The Black and Ambers will hope to get back to winning ways after a lay-off of more than six weeks since their last win, away to Bedwas, before Christmas.
Both teams go into tonight’s fixture in the wrong half of the table – Newport are eighth and Aberavon tenth – though the Wizards did have a morale-boosting home win over Swansea last time out. In the return fixture earlier this season, Aberavon were 21-7 winners in the first game of the campaign and interestingly, the Wizards have won on their last two visits to the home of the Black and Ambers.
With Ethan Davies on Six Nations duty with Wales Under 20, Matt O’Brien starts at outside half for the home side. On the bench are Trevor James, on permit from Pontypool, and youngster Connor Goode from the Newport High School Junior Academy.
Aberavon include most of the new faces who have signed on recently at the Talbot Athletic Ground. Centre Rheon James started his time with the Wizards with a try scoring debut and alongside experienced pivot Ceiron Thomas, could be vital to the Port Talbot based club’s hopes of staying in the league.
Newport : 15 Geraint O’Driscoll 14 Tom James 13 Dan Robinson 12 Dom Franchi 11 Owen Broad 10 Matt O’Brien 9 Jamie Leadbeater, 1 Dai Pattison 2 Dale Rogers 3 Alex Jeffries 4 Adam Brown 5 Dafydd Rosser 6 Craig Attwell (c) 7 Rhys Jenkins 8 Brendan Lampitt.
Replacements : Andrew Brown, James Greenfield, Adam Frampton, Sam Waldron, Andrew Quick, Trevor James, Connor Goode, Gethin Robinson.
Aberavon: 15 Jonathan Phillips 14 Richard Carter 13 David Thomas 12 Rheon James 11 Michael Powell 10 Ceiron Thomas 9 Christopher Morgans, 1 Rowan Jenkins 2 Evan Yardley 3 David Edwards 4 Gavin Ronan 5 Ian Moore (c) 6 Benjamin Thomas 7 Nathan Brown 8 Thomas Duncan.
Replacements: Daniel Davies, Jamie Davies, Aaron Jones, Ieuan Davies, Christopher Davies, James Bija, Ceri Jones, Neil Jeremy.
Referee : Gwyn Morris
