NEWPORT have been and gone for Ebbw Vale; now they have Carmarthen Quins in their sights.

The Division One East champions and leaders raised a few eyebrows when they eased past the Black and Ambers 26-13 in round two.

They have not taken to the field since that January 28 success because freezing conditions forced their league encounters with Tredegar and Newbridge to be postponed.

But head coach Neil Edwards believes his side have got the win at Rodney Parade out of their system in the enforced three-week layoff.

“There was a bit of a different environment in training and the boys thought they were kings of the castle,” said Edwards.

“That was understandable because it was a great win but we have had enough time to bring them back to earth.

“To have games postponed is never a good thing but it did at least prevent us falling into a trap that you often see where a massive win is followed by a poor loss.

“For me the Newport game is something that we can look back on at the end of the season.

“The supporters can reminisce about it every night if they want to but we have got a job to do.”

That job promises to be a tough one against the Quins, who triumphed 31-19 when the sides met at Carmarthen Park in pre-season.

The west Walians sit fourth in the Premiership table, have won eight of their last 10 games and are chasing their fifth victory on the spin.

“They present a different challenge and I am looking forward to seeing how we cope with it,” said Edwards.

“We played them in pre-season and they are a very structured side whereas Newport were a bit more loose and didn’t commit too many to the breakdown.

“They are a usual Carmarthen Quins side – they have a big pack, a big scrum, a big lineout and a big driving game.

“Steve Williams is an old coach of mine (at Neath) and there is no chance of him letting his side take us lightly. They will be very organised.

“But we’ve had a good week in preparation and hopefully we can produce a top performance full of intensity.”