Current Ospreys wing Dafydd Howells has become attached to Swansea as a skills coach, while former Dragons and Wales hooker Steve Jones had taken over as the forwards coach at Bridgend.
Neath-born Jones, who won five Welsh caps as player after making his debut in 2001, played for the Dragons on more than 180 occasions, joining them at the inception of regional rugby after spells with Neath and UWIC. He finally retired from playing in April 2013.
He replaces outgoing forwards coach Gareth Edwards, who is stepping down due to personal reasons, at Bridgend. Jones currently works at Gower College, where he works with their rugby academy, and was recently named as forwards coach to the Ospreys West U16 squad.
Round 2 kicks-off with a night game at Eugene Cross Park between the 2016 champions Ebbw Vale and Pontypridd in what will be a re-run of the 2015 and 2016 play-off finals. The Steelemn got off to a winning start at Bargoed last weekend.
Justin Burnell’s new-look Ponty team were beaten at home for the first time by Bedwas. Ceri Sweeney returns at outside half for Ponty, joining Wales Under 20 scrum half Dane Blacker, at half-back.
Bedwas will be hoping to build on their historic opening day triumph by making it two out of two in the East Division when they host Newport. The Black & Ambers fell to arch-rivals Cardiff at home last weekend.
The buoyant Blue & Blacks will have their hands full at the Arms Park when they host reigning champions Merthyr, while the final fixture in the East sees Cross Keys host Bargoed.
In the West, new Llanelli head coach Phil Davies will miss his side’s trip to one of his former clubs, RGC 1404, because he is away in the United States on a World Rugby coaching conference. The young Turks got off to a winning start at home against Carmarthen Quins last weekend, while the Gogs fell at Llandovery.
Llandovery head to Bridgend with an unchanged team, while Gareth Llewellyn’s Neath side will be hoping to maintain their upward curve with a second successive victory at home against the Quins which sees the fixture’s venue swicthed from Carmarthen to the Gnoll, while Swansea host Aberavon in the other fixture.
PRINCIPALITY PREMIERSHIP – ROUND 2
East Division
Friday, 1 September
Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd (7.30pm)
Saturday, 2 September
Bedwas v Newport
Cardiff v Merthyr
Cross Keys v Bargoed
West Division
Bridgend v Llandovery
Carmarthen Quins v Neath
RGC 1404 v Llanelli
Swansea v Aberavon
EAST TEAMS
Bedwas v Newport
Bedwas: Aaron Bramwell; Ollie Halford, Ross Wardle, Adam Williams, Mathew John; Steffan Jones, Luke Crane; Brynley Toms, Ellis Shipp, Rhys Hutcherson, Robson Blake, Craig Hudd, George Lee (captain), James Richards, Morgan Allen
Reps: Dan Preece, Mike Dacey, Chris Budgen, Taine Basham, Gareth Allen, Tom Rowlands, Rory Budina, Mike Hathaway
Newport: Geraint O’Driscoll; Harri Lang, Jon Morris, Tom Pascoe, Wes Cunliffe; Matt O’Brien, Owen Davies; Matt Prosser, Will Evans, Garin Harris, James Little, Joe Bartlett, Rhys Jenkins (captain), Alex Everett, Lennon Greggains
Reps: Henry Palmer, John Lavender, Tom Piper, Morgan Burgess, Kyle Tayler, Ryan James, Adam Sabri, Hadyn Simons
Cardiff v Merthyr
Cardiff: Llywarch Ap Myrddin; Pat Lewis, Owen Lane, Will Rees Hole, Ceri Young; Gareth Thompson (captain), Lewis Jones; Rhys Carre, Joe Tomlinson, Dylan Lewis, James Down, Corey Tucker, Ben White, Tom Wilson, Luke Crocker
Reps: Fraser Young, Ryan Spriggs, Ken Dowding, Kris Smith, Reuben Tucker, Rhodri Cole, Ben Thomas, Dan Fish
Merthyr: Matthew Jarvis; Kyle Evans, Tom Riley, Terri Gee, Steff Andrews; Richard Powell, Justin James; Nathan Trevett, Matt Dwyer, Joe Rees, Ben Murphy, Craig Locke (captain), Ed Siggery, Osian Davies, Phil Rees
Reps: Pete Edwards, Richard Wilkes, Louis Jones, Nick White, Tom Daley, Rhys Downes, Gareth Davies, Harri Millard
Cross Keys v Bargoed
