Newport fired up for top-of-the-table showdown

​Newport director of rugby Steve Dolphin is happy to take on the role of underdog for Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown.

Regional One Midlands table-toppers Stourbridge will check in at the Old Showground for what promises to be a crunch collision with second-placed Newport.

The duo locked horns three times last season with Stourbridge triumphing twice at the Old Showground – in the league and end-of-season play-offs – while Newport where victorious in the Black Country.

Stourbridge will go into the clash boasting a perfect record of six wins from six outings and Dolphin believes they will start as slight favourites as his side go hunting for top spot.

"They are unbeaten, aren't they?" said Dolphin. "And we're going in sort of as an underdog.

"The last time they played at Newport they won, so they'll have a bit of confidence and arrogance about them, and we look forward to trying to do something about it.

"There is very little between the sides and we are expecting a heck of a game.

"We have Bridgnorth the week after, and it's a couple of nice games to come back to after a week off."

Newport will go into Saturday’s clash on the back of a 48-14 win at Oxford Harlequins in their previous outing and Dolphin is pleased with how the opening block of six fixtures have gone under new coach Tomasi Tanumi.

“We're pleased with how things are going,” said Dolphin. “We had a new head coach and the way the lads have adapted to how he wants to play has been fantastic. The squad is getting better and better and I think there was evidence of that in our last game.”