Glamorgan Wanderers travel to champions Neath on opening weekend of the league
Glamorgan Wanderers travel to champions Neath on opening weekend of the league
Principality Premiership champions Neath kick-off the defence of their title with a home clash against Glamorgan Wanderers at The Gnoll on Saturday, 28 August.
Pat Horgan’s side were comfortable winers 48-17 in the corresponding fixture last season, running in eight tries, but know not to take the Wanderers lightly having been beaten 33-24 at the Memorial Ground.
While outside half Arwel Thomas has finally hung up his boots, and former Wales full back Kevin Morgan has taken up a full-time role as Ospreys conditioning coach, Nathan Bonner-Evans has joined the club from London Welsh. Former Wales Under 21 full back and Wales Sevens squad member Aaron Bramwell has been recruited from Pontypridd along with young Ospreys prop Ross Davies, Aberavon’s Chris Morgan and former Glamorgan Wanderers outside half James Thomas has joined from Coventry.
Premiership newcomers Tonmawr, who won the Swalec Division 1 West title last season, will launch their debut season in the top flight with an attractive home fixture with Aberavon.
So dominant were the side coached by Jason Hyatt last season that Tonmawr won their division by a clear margin of 29 points and suffered only two defeats. Among the new recruits are former Neath duo Kevin James and Wayner Mitchell, utility-back Kiba Richards from National League Division 2 South club Ealing and four ex-Ebbw Vale players, utility-back Andrew Williams, flanker Andy Llewellyn, lock Jonathan Griffiths and prop Matt Jeffries and Ystrad Rhondda flanker Howard Stoddart, brother of Scarlets full back Morgan.
Veteran lock Matthew Veater, who has won the Premiership crown with both Newport and Cardiff, has joined Pontypool and the Torfaen club will be hoping to build on their end of season form earlier in the year when they staved off the threat of relegation.
They open their season with a home clash with Bedwas, a game in which new back row recruit Luke Dyckoff could face his former team mates. Pontypool have lost goalkicker Sam Mills to relegated Ebbw Vale, while Bedwas have lost this season’s Wales Under 20 captain Dan Watchurst to Newport and gained former Wales Under 20 prop Scott Roberts from Coventry.
A storming second half of the season left Llandovery comfortably placed in eighth place and earned them a crack at the Play-Offs where they gained a British and Irish Cup place. They will be looking to continue that form when they host Swansea on opening day.
The All Whites did the double over the Drovers last term, so it will take a mighty effort for the Church Bank side to open with a victory. Lyndon Lewis will be head coach and Euros Evans has come in as forwards coach.
Newport start with an attractive game against Llanelli at Rodney Parade and, with both last season's meetings being closely contested affairs, another tight game is anticipated. Amongst the Black and Ambers’ new faces are Gareth Chapman from Cardiff and Watchurst from Bedwas.
Scarlets academy members George North, Rhodri Jones and Kirby Myhill will be turning out for Llanelli this season, along with new recruits Owen Williams (Ystradgynlais), Liam Williams (Waunarlwydd) and former England Under 20 back row Matt Gilbert who joins from Italian outfit Rugby Alghero.
Cross Keys will head to Sardis Road to face a Pontypridd side that led the Premiership for a chunk of last season. Ponty also did the double over their visitors and will be confident of making a winning start, even though Keys have brought in a number of new players.
Cardiff entertain a Carmarthen Quins outfit that found life difficult in the top flight last term before a solid finish to the season left them in a comfortable ninth place with a SWALEC Cup final appearance to boot.
Cardiff did the double over them and have recruited Scott Sneddon and Wales Under 20 full back Dan Fish from Glamorgan Wanderers, along with Richard Hodges who will take over the coaching reins. Quins have enlisted the help of former Scarlets speedster Darren Daniel and front rowers Ian Jones (Llanelli) and former Scarlets academy hooker Dan George from London Welsh, although they have lost lost Tristan Davies to Ebbw Vale and Ioan Cunningham to Bridgend.
Principality Premiership Fixtures 2010/11
28/08/10
Llandovery v Swansea
Pontypool v Bedwas
Newport v Llanelli
Neath v Glam. Wdrs.
Cardiff v Carmarthen
Pontypridd v Cross Keys
Tonmawr v Aberavon
04/09/10
Aberavon v Pontypool
Llanelli v Llandovery
Bedwas v Neath
Carmarthen v Newport
Glam. Wdrs. v Pontypridd
Cross Keys v Cardiff
Swansea v Tonmawr
11/09/10
Aberavon v Bedwas
Newport v Swansea
Pontypool v Glam. Wdrs.
Cardiff v Llanelli
Neath v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Carmarthen
Tonmawr v Llandovery
18/09/10
Aberavon v Pontypridd
Carmarthen v Swansea
Pontypool v Neath
Cross Keys v Llandovery
Bedwas v Cardiff
Glam. Wdrs. v Newport
Llanelli v Tonmawr
22/09/10
Midweek
Newport v Carmarthen
Pontypridd v Glam. Wdrs.
25/09/10
Cardiff v Aberavon
Swansea v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Pontypool
Llanelli v Carmarthen
Llandovery v Glam. Wdrs.
