Flanker Gareth Gravell leads the Welsh All Blacks for the third consecutive season and he captains a side which features three newcomers from last season.
There is a first League start for Bryncoch-based centre Ryan Evans and flanker Emyr Williams, both former Ospreys Academy members while lock Lee Williams, a summer recruit from Bargoed, makes his bow.
“We are looking forward to the start of the League after a promising display in our warm-up win against Adam Jones’ XV last week,” said Coach Patrick Horgan.
“For Neath people, Swansea is always a keenly anticipated game and it is a great way to kick off the new season.”
Swansea have not won at The Gnoll since the opening season of the semi-pro era and only two players who played that day remain in the Whites squad – centre pair David Watts and Chris Shelmerdine.
The All Whites hand debuts to three players – Ieuan Dobbs, who has signed from Cross Keys, Sean Williams from Bridgend Athletic and Wales under 18 cap Ben Roberts, who is part of the Ospreys academy.
Ian Hopkins, team manager at Swansea Rugby Club, said:
“We are looking forward to the new season and the challenges it will bring and we couldn’t have a more difficult opening fixture.
“Neath is a very difficult place to go as they have been the strongest team since the start of the semi-pro era.
“It’s certainly a fixture we relish though and our new coaching staff are determined to get a first victory and set a marker for he rest of the season.”
Neath XV against Swansea:
15 G King 14 K James 13 R Evans 12 G McCarthy 11 A Bramwell 10 D Langdon 9 T James 8 N Downs 7 R Clancy 6 T Price 5 E Evans 4 L Williams 3 G Gravell (c) 2 R.Jones 1 E Williams.
Swansea XV against Neath:
15 N Thomas 14 B Roberts13 A Jenkins 12 N Harwood 11 J Morgan 10 S Davies 9 A Lewis 8 S Jones 7 S Williams 6 M Davies 5 R Hughes 4 S Kiley 3 I Williams 2 I Dobbs 1 M Norman.
