The then newly promoted Steelers had not lost a league match at home for quite some time and the Black & Ambers had certainly been struggling.
Some water has gone under the bridge since then with the Steelers establishing themselves firmly in the Premiership and the Black & Ambers changing their coaching team.
Newport will certainly need to show the same character that they showed at the Gnoll to come away with anything from Eugene Cross Park.
Newport show some changes from the team that played Neath. Aled Brew makes his debut on the wing – some 14 years after his brother Nathan made his Newport debut. Owen Davies comes in at scrum-half in place of Ryan James who had a good game at the Gnoll.
In the forwards 6ft 8’in second row Dan Partridge comes in with last season’s captain Ollie Griffiths appearing once again at No 7 while loose-head John Lavender appears against his old team..
Newport: L Ap Myrddin, A Brew, H Palmer, B Nightingale, E Frewen, M O’Brien, O Davies, J Lavender, E Whitson, A Jeffries, Adam Brown (capt), D Partridge, R Jenkins, O Griffiths, B Lampitt.
Reps : W Evans / M Prosser, J Greenfield, T Piper, B Morgan, C Attwell, J Lewis, A Robson, J Morris.
