Newport may be out of the promotion picture but they still want to finish their home games with a flourish against Luctonians tomorrow.

Last week’s defeat to Peterborough ended their chances of reaching the Midlands One play-offs, but the mood at Forton Road is still optimistic.

Director of rugby Ray Price has been happy by the progress made on and off the field this season, and is predicting further improvement to come.

“We’ll be there challenging next year, fingers crossed,” he said.

“There’s been quite a few changes in the last year and most, if not all of them have been for the good, so everybody us pretty upbeat.

“We want to finish with a good win tomorrow and there should be a good crowd as it’s a VP’s day.”

For the Luctonians, the promotion dream is still alive and they are going for a fourth straight win.

If the Lucs win their two remaining games against Newport and Kenilworth they will finish runners-up for the second year running and could face a long trip to Hull for the promotion play-off game.

Whitchurch are breathing a huge sigh of relief that there is no relegation in Midlands Two West this season, and that means there is no pressure on them ahead of their final home game, against Cheltenham North.

“Over the last few weeks the number of changes taking place, up to eight or nine per game from the week before, has left Whitchurch with no continuity in certain positions,” said president John Gregory.

Skipper Russell Lear returns for the clash with Cheltenham. It’s a VP’s day at Edgeley Road too, and the Roger Lewis Trophy will be presented to the 2007-08 player of the season David Baxter.

Hereford will be going all out to keep up their challenge for a play-off place when they travel to Stratford-upon-Avon

The Wyesiders have won their last six games to go back into second place ahead of Dudley Kingswinford on points difference.