NEW signing Gareth Cull makes his Ebbw Vale debut at home to Pontypridd in the Celtic /Welsh-Scottish League encounter at Eugene Cross Park tomorrow - on the right wing.

Cull, picked up from Bridgend, replaces New Zealander Aaron Takarangi and will take over the goal-kicking and restart duties from outside half Scott Mitchell, who did the job in the 46-16 defeat at Llanelli.

Ebbw Vale coach Mike Ruddock explained: "Gareth is normally a full back, but Matt James is playing so well at the moment it wouldn't be fair to leave him out.

"Basically we've brought Gareth in to give us an extra goal-kicking option because Scott Mitchell has been struggling a little bit with a groin injury which has restricted his goal-kicking and drop-out practice.

"Drop outs were poor against Llanelli and we couldn't get near the ball and we have to try to remedy that.

"So I guess we've sacrificed potential finishing power for trying to get some of the basic areas like kicking off and goal-kicking right."

Other changes from the team which started at Llanelli are Leighton Phillips for Jonathan Evans at hooker, Martin Jones for Damien Penisini at tight head and Will Thomas for Gavin Evans at No 8.

"Martin is a very good prospect. He played for us when we beat Cardiff last season," said Ruddock.

"I decided before the game I was going to use both props at Llanelli and just see who was going to take us forward a bit in the short term and Martin has just got the edge there. "Leighton Phillips has been out with a whiplash injury (suffered in a card accident) but played well for us last season and I'm hoping he will help to bolster our scrum. "Will James (ex Cross Keys) has been held back a bit by a shin splints problem and we haven't seen the best of him pre-season.

"He has worked hard on his physical strength and in only ten weeks you can see a difference."

Vale face a difficult task against a Pontypridd side who shocked big-spending Bridgend at the Brewery Field last week and whose coach, Richie Collins, will want to do well against his former club.

Ebbw Vale: M James, G Cull, R Shorney, D Weatherley, A Wagstaff, S Mitchell, G Betts, I Thomas, L Phillips, M Jones, C Billen, N Edwards, K Tuipulotu, P Williams, W Thomas. Replacements: D Penisini, J Evans, P Sidoli, G Evans, K Ellis, P Matthews, N McKim. Kick-off 7.30pm.