EBBW Vale coach Mike Ruddock, pictured, will tell his side to stand up and be heroes not zeroes when they face Pau for a place in the Parker Pen Shield semi-finals.

The Steelmen beat the French side 29-3 at Newport's Rodney Parade ground on Monday night in the first leg of the Euro-pean Shield quarter-final ahead of tonight's second leg.

The winners of the tie will be decided on the aggregate score, with another French side, Castres, likely to be the opponents in the semi-finals.

So Vale are just three games away from a place in the Shield final (with the semi-final also over two legs) and Ruddock is conscious that his team need to reproduce the sort of form that sealed Monday night's win.

Vale have tended to drop off their standard of performance after producing victories - they were hammered away by Cardiff on Boxing Day, just after beating Llanelli at home - a trait Ruddock is keen to erase.

He said: "We had a convincing win on Monday but I hope we don't just rely on our points advantage.

"I'll be reminding the boys we have won five out of six games, but we need to keep that standard, not go from heroes to zeroes. We are just three games from a European final and that should be incentive enough."

Ruddock suspects that Pau may have one eye on their match with Agen in the French championships next weekend, which could play into Ebbw Vale's hands.

He said: "We want the players to go out and really front up to the French. If we can build up a lead then Pau may take off some of their key players ahead of the Agen match."

But nobody in the Ebbw Vale camp is under any illusions about how tough this game will be.

The defeat on Monday night badly dented French pride and they'll be hungry for revenge today.

Ruddock added: "I am expecting Pau to come out and try to blast us.

"They are bringing back some of their star players and we need to hit them and smash them down early."

Pau are expected to include Imanol Harinordoquy and Damien Traille, who are back from French squad training last weekend ahead of next month's Six Nations Championship.

Pau: Jonnet, Peyras, Pearson, Traille, Cistacq, Aucagne, Carbonneau, Guatieri, Tincu, Sourgens, Jolly, Bordenave, Carre, Som, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Laperne, Larrouy, Cleda, Barrague, Arrieta, Sestaret, Artiguste.