PONTYPOOL have table-topping Llandovery in their sights as they bid to start 2012 with a bang.

Pooler are rapidly climbing the Premiership standings with three wins on the spin, the latest a hard-earned home success against Bedwas.

They sit 11th in the table and are making a timely point to the Welsh Rugby Union given the plans to leave them out of a 12-team Premiership next season.

But the players and coaches are just concentrating on maintaining their winning streak and standing in their way are the surprise leaders.

If Pooler can lower Llandovery’s colours they will have done the double over the West Walians following their shock 23-6 win at Church Bank early this month.

"In Llandovery it was our defence that won us the game and it was the same against Bedwas earlier this week," said coach Shaun Connor.

"That’s a massive difference to earlier this season when it was our defensive lapses that were costing us.

"That shows how hard the boys are working and it is clear that at the moment we are tough team to play against because we haven’t even allowed our opposition to get bonus points in our three wins.

"At the moment we are a very happy camp but we haven’t been doing anything different from the start of the season, it’s just that confidence stems from the results we have been getting.

"We know that Monday will be a tough test but it is one that we are looking forward to and hopefully we can reproduce our performance from Llandovery, which was probably our best of the year."

Young Dragons centre Jack Dixon may feature after taking part in his first training session with the Pooler squad yesterday evening.

The powerful 17-year-old, who became the youngest Welsh player to play regional rugby when he came off the bench in the Dragons’ LV Cup win against Wasps, is only just old enough to play Premiership rugby.