By apb on 22/08/2003
August 22 2003

So the pre-season is about to kick-off. With several players away from the training camps due to International committments, this is the time when we will see most of the newcomers in action together.

With fourteen new signings in the off season, and the majority of those appearing at Pontypool tonight, it will be a totally different Leeds team from the one that finished fifth in the Zurich premiership. Gone is the metronomic boot of Braam van Straaten. Gone the immense tackling and work-rate of Player-of-the-year Cameron Mather. Can we expect anything other than a drop in form?

Well the signs at least are encouraging. Phil Davies has gone for the same formula in terms of recruitment as he did this time last year - mostly young, ambitious players who weren't getting their chances at their previous clubs. Alix Popham's elevation from Newport second stringer and also-ran to one of the "probables" for the Welsh World Cup squad is a perfect illustration of how this policy can be successful. Virtually every signing made last year proved themselves as not only good players but also crowd favourites too.

So how about the game tonight?

Well, its a pre-season game, so its difficult to know just how hard they'll be playing, but certainly some of the fringe players will be attempting to prove their worth at this level, so expect a good work-out for the likes of Gary Powell, Matt Holt, Stuart Hooper, Phil Murphy and Colm Rigney. Also a minor surprise is the selection of Dan Hyde in the No. 8 jersey. In the backs, the choice of Duncan Hodge at 12 and Tim Walsh at 10 is interesting in itself, and it may be that these two will swap the fly-half duties during the game. Tristan Davies - the only "recognised" centre on the squad list (well, according to this site, anyway!) takes the field at 13, with new boys Christophers and Rees outside him. Clive Stuart-Smith gets his chance too, and if he proves good enough to keep Alan Dickens out of the number 9 jersey over the season, then he will be good indeed.

So, there will be plenty on show tonight for the Tykes fans to see and to get an early assessment of how the team will perform - not least the brand new kit design! - but as with all pre-season games, only the boss knows what he wants from the team tonight.

Team for Gwent Dragons (Courtesy Western Mail):

15: M Cardey
14: D Rees
13: T Davies
12: D Hodge
11: P Christophers
10: T Walsh
9: C Stuart-Smith

1: G Powell
2: R Rawlinson
3: M Holt
4: S Hooper
5: P Murphy
6: S Morgan
7: C Rigney
8: D Hyde

Replacements: M Shelley, S Halford, S Campbell, M Salter, J Ponton, A Dickens, J Buchanan, T Rock.

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