Woods lost his opening game last season, but has seen his side slip to two successive defeats this term after losing at home to Merthyr and away at Bridgend. He will be seeking a reaction at Pandy Park when Neath arrive.
The two teams met three times last season and Keys won them all, including the Swalec Cup quarter-final. Woods has made five changes to last weekend’s line-up with Dragons outside half Geraint Rhys Jones starting at No 10.
Neath got off to a winning start at Bargoed, but fell to RGC1404 at The Gnoll last weekend. Bottom of the table last season, head coach Gareth Llewellyn is looking for much better things this season.
“Although they have lost both their games so far, Cross Keys have been one of the leading sides in the Premiership for a few seasons now and are a settled outfit. Most people would consider it a real feather in our cap if our young team can get a result there,” said Llewellyn.
“We know that things are only going to get much tougher from now on, especially with the split at the half-way mark of the season. We are heading in the right direction, but we are not the finished product.”
Ed Howley switches back to full back from wing with Matthew Pearce at centre. Josh Guy takes over at scrum-half, while up front Sion Crocker and Ryan Thomas come into the front row, Lyndon Bateman at lock and Aled Cockwell on the flank. Wales Under 20 hooker Ifan Phillips is among the replacements after recovering from an operation to remove his tonsils.
Another Wales Under 20 star, No 8 Harri Keddie, is named in the Ebbw Vale starting XV for their first home game of the season. They host Gwent rivals Newport at Eugene Cross Park having had a weekend off because of the delay in completing the Sardis Road pitch.
Beaten at Llanelli on the opening day of the season, head coach Nigel Davies will realise there is no room for error again as his team bids to hold onto their title. Newport have lost their opening two games and make three changes from the starting XV against Bedwas. Captain Adam Brown replaces Dan Partridge, who picked up an injury, Brendan Lampitt comes in at No8 and Chay Smith starts at inside centre.
Bedwas head to unbeaten Merthyr for another testing afternoon. Merthyr have made four changes to the side that beat Cardiff at The Wern last weekend and give Tom James a home debut.
Owen Howe returns at full back and former Cardiff Blues prop Garry Powell returns to the front row. Tom Daley makes his seasonal debut in the back row.
PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES
Aberavon v Carmarthen Quins
Bargoed v Swansea
Cross Keys v Neath
Ebbw Vale v Newport
Llanelli v Pontypridd
Merthyr v Bedwas
RGC 1404 v Llandovery
Thursday Night: Cardiff 18, Bridgend 12
TEAMS
Aberavon v Carmarthen Quins
Aberavon: Joe Gage; Joe Thomas, Will Price, Rheon James, Matthew Jacobs; Steff Willams, David Pritchard; Rowan Jenkins, Ieuan Davies (captain), Alex Jeffries, Adam Beard, Sam Williams, Lee Purnell, Luke Joseph, Joe Tomalin-Reeves
Reps: Jacob Flynn, James Garland, Morgan Williams, Gareth Harvey, Ben Davies, Mike Burgess, Jon Thomas, James Ratti
Carmarthen Quins: Gavin Thomas; Tom Williams, Dylan Morgans, John Williams, Lee Williams; Steffan Marshall, Connor Lloyd; Gethin Robinson, Torin Myhil, Javan Sebastian, Ben Thompson, Haydn Pugh (captain), Roy Osborn, Elis Lloyd, Morgan Allen
Reps: Connor Allen, Richard Wilkes, Nathan Williams, Lee Taylor, Josh Middleton, Gareth George, Joshua Batcup, Kieran Jones
Bargoed v Swansea
Bargoed: Jordan Purcell; Lewis Hudd, Darren Humphries, Phil Price, David Evans; Sam Withers, James Pizey; Rhys Morgan (captain), Ian Jenkins, Keiron Brown, Louis Blacker, Bryce Morgan, Adam Coupe, Grant Rogers, Ross Coombs
