Byrne Makes Scarlet Debut
Llanelli’s regional planning begins in earnest when Tondu full-back Lee Byrne makes his Welsh premiership debut for the club against Pontypridd at Sardis Rd.
The youngster, who hasn’t even featured in the championship winning under-21 side this year, starts in a side chosen to facilitate the growing club squads needed for regional rugby.
‘We are taking the opportunity to blood some of the younger players and looking at the feeder clubs which will be part of our support mechanism for regional rugby next season like Carmarthen, Llandovery and Tondu,’ said Llanelli coach Nigel Davies.
‘We looked at Nick Jones last week and Lee is someone we have been keeping an eye on, but we have been surprised by the high number of good players out there and we are looking for quality to be part of the set-up during the new era.
‘We need players for our regional entity, for Llanelli rugby club itself and the youth structure – not to mention the back-up we’ll need at the start of the season when we lose 11 or so players to Wales and the World Cup.’
Plans for regional rugby are going smoothly at Llanelli, but while Davies believes his club will be ready for whatever Welsh rugby can throw at them next season, he is adamant the youth structure must be right for the new era to survive.
‘We have been quite fortunate in that there has been little disruption to us as we plan for regional rugby,’ said Davies.
‘ A large proportion of our squad will be staying which means we are fairly settled and can get on with building for the future.
‘I can understand why some of the other regions are finding it difficult, but one of the changes we are all making is the fact that we are all working for the good of the Welsh cause. It’s difficult to see eye to eye every step of the way, but we all just have to work through and we wish our fellow regions all the best in their attempts to do so.
‘But my biggest fear is that we don’t get it right at youth level, that’s what I think we should all be focusing on at the moment, with the under-21’s and the first division set-up being an integral part of that.’
The youngster, who hasn’t even featured in the championship winning under-21 side this year, starts in a side chosen to facilitate the growing club squads needed for regional rugby.
‘We are taking the opportunity to blood some of the younger players and looking at the feeder clubs which will be part of our support mechanism for regional rugby next season like Carmarthen, Llandovery and Tondu,’ said Llanelli coach Nigel Davies.
‘We looked at Nick Jones last week and Lee is someone we have been keeping an eye on, but we have been surprised by the high number of good players out there and we are looking for quality to be part of the set-up during the new era.
‘We need players for our regional entity, for Llanelli rugby club itself and the youth structure – not to mention the back-up we’ll need at the start of the season when we lose 11 or so players to Wales and the World Cup.’
Plans for regional rugby are going smoothly at Llanelli, but while Davies believes his club will be ready for whatever Welsh rugby can throw at them next season, he is adamant the youth structure must be right for the new era to survive.
‘We have been quite fortunate in that there has been little disruption to us as we plan for regional rugby,’ said Davies.
‘ A large proportion of our squad will be staying which means we are fairly settled and can get on with building for the future.
‘I can understand why some of the other regions are finding it difficult, but one of the changes we are all making is the fact that we are all working for the good of the Welsh cause. It’s difficult to see eye to eye every step of the way, but we all just have to work through and we wish our fellow regions all the best in their attempts to do so.
‘But my biggest fear is that we don’t get it right at youth level, that’s what I think we should all be focusing on at the moment, with the under-21’s and the first division set-up being an integral part of that.’
Llanelli:Lee Byrne; Wayne Proctor, Tel Selley, Salesi Finau, Neil Boobyer; Gareth Bowen, Rob Walters; TBC, Adam Yelland, John Davies, Chris Wyatt, Paul Clapham, Jamie Cudmore, Ian Boobyer (Captain), Gareth Williams.
