Ponty take on the Welsh All Blacks at Sardis Road on Wednesday evening (KO 7:15pm).
The two teams have yet to meet this season, but Ponty having completed a league double over the same opponents last season, by 15-64 away and by 36-3 at home. That double became a treble as the clubs met again in the 2013 SWALEC Cup Final, with Ponty taking the honours by 34-13.
The host team currently top the Premiership table, whilst Neath are locked in a relegation battle in eleventh position with four wins out of eighteen league games played. One of those wins however came impressively away to Bedwas last Saturday by 19pts to 24, highlighting the fact that the All Blacks can never be taken for granted.
Pontypridd introduce a number of new, and nearly new faces into their squad selection, making twelve changes from the team that started against the Pirates last time out.
Drafted in on permit are tight head prop Joe Jones from RGC and outside half Lewis K Williams from Bridgend – the latter returning to his former club – both in the starting line-up, and hooker Matthew Howells from Newbridge on the bench.
Gavin Dacey and Gary Williams resume a centre partnership that worked well in a league victory over Aberavon the previous week, with Owen Williams alongside them on the wing. Lock Miles Normandale makes another appearance on call from the Blues Academy.
Pontypridd: 15.Matthew Nuthall. 14.Lewis I Williams. 13.Gavin Dacey. 12.Gary Williams. 11.Owen Williams. 10.Lewis K Williams. 9.Lloyd Williams; 1.Chris Phillips. 2.Tom Hetherington. 3.Joe Jones. 4.Miles Normandale. 5.James Cashin. 6.Luke Crocker. 7.Wayne O’Connor. 8.Dan Godfrey (Capt)
Subs: 16,Joel Raikes. 17.Gareth Wyatt. 18.Geraint Walsh. 19.Matthew Howells. 20.Rhys Shellard. 21.Jordan Sieniawski. 22.James Howe. 23.Kieron Jenkins.
