Rotherham Titans 17 Llandovery 34: Pack problems deepen as O'Donnell joins injury list

O'Donnell, a popular and jovial Irishman, who had come on as a replacement, broke his ankle during the last play of the match and was quickly taken to hospital in Rotherham for immediate treatment.

The injury means that Rotherham will now be without one of their first choice props for a minimum of three months which is not only a personal blow to the player himself, but also to a club which has been struggling to cope with the similar loss of prop Rob O'Donnell who broke his ankle against Nottingham in September.

Experienced props are difficult to recruit as Rotherham have found out, so the Titans today begin another search for a front-row forward; they are hoping to find a replacement for Anton O'Donnell in time for the Boxing Day Championship game away at Birmingham and Solihull.

As soon as the gravity of the injury became clear, Rotherham's second row forward, Sam Dickinson, recommended one of his former team-mates at Caldy RUFC near Birkenhead.

Rotherham's regular pack, which was not on show against Llandovery who won comfortably, and far too easily, needs strengthening as a matter of some urgency.

During this flat and worrying performance by Rotherham's second team, having said that only one player, flanker Ross Doneghan, had not appeared in the first team at some stage, the latest recruit brought in by coach Andre Bester arrived jet-lagged at Clifton Lane.

Twenty-five-year-old lock forward Agustin Smidt from Argentina, who has played nine times for the Jaguars, the Argentine second team, was collected at Manchester airport and then driven to Clifton Lane to meet his new playing colleagues.

From Codoba, Argentina's second biggest city, Smidt is as tall as a Dubai skyscraper and therefore should win plenty of line-out ball. His rugby background is solid enough, having represented his country in the Under-21 World Cup in 2006.

Rotherham's latest recruit must be highly thought of back home because Smidt is centrally contracted by the Argentina RFU.

With Bester keen to switch Ben Harris from the second row to prop, Smidt, who will begin training this evening, will be pitched in at the deep end and will make his Rotherham debut on Saturday against Doncaster in the season's second South Yorkshire derby at Castle Park.

Although Rotherham are using the British and Irish Cup as an opportunity to give squad players the opportunity to impress the coaching staff at Clifton Lane, and it's questionable as to how many did make an impact against Welsh opponents who were sharper in every department, the Doncaster cup tie is now seen by Rotherham as a match of undoubted importance.

It seems highly probable that Bester will pick a full-strength league side because his first choice players, who have not been able to train properly for a fortnight because of the snow, must play together before the Championship game in Birmingham on Boxing Day.

Having lost their last two league games against Bedford and Worcester Warriors, and with Bristol and Plymouth improving and threatening to overtake Rotherham, it is essential that Bester's team win and earn a bonus point against the Championship's bottom club.

"The league is our bread and butter and we've got to be in the right frame of mind at Birmingham," stressed Titans' skipper and scrum-half Joe Bedford.

Bedford and Bester will be emphasising that at Doncaster and then at Birmingham, Rotherham must avoid the careless mistakes that lost the tie against Llandovery.

Too many penalties were conceded enabling fly-half Cerith Rees to kick five to add to his two conversions of Llandovery's three tries.

Much of Rotherham's play was less than ordinary, but some satisfaction can be gained from the quality of the three tries scored by winger Jonny Hampsey and forwards Louis McGowan and Ben Wade.

The Titans will be pleased, too, that Harris performed with authority in his first appearance at prop.

Rotherham Titans: Hodgson, Swatkins, Du Randt, Godfrey, Hampsey, Hunt (Hepworth 63), Rhodes (Bedford 63), Kilbane (O'Donnell 63), McGregor, Harris, Sandford, McGowan (Dickinson 63), Wade (Burrows 63), Doneghan, Baines.

Llandovery: Jacobs, Grundy, Bowen (Murphy 46), Warren, Ajuwa, Rees, Williams (Walters 42), Davies (Evans 40), Yelland (E Phillips 40), Howells (Kaijacks 61), De Marigny,Jones,Aino,Reynolds (L Phillips 40), Welch.

Referee: P Haycock (Ireland).