The two clubs have met twice previously this season with Pontypridd enjoying home advantage on both occasions and recording two victories.
On 29th September Ponty won a league encounter by 38pts to 18 and on 22nd February in the second round of the SWALEC Cup again took the verdict by 34pts to 10.
Ponty’s latest victory was away to Cardiff last Saturday, and with a try scoring bonus point added on, was enough to take them beyond the reach of the chasing pack in the Premiership. Newport meanwhile occupy eighth position in the table, a full forty points adrift of their next opponents.
Having played through an intense fixture itinerary over the past month, and with a need to rest players, Pontypridd make numerous changes for the Newport game.
Drafted into the squad are winger Lewis Morgan from Llantrisant and prop Dylan Jones from Pontypridd Youth, both making the starting line-up, and hooker Matthew Howells from Newbridge, flanker Jack Davies from Llanharan and lock Tom Williams from Pontypridd Youth all on the bench.Newport will be hoping to put their last two outing which resulted in very narrow defeats against Cross Keys behind them and will be hoping for a repeat of last season when they pipped the Premier League champions 20-19 at Rodney Parade – the only league defeat that the champions suffered.
In fact Pontypriodd have found wins at Rodney Parade hard to come by having only won two of the 10 games played there since regional rugby was introduced.
Newport field the same pack that did so well at Pandy Park but are forced to make more changes in the backs. The Premiership’s leading points scorer Geraint O’Driscoll switches from fullback to partner Dan Robinson in the centre and Ethan Davies deputises at full-back.
Saturday debutants Evan Whitson (Usk RFC) and Ross Gibbon (Glamorgan Wdrs) are again on the bench as is the promising Connor Goode from the Newport High School Academy. Popular scrum-half James Leadbeater should make his 100th appearance for the Black & Ambers since making his debut vs Gael Force in Feb 2010.
Pontypridd 15.Aled Summerhill. 14.Gareth Wyatt. 13.Garyn Smith. 12.Gary Williams. 11.Lewis Morgan. 10.Lewis K Williams. 9.Gareth James; 1.Dylan Jones. 2.Aled Morris. 3.Lewis Jones. 4.Jordan Sieniawski. 5.James Cashin. 6.Luke Crocker. 7.Tom Hetherington. 8.Owen Sheppeard.
Subs: 16.Lloyd Williams. 17.Simon Humberstone. 18.Matthew Nuthall. 19.Matthew Howells. 20.Jack Davies. 21.Tom Williams. 22.Chris Phillips.
Newport: E Davies, A Hewitt, D Robinson, G O’Driscoll, O Broad, M O’Brien, A Quick, D Pattison, J Jeune, A Jeffries, Adam Brown (capt), A Frampton, S Waldron, O Griffiths, B Lampitt.
Subs : Evan Whitson, J Greenfield, D Rosser, Ross Gibbon, J Leadbeater, C Goode, T James, J Monck.
