NEATH coach Lyn Jones' battle cry against Newport in Sunday's Principality Cup final at the Millennium Stadium will be "attack, attack, attack".

He said: "Cup finals are never classics. There's so much pressure to get that one victory.

"But the natural animal we have in our squad says attack, attack, attack and have a go and you can't, mustn't, hold that back."

Asked how important winning the cup was nowadays, the always effervescent Jones said: "It depends how much silverware you've won in the past.

"It's been mainly steel for us, so it would be nice to show some return on all the hard work the boys have put in over the past three years.

"When we lost to Pontypridd in 1996 (a final he was involved in as a player) it was heartbreaking because we had been so far ahead.

"Those sort of lessons go forward and we hope the experienced players in the club will have learned from them and that it will help carry us through."

He added: "Newport are a formidable outfit and we've had a couple of hard games against them this season (including a 33-26 victory with 14 men at The Gnoll in December).

"Our performance that day was even better than defeating Swansea in the cup semi-final.

"Jim McCready (the Newport team manager) came up to me after the game, obviously a little bit disappointed that Newport had lost, and sneaked into my ear 'I hope we draw you in the cup.'

"His dream has come true," smiled Jones before adding, "these sort of games are one-offs and it's down to the best team on the day.

"Newport have better quality players than we have, as is shown in the wage bill, more players who have played at the highest international level.

"But it's having the ability to put your big game performance together on the big day that counts. "What went on in December means nothing. We may have outplayed them then, but Sunday's a fresh day."

Neath's build up over the days since their last league match has been low key, with just an hour's training a day.

"After such a hard season we've put our feet up and we are going to keep our feet up so that we are psychologically prepared," said Jones.

And he concluded by saying, "The cup is the pinnacle of the season. It's a big stage, the ground is looking beautiful and I think every coach, every player wants to be here on Sunday.

"It's good for the competition that two teams are here this year who haven't been here for a while. "Newport have perhaps the best support base in Welsh rugby and I think we are second or third behind them, so there are all the ingredients for a great occasion.

"The pressure will be on everybody and it's a question who can hold their nerve the longest." "If you are not happy at work you don't perform very well. So the enjoyment factor and comfort in your environment is extremely important.

"We've seen all too often in the past when you go from being a big fish in a small sea to a bigger sea you often get swallowed up.

"Perhaps the tide is turning a little and people are going back to their roots to get the enjoyment and fulfilment as well as the market value."