Neath visit Swansea at St. Helen’s on Saturday looking to make up for last week’s disappointment against Pontypridd in the Principality Premiership.
Neath are likely to make a few changes from the side which was edged out 13-18 by Pontypridd with David Evans likely to return on the wing and hooker Ashleigh James, prop James Reeves and No.8 Adam Powell returning to the fray up front.
Coaches Patrick Horgan and Richard Webster are looking to kick on from last week and Horgan said, “Yes, we’ve got some injury absentees but we don’t use that as an excuse. Our squad is made up of strong characters – battlers in the true Neath tradition who, when the chips are down, work all the harder and shirk nothing.
“Even last week, for all our problems, we kept our try-line intact against Pontypridd whose only resort was to kick mid and long-range penalties on the back of a strong wind.
“Our defensive communication and concentration was very firmly back on track after Bridgend and, had we taken our chances, we’d have won – the spur of playing Swansea next is great for us because they always have a good side and we expect it to be strengthened by Ospreys again.”
Neath v Swansea (Away) Possible A.Jenkins; K.James, A.Bramwell, G.McCarthy, D.Evans; D.Langdon, C.Morgans; N.Downs, A.James, J.Reeves; E.Evans, N.Bonner-Evans; G.Gravell (captain), A.Powell, L.Evans.