Reps: Jack Williams, Anthony Lott, Lee Meades, Alex Herbert, James Locke, Matt Bancroft, Lewis Bowden, Ashley Norton
Swansea: Josh Jones; Andrew Rees Spowart, Jedd Evans, Josh Flye, Will Lewis; Jac Wilson, Martin Luckwell; Tom Sloane, Paul John, Sam Martin, Gavin Ronan, Tudor Hughes, Jon Vaughan (captain), Jack Perkins, Jon Fox
Reps: Dan Kenny, Alex Dunham, Mitchell Walsh, Jay Williams, Will Jones, Matthew Aubrey, Phil Jones, Ryan Evans
Cross Keys v Neath
Cross Keys: Josh Prosser; Mathew Powell, Leon Andrews, Barney Nightingale, Jacob Unwin; Geraint Rhys Jones, James Leadbeater; Lewis Smout, Darren Hughes, Gary Carpenter, Danny Hodge, Tom Lampard, Josh Skinner, Scott Matthews (captain), Ieuan Jones
Reps: Ellis Shipp, Corey Hewlett, Christian Coleman, Simon Williams, Adam Powell, Nathan Williams, Ross Pritchard, Lewis Barnett
Neath: Ed Howley; Aaron Grabham, Gavin Evans, Matthew Pearce, Chris Morgans; Iwan Evans, Josh Guy; Neil White, Sion Crocker, Ryan Thomas, Lyndon Bateman, Jon Barley, Jordan Collier (captain), Aled Cockwell, Charlie Davies,
Reps: Matt Jeffreys, Ifan Phillips, Geraint James, Leon Ward/Tom Hayward, Calum Davies, Luke Price, Rory Morgan-Williams, Keiran Williams
Ebbw Vale v Newport
Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond, Chris Levesley, Jordan Howells, Dai Langdon, Ryan Gardner; Josh Lewis, Chris Thomas; Ross Jones, Mathew Williams, Gethin Robinson, Damien Hudd (captain), Joe Bartlett, Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes, Harri Keddie
Reps: Joe Franchi, Ian George, Rob Sevenoaks, Ethan Doyle, Josh Jacas, Rory Pitman, Ben Ellis, Will Talbot-Davies
Newport: Geraint O’Driscoll; Ashton Hewitt, Tom Riley, Chay Smith, Elliot Frewen; Arwel Robson, Owen Davies; Brendan Lampitt, Craig Attwell, Reuben Tucker, Rhodri Jones, Adam Brown (captain), Garin Harris, Henry Palmer, John Lavender
Reps: Keagan Bale, Matt Prosser, Tom Piper, Jack Goodey, Kyle Tayler, Ryan James, Matt O’Brien, Owen Williams
Llanelli v Pontypridd
Llanelli: Dion Jones; Ioan Nicholas, Nathan Edwards, Paul Davies, Ryan Conbeer; Billy McBryde, Declan Smith; Tom Kaijaks, Matt Moore, Simon Gardiner, Adam Powell (captain), Ben Davies, Trystan Lloyd, Nathan Hart, Josh Macleod
Reps: Dan Jacobs, Aled Morris, Richard Bassett, Chris Long, Jack Davies, Rhodri Cole, Ioan Hughes, Ryan Davies
Pontypridd: Aled Summerhill; Alex Webber, Garyn Smith, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Lewis I Williams; Callum Hall, Dane Blacker; Callum Lewis, Liam Belcher, Mitch Auger, Josh Novell, Chris Dicomidis, Jake Thomas, Rhys Shellard, Dan Godfrey
Reps: Joel Raikes, Ceri Sweeney, Cameron Lewis, Huw Dowden, Hemi Barnes. Owen Sheppeard, Liam Bodman, Connor Lewis
Merthyr v Bedwas
Merthyr: Owen Howe; Kyle Evans, Gavin Dacey, Aaron Pincers, Terri Gee; Gareth Davies, Tom James; James Howe, Rhys Williams, Garry Powell, Ben Murphy, Craig Locke (captain), Tom Daley, Osian Davies, 8 Andy Powell
Reps: Rhys James, AN Other, Ben Warren, Matthew Rees, Ed Siggery, 21 Rhys Downes, Dean Gunter, Matthew Trowbridge
Bedwas: Aaron Bramwell; Tom Prydie, Connor Edwards, James S. Dixon, Pat Lewis; Richard Powell (captain), Nicky Griffiths; Dan Preece, Alun Rees, Matthew Pettit, Robson Blake, Joe Davies, Andrew Waite, James Richards, James Benjamin
Reps: Bryn Toms, Jack Haines, Rhys Hutcherson, Tom Bell, George Lee, Luke Crane, James Dixon, Phil Pariyo
RGC 1404 v Llandovery
RGC1404: Afon Bagshaw; Carwyn ap Myrddin, Tom Hughes, Tiaan Loots, Rhys Williams; Jacob Botica, Alex Schwarz; Joe Simpson, Rhys Williams, Ross Davies, Maredydd Francis (captain), Bryn Williams, Andrew Williams, Will Bryan, Huw Worthington
Reps: Jed Kerkin, Evan Yardley, Sam Wainwright, Tim Grey, Mei Parry, Josh Leach, Elis Roberts, Richard Hopkins
Llandovery: TBC
