Newport aim to repeat Arms Park win at Cardiff in SRC semis
There was a win apiece in December and the Black and Ambers would dearly love a repeat of their regular season triumph in the capital.
They held on for a 27-20 success but the Blue and Blacks got their revenge when they clung on for a 36-30 success at Spytty Park just days later.
The teams will know the other team in the inaugural SRC final when they get under way after the Bristol versus Bath fixture at Principality Stadium led to a Sunday semi-final.
Newport make the short trip to Cardiff in fine form after finishing the regular season with four straight wins to pip Llandovery to third – potentially important should the Drovers beat Ebbw Vale – and they followed that up with a 40-25 quarter-final victory against Aberavon.
Newport will hunt another win at Cardiff Arms Park (Image: Kian Abdullah/Huw Evans Agency)
Head coach Ty Morris makes two changes with stalwart Jon Morris coming in at outside centre for David Richards, who is a replacement, while up front Ollie Drake is in for Garin Harris at tighthead.
Club legend Rhys Jenkins gets the nod to be cover in the back row while there is a boost alongside him on the bench with the return from injury of hooker Wade Langley.
Cardiff feature strong-running Mackenzie Martin at number eight - his duel with Newport talisman Ben Roach will be fascinating - but are without Wales Under-20s backs Steff Emanuel and Tom Bowen.
Cardiff: Joe Goodchild; Elijah Evans, Osian Darwin-Lewis, Jason Harries, Dewi Cross; Lloyd Lucas, Ethan Lloyd; Marc Thomas, Alun Rees, Tom Harper, Craig Hudd, Sean Moore (captain), Aled Ward, Nathan Hudd, Mackenzie Martin.
Replacements: Gavin Parry, Cam Tyler-Grocott, Christian Brooke, Evan Rees, Benji Williams, Ethan Phillips, Joe Williams, Luke Pollock.
Newport: Carwyn Penny; Lloyd Lewis, Jon Morris, Chay Foster-Smith, Iestyn Galton; Jac Lloyd, Dafydd Buckland; Tom Devine, Tyler Olding, Ollie Drake, Max Williams, Josh Skinner, George Young, Kyle Tayler, Ben Roach.
Replacements: Wade Langley, Tom Workman, Nathan Evans, Rhys Jenkins, Josh Reid, Luke Crane, David Richards, Elliot Frewen.
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