EBBW Vale take on Newport this Saturday in what could amount to an unofficial trial for the new Gwent Steelmen team if the provincial set up is brought in by the Welsh Rugby Union.

Coach Mike Ruddock knows his players are playing for contracts in the new era of Welsh provincial rugby.

But he is still striving to see his Ebbw Vale side play rugby for the full 80 minutes.

Saturday's 27-26 defeat by Vale was hard to take for the Steelmen, especially after Bryan Shelbourne's late penalty had given them the lead for the first time with barely five minutes remaining.

But Ruddock still craves consistency from his side, especially after they conceded 14 points in the first ten minutes.

He said: "It was all about getting back on track after Pau and not dropping back to bad habits which was why the first ten minutes were very disappointing.

"I thought we were magnificent in the second half, but again we had given ourselves too much to do.

"In modern day rugby 14-0 is not a massive score to overturn, but the try before half time was a killer really, Neath took their chances.

"Other than that I thought the line-out went well and we held our own, but we aren't playing for 80 minutes, we played for 60 minutes, but the first 20 were awful.

"The only time we have played for 80 minutes was against Pontypridd and it is very disappointing to have lost again by just a point."

Neath outside-half Shaun Connor was a relieved man after his winning penalty broke Ebbw Vale's supporters' hearts and found its target after he had missed and earlier kick ten minutes before.

He said: "I expected it to go over, I'd missed one before and I was just relieved to see the ball go through the posts."