Newport v Bedwas
Tonmawr v Neath
02/10/10
Aberavon v Newport
Glam. Wdrs. v Swansea
Pontypool v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Llanelli
Neath v Pontypridd
Bedwas v Llandovery
Carmarthen v Tonmawr
09/10/10
Llandovery v Aberavon
Swansea v Bedwas
Llanelli v Glam Wdrs
Cardiff v Neath
Carmarthen v Cross Keys
Newport v Pontypool
Tonmawr v Pontypridd
16/10/10
Bedwas v Cross Keys
Glam Wdrs v Tonmawr
Neath v Aberavon
23/10/10
Aberavon v Swansea
Pontypool v Llandovery
Bedwas v Llanelli
Neath v Newport
Glam. Wdrs. v Carmarthen
Pontypridd v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Tonmawr
30/10/10
Llanelli v Aberavon
Swansea v Pontypool
Llandovery v Neath
Carmarthen v Bedwas
Cross Keys v Glam. Wdrs.
Newport v Pontypridd
Tonmawr v Cardiff
Weekend of 06/11/10*
Wales v Australia
Cardiff v Swansea
Pontypool v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Llanelli
Newport v Llandovery
Neath v Carmarthen
Tonmawr v Bedwas
09/11/10
Midweek
Aberavon v Llandovery
Bedwas v Swansea
Glam. Wdrs. v Llanelli
Neath v Cardiff
Pontypool v Newport
Pontypridd v Tonmawr
Cross Keys v Carmarthen
Weekend of 13/11/10*
Wales v S. Africa
Aberavon v Glam. Wdrs.
Swansea v Pontypridd
Carmarthen v Pontypool
Llanelli v Neath
Llandovery v Cardiff
Tonmawr v Newport
20/11/10*
Wales v Fiji
(Friday)
Cardiff v Cross Keys
Bedwas v Glam. Wdrs.
Pontypool v Swansea
Neath v Llandovery
Pontypridd v Newport
Tonmawr v Carmarthen
Weekend of 27/11/10*
Wales v N. Zealand
Swansea v Neath
Llanelli v Pontypool
Llandovery v Pontypridd
Newport v Cardiff
01/12/10
Midweek
Newport v Aberavon
Swansea v Glam. Wdrs.
Llanelli v Cross Keys
Llandovery v Bedwas
04/12/10
Swansea v Newport
Glam. Wdrs. v Pontypool
Llanelli v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Neath
Carmarthen v Pontypridd
Llandovery v Tonmawr
11/12/10
(non B & I Cup clubs)
Bedwas v Pontypool
Carmarthen v Cardiff
Aberavon v Tonmawr
18/12/10
(non B & I Cup clubs)
Cross Keys v Bedwas
Carmarthen v Aberavon
Tonmawr v Glam. Wdrs.
Cardiff v Pontypool
27/12/10
Aberavon v Neath
Llanelli v Swansea
Llandovery v Carmarthen
Bedwas v Pontypridd
Cross Keys v Newport
Glam. Wdrs. v Cardiff
Pontypool v Tonmawr
03/01/11
Pontypridd v Aberavon
Swansea v Carmarthen
Neath v Pontypool
Llandovery v Cross Keys
Cardiff v Bedwas
Newport v Glam. Wdrs.
Tonmawr v Llanelli
08/01/11
Aberavon v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Swansea
Pontypool v Pontypridd
Carmarthen v Llanelli
Glam. Wdrs. v Llandovery
Bedwas v Newport
Neath v Tonmawr
15/01/11
(non B & I Cup clubs)
Cardiff v Glam. Wdrs.
Tonmawr v Pontypool
Bedwas v Aberavon
22/01/11
Pontypool v Aberavon
29/01/11
SWALEC Cup
05/02/11
Swansea v Aberavon
Llandovery v Pontypool
Llanelli v Bedwas
Newport v Neath
Cardiff v Pontypridd
Tonmawr v Cross Keys
Weekend of 12/02/11*
Scotland v Wales
Aberavon v Llanelli
Pontypool v Carmarthen
Neath v Bedwas
Glam. Wdrs. v Cross Keys
Cardiff v Tonmawr
19/02/11
SWALEC Cup
Weekend of 26/02/11*
Italy v Wales
Swansea v Llanelli
Carmarthen v Llandovery
Pontypridd v Bedwas
Newport v Cross Keys
05/03/11
B & I Cup QF **
Tonmawr v Swansea
Llandovery v Llanelli
Aberavon v Carmarthen
Glam. Wdrs. v Neath
Cross Keys v Pontypridd
Weekend of 12/03/11*
Wales v Ireland
Carmarthen v Glam. Wdrs.
Swansea v Llandovery
Llanelli v Newport
Pontypridd v Neath
Weekend of 19/03/11*
France v Wales
Bedwas v Carmarthen
Cross Keys v Aberavon
Neath v Swansea
Pontypool v Llanelli
Pontypridd v Llandovery
Cardiff v Newport
26/03/11
SWALEC Cup
02/04/11
Glam. Wdrs. v Bedwas
Aberavon v Cross Keys
Pontypridd v Swansea
Neath v Llanelli
Cardiff v Llandovery
Newport v Tonmawr
16/04/11
Glam. Wdrs. v Aberavon
Swansea v Cardiff
Cross Keys v Pontypool
Llanelli v Pontypridd
Llandovery v Newport
Carmarthen v Neath
Bedwas v Tonmawr
* International weekend
** Fixtures subject to rearrangement if a Club qualifies for B and I Cup QFs.