The Black and Ambers may not have had the start to the season they would have liked but in spite of crippling injuries the team is showing signs of hitting form at the right time.
Sven Cronk’s side have serious problems at prop and back row. Five props are unavailable, three due to injury, one through suspension while rising star Alex Jeffries is unavailable to play in the front row under cup rules due to his age.
To cover this, Newport have brought in former Pontypool props Jamie Jeune and Dan Mathews and back rower Brendan Lampitt.
In the backs, there are a few surprises with scrum-half Jamie Leadbeater starting at full-back while the Premiership’s leading try scorer Elliot Frewen is on the bench.
Newport: 15 J Leadbeater 14 A Hewitt 13 G O’Driscoll 12 W Richards 11 T Chavhanga 10 T Hancock 9 R Downes, 1 N Williams 2 A Brown 3 T Ryan 4 R Jones 5 A Frampton 6 S Waldron 7 C Attwell (c) 8 R Coombs.
Replacements: J Jeune, D Mathews, D Rosser, B Lampitt, A Awcock, E Frewen, A Quick
Referee: Greg MacDonald.
