Ponty will be fully focussed on plundering a win from the Parade, with the need to harvest points in order to climb up the table from their current seventh position. Games in hand over all other Premiership clubs, ranging between one and four, must be won if any aspirations of challenging for the league title are to be retained.
Newport lie in a lowly twelfth position in the table, but if the old adage of being as good as your last game holds true then the Black and Ambers can boast a win over league leaders Neath last Sunday.
Out injured for Pontypridd are No8 Dan Godfrey with a twisted ankle and winger Owen Williams with a bruised shoulder, coupled with long term absentees, scrum half Garyn Lucas with knee ligament damage and hooker Jack Dando with a dislocated shoulder.
Back in the fold are scrum half Lewis Jones and prop Ryan Harford having been on regional duties with the Blues, and scrum half Rhys Downes recovered from a recent ankle injury.
Pontypridd: 15.Adam Thomas. 14.Chris Clayton. 13.Gavin Dacey. 12.Dafydd Lockyer. 11.Lewis Williams. 10.Simon Humberstone. 9.Lewis Jones; 1.Chris Phillips. 2.Huw Dowden. 3.Pat Palmer. 4.Ryan Savage. 5.Chris Dicomidis – cpt. 6.Jake Thomas. 7.Wayne O’Connor. 8.Owen Sheppeard.
Replacements: Rhys Downes; Gareth Wyatt; Gary Williams; Tom Hetherington; Craig Locke; Stuart Williams; Ryan Harford.
