AFTER a season of struggling for three-quarters, the sight of two flying wingers is a welcome one for for Newport backs coach Jon Bryant.
The Black and Ambers have been steadily improving this year and head to Felinfoel in the Swalec Cup tomorrow afternoon on the back of five wins.
A sign of the strides made is the form of those in numbers 11 and 14 with Newport playing with more width than they had at the end of an injury-hit 2010.
Owen Broad has caught the eye with dazzling scores against Cornish Pirates and Plymouth but Bryant is just as keen to stress the importance of Matthew Pewtner.
“Owen is very raw but it’s clear he’s a talent,” he said. “He has exceptional pace and great footwork.
“He is small but very strong and he soaks up advice like a sponge.
“Owen has shown his finishing ability and he is getting better and better, but I think the efforts of Matthew Pewtner have been just as impressive.
“He might not have got the tries that Owen has in recent weeks but Matthew does a lot of unseen work and running off the ball.
“There are not too many wingers that have his size and pace and I believe that he will start to use those attributes to devastating effect soon.”
There is increased competition for places in the back three with Alan Awcock and the rapidly improving Matt Evans (who fills in in midfield tomorrow) fighting for the number 15 jersey and winger Mike Poole poised to return from long-term injury.
He is on the bench against Felinfoel as set for his first appearance of the season after suffering serious knee ligament damage.
His teammates will be hoping to tap into their British and Irish Cup exploits to help them avoid a banana skin out west against a side that have not won this season.
“I know that they are struggling in the league but that counts for nothing in the cup,” said Bryant.
“They have got home advantage and we don’t know what we are turning up to, but that was pretty much the same at Plymouth.
“We had all the excuses there if we wanted them – the long bus journey, having to take time off work, being unable to qualify for the knockout stages – but we turned up and did the job.”
Newport: A Awcock, O Broad, M Evans, S Williams, M Pewtner, C Wannell, J Leadbeater, D Pattison, Andrew Brown, D Way, D Rosser, Adam Brown, A Frampton, S Waldron, A Coombs. Replacements: G Robinson, A Ellis, C Hill, A Jones, C Simpson, N Brew, M Poole.
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