PLYMOUTH V NEWPORT (Tonight)

NEWPORT must stop Plymouth being a driving force in the British and Irish Cup this evening (kick-off 7.45pm).

The Black and Ambers head to Devon in high spirits after a dramatic late victory against the Cornish Pirates when a 32-20 deficit was turned into a 34-32 victory in injury time.

It was a superb display, their best of the season, yet alarm bells have been ringing after the way that the Pirates scored three of their four tries.

“Our defence at driving lineouts was poor,” said head coach Sven Cronk. “We have a couple of ways of defending them depending on personnel but in the end we did neither.

“We need to sort that out tonight because Plymouth are just as strong there. They drove a lot against Worcester at the weekend and their game in the Championship is based around a heavy pack and their strong set piece.”

Neither side can qualify for the knockout stages but Newport will be hoping to make it five wins on the bounce.

“We knew that we had to push on after Christmas once players started coming back from injury and we have picked up some decent wins.”

The Black and Ambers are again set to be without a specialist openside flanker as Craig Hill is suffering pain after a knock on the spot where he fractured his ankle against Swansea in September.

He should be back soon and he will be joining a side that will be bolstered by the presence of influential wing Mike Poole, who is poised to make his first appearance of the season off the bench against Felinfoel in the Swalec Cup on Saturday.

Newport’s selection is complicated by Friday’s LV Cup encounter between Sale and the Dragons, with Matthew J Watkins, Matthew Jones, Hugo Ellis, Jon Evans and Mike Petri required by the region.

Alex Jones returns to skipper the side from the second row while tighthead prop Gethin Robinson is back from Dragons duty.

The presence of Andrew Coombs at number eight is particularly welcome as he is joined in the back row by a lock playing at blindside in Adam Frampton and a blindside playing openside in Sam Waldron.

James Leadbeater starts at scrum-half while Tom Cooper, a Dragons player dual-contracted with Bedwas, partners Scott Williams in midfield.

Winger Owen Broad – the last-gasp hero against Cornish Pirates – is rewarded with promotion from the bench.

Newport: M Evans, O Broad, T Cooper, S Williams, M Pewtner, G Bowen, J Leadbeater, D Pattison, A Ellis, G Robinson, D Rosser, A Jones (captain), A Frampton, S Waldron, A Coombs. Replacements: Andrew Brown, D Way, Adam Brown, AN Other, C Wannell, A Awcock, J Davies.