NEWPORT will be looking to show the same fighting spirit that earned them derby bragging rights when they head to Bridgend in the Principality Premiership tomorrow.

Last season the Black and Ambers struggled for consistency, failing to back up league wins on five occasions with a March hat-trick of successes their sole successful streak.

They get a chance to show that they have made strides this season when they travel to the Brewery Field on the back of a morale-boosting 25-22 win at Ebbw Vale.

Newport had to show plenty of spirit to emerge from Eugene Cross Park with the spoils and head coach Sven Cronk wants more of the same against the winless Ravens.

“We’ve got to go down there and be at least as committed as we were for a derby game,” he said. “We need to get back-to-back wins and build some momentum.

“Everything that we did well in Ebbw Vale needs to continue, the lineout has to keep functioning well while we need the scrum to crank up and to be better at getting the ball in the wider channels.

“We need to win the kicking game again because it was excellent last week and has really improved since Craig Warlow, as a former 10, joined the coaching team.”

Newport are set to be without back row forward Brendan Lampitt after he was forced off against the Steelmen with a shoulder injury but are bolstered by the presence of Dragons loosehead Owen Evans and wing Ashton Hewitt.

Bridgend are yet to get off the mark after suffering defeats to Cardiff, Carmarthen Quins and Pontypridd.

But they pushed the Quins and Ponty, last season’s top two, hard and saw a bonus point snatched from their grasp at the death at Sardis Road.

Newport and Bridgend have traded ‘doubles’ with each other in recent years as the Black and Ambers won both games in 2008/9 and 2013/14 while the Ravens took the spoils twice in 2011/12 and 2012/13.

In March the Black and Ambers ran in six tries in a 46-24 win with full-back Geraint O’Driscoll helping himself to 26 points.