Cross Keys: Carl Meyer; Mathew Powell, Adam Warren, Barney Nightingale, Joe Goodchild; Josh Prosser, Owain Leonard; Corey Hewlett, Rob Jones, Chris Cornock, Tom Lampard, Josh Skinner, Liam Davies, Joe Thomas, Adam Powell (captain)
Reps: Gerard Ellis, Lewis Smout, Nathan Buck, Max George, Darren Hughes, Corey Shephard, James Leadbeater, Lewis Barnett
Bargoed: 15 Matthew Lewis 14 Luke Smalley 13 Jordan Howells 12 Darren Humphries 11 Jordan Purcell 10 Iain John Smerdon 9 James Hallett; 8 Ieuan Jones 7 Grant Rogers 6 Lewis Weyman 5 Louis Blacker 4 Matthew Thomas 3 Jack Williams 2 Lewys Lippiett 1 Rhys Morgan (Capt)
Reps: 16 James Pizey 17 Lawson Birch-Perry 18 Julian Mogg 19 Alex Herbert 20 Geraint Clarke 21 Adam John Coupe 22 Alex Gardner-Key 23 Kieron Brown
Ebbw Vale v Pontypridd
Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond; Steffan Thomas, Srdan Majkic, Dom Franchi, Will Talbot-Davies; Dorian Jones, Dai Jones; Joel Harries, Joe Franchi, Rob Sevenoaks; Kristian Parker, Ashley Sweet; Rhys Clarke, Ronny Kynes, Cameron Regan. Reps: Will Haly, Ian George, Dean Brooker, Jon Davies, Owen Jones, Carl Lewis, Dai Langdon, Tom Hoppe
Pontypridd: Lloyd Rowlands; Lewis Williams, Cameron Lewis, Dafydd Lockyer (captain), Dale Stuckey; Ceri Sweeney, Dane Blacker; Chris Phillips, Huw Dowden, Jon Elley, Josh Hawkins, Chris Dicomidis, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Rhys Shellard, Morgan Sieniawski
Reps: Wayne Evans, Diggy Bird, Geraint Walsh, Joe Page, Mason Roderick, Callum Bradbury, Huw Owen, Will Davies-King
WEST TEAMS
Bridgend v Llandovery
Bridgend: Tyler Williams; Aaron Grabham, Joe Gatt, Nathan Edwards, Ryan Griffiths; Ryan Evans, Will Baird; Rhodri Apsee, Iestyn Merriman, Cai Lewis, Jack Pope, Kieran Martin, Adam O’Driscoll (captain), Gareth Beer, Ashton Evans
Reps: Alex Dunham, Huw Wilkes, Garyn Daniel, Owain Lloyd, Zac O’Driscoll, Connor Tantum, Jamie Murphy, Ed Doe
Llandovery: Jack Evans; Lee Williams, Ryan Evans, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Jack Maynard, Lee Rees; Dean Howells, Ricky Guest, Nicky Thomas, Jack Jones, Joe Powell, Duane Eager, Stuart Worrall, Richard Brooks (captain)
Reps: Greg Cunniffe, Berian Watkins, Lewis Ellis-Jones, Emyr Price, Ryan Williams, Rhodri Wall, Kristian Jones, Tomi Lewis
Carmarthen Quins v Neath
Carmarthen Quins: TBC
Neath: Ed Howley; Richard Smith, Keiran Williams, Matthew Pearce, Mike Evans; Gavin Evans, Scott Gibson; Ben Uphill, Sion Crocker, Geraint James, Rhys Jones, Matthew Davies, Leon Ward, Jordan Collier (captain), Scott Hicks
Reps: Neil White, Ifan Phillips, Ryan Thomas, Jon Barley, Elis Hopkins, Chris Morgans, Iwan Evans, Geraint Llewellyn
RGC 1404 v Llanelli
RGC 1404: TBC
Llanelli: Kalum Evans; Tom Rogers, Ioan Nicholas , Oliver Reyland, Ryan Conbeer; Ioan Hughes, Gareth George; Rhys Thomas, Craig Thomas, Simon Gardiner, Chris Long, Bryce Morgan (captain), Ellis Thomas. Josh Macleod, Tom Phillips
Reps: Ben Edwards, Rhys Fawcett, Ben Leung, Jack Davies, Nathan Hart, Matthew Flanagan, Lewis Williams, Matthew Jenkins
Swansea v Aberavon
Swansea: 15 Owen Howe 14 Andrew Claypole 13 Callum Carson 12 Richard Rhys Williams 11 Dominic Euan Callaghan 10 James Gareth Davies 9 Rhodri Michael Wells; 8 Jonathan Fox (Capt) 7 Morgan Morris 6 Jonathon Rhys Vaughan 5 Tudor Hughes 4 Jamie Williams 3 Richard Mark Murphy 2 Paul John 1 Thomas Sloane
Reps: 16 Thomas Ball 17 Jack Powell 18 Christopher Thomas 19 Adam Thresher 20 Emyr Williams 21 Joshua Guy 22 Gareth Walters 23 Jedd Evans
Aberavon: 15 Jonathan Phillips 14 Shaun Pearce 13 Joseph Thomas 12 Rheon James 11 David Richards-Evans 10 James Garland (Capt) 9 Jacob Flynn; 8 Luke Joseph 7 Craig Price 6 Lee Purnell 5 Sam Williams 4 James Ratti 3 Rhys Henry 2 Luke Davies 1 Rowan Jenkins
Reps: 16 Liam Popham 17 Steffen Williams 18 William Price 19 Ieuan Allan Davies 20 Ben Jones 21 Jordan Walters 22 Jonathan Thomas 23 Benjamin Thomas
