With the focus now on the autumn internationals, the Drovers take a break from SRC rugby until Friday, November 21 when Pontypool will be the visitors to Church Bank, writes Huw S Thomas.

After seven games including five wins and two losses, Llandovery lie in third spot in the 10-team league, behind leaders Ebbw Vale and Carmarthen Quins

Ebbw, four points ahead of Llandovery and with a game in hand, are favourites to end up top but have two tricky visits to undertake at Church Bank and the Arms Park.

At the end of the regular league programme the top four clubs will enter the SRC knockout stages with home advantage, and on current form Ebbw, Carmarthen Quins, Llandovery and Cardiff look likely to be the fortunate four.

However, such is the competitiveness of this year’s league that defending champions Newport are still in the bottom half of the table but have started winning after a poor start, and will be thereabouts come the end of April.

Their 12-5 win over Ebbw Vale confirmed that they are a quality team when on song.

One great thing in Llandovery’s favour in the remaining programme of 11 regular games is that they have home advantage over Newport (Dec 6), Ebbw Vale (Jan 3) and Cardiff (March 28).

The Quins impressed in Saturday’s 28-19 win at Aberavon and the two Carmarthenshire clubs will play each other, home and away, over the Christmas period.

Big crowds will be expected at the Park on December 20 and then, on Boxing Day, at Church Bank.

The Drovers continue to score plenty of tries – 31 in seven games – but the main concern for coach Euros Evans is the fragility of a defence that has leaked 29 tries in all.

The loss to injury of outstanding flanker Stuart Worrall has been a big blow, his perpetual presence at the contact area, in and around the ball, badly missed.

If they can continue their attractive attacking form, fix their defensive frailties and avoid injuries to key players, the Drovers will again be in the mix for honours in league and SRC Cup.

The Cup games start in January and in their Cup pool of five, Llandovery will be at home against, Bridgend and Swansea but travel to Aberavon and – crucially - Ebbw Vale.

Only the top of each pool goes through to the Cup final on March 7 and the visit to Eugene Cross Park will be a key moment of the competition.

In the immediate future, Llandovery have three consecutive home games to play - Pontypool, Aberavon and Newport - and three wins would keep them in firm contention for a top four place.