Newport v Llanharan. Konica Minolta Cup

THE PRESSURE is on Newport head coach Ian Hembrow to make sure that their faltering league form isn't carried into tomorrow's cup tie with Llanharan at Rodney Parade.

With the Black and Ambers languishing in 11th place in the Premiership, the only source of comfort for the Parade faithful would be a successful cup run.

Hembrow and his coaching team started off the season looking for a title bid as well as a bid for Millennium Stadium success but those ambitions have had to be reined in because of their league woes.

Defeat to Swansea last week was their ninth of the season and their fourth on their own turf, something the head coach freely admits is unacceptable.

"Because of recent results we have had to reassess our aims," he said. "But I think top five and a cup run is the minimum requirement for a club like Newport.

"We would expect to go through against a side from Division One but we look at the game with a confident approach rather than a arrogant one.

"It is massively important that we get a huge amount of our work done in the first 20 to 30 minutes. We did a professional job at Carmarthen Athletic and that needs to be repeated because they will come a try and make a real fist of it.

"There has been real frustration (in the camp) from the management down to the youngest player after the Swansea game but this game is a stepping stone to getting back to get back to winning ways."

The 18-15 loss to the All Whites was the latest in a long line of games from which Newport should have been gaining more than just a losing bonus point.

"It is so frustrating when you watch the games back and see how we dominate possession and territory but fail to capitalise," said Hembrow.

"The players need to be honest and the skill levels have not been good enough and there have been basic rugby errors like tackles being missed and passes thrown straight into touch."

The club are appealing against last week's red card dished out to flanker Paul Williams for stamping. They have prepared a DVD showing that he had his head buried when his boot made glancing contact with a body on the wrong side of a ruck, and argue there is no way that there could have been intent.

With Nick Wakley with Wales sevens and trainee teacher Nathan Williams on a school trip, Will Kershaw-Naylor slots in at outside centre.

Giant lock James Connors is ruled out of the Llanharan side with a chest infection - a plight that robs him of the chance to face the side that he left in December in order to play regular rugby.

Newport: J Dixon, M Burke, W Kershaw-Naylor, S Williams, M Poole, D Griffiths, A Walker, D Pattison, A Brown, G Robinson, M Veater, M Workman, R Dale, P Williams, A Coombs. Replacements: I Evans, M Leaman, R Field, C Hill, M Thomas, M Hook, C Young.