WALES prop Iestyn Thomas returns to the Ebbw Vale side tomorrow (2:30pm) for a game Mike Ruddock believes will be one of their toughest of the season.

Thomas is back from international duty against Ireland and will replace Damien Penisini to face Welsh/Scottish League bottom club Caerphilly at Virginia Park in a game vital to both sides.

The future of Caerphilly's coaches could be on the line if they fail to pick up their first league win while Vale, with six points so far, have the opportunity to put daylight between themselves and their opponents and climb towards mid-table.

The challenge is not lost on coach Ruddock, who said: "It will be like a cup final for Caerphilly. They will be highly-motivated. They won't want us to get a nine-point lead on them.

"They will throw everything at us and we know how difficult it is going to be there.

"But at the same time we have an opportunity to get three points and put us where Bridgend, Neath and Swansea are at the moment, depending what happens with their results at the weekend.

"So there are two opportunities really, to put some distance between us and Caerphilly and get into a mid-table are where we can apply pressure on some of the bigger sides."

Vale crashed 45-14 at Caerphilly last season and 22-16 at home in what then were virtually relegation clashes, so Ruddock knows what to expect.

"This is a new season and a new team and to be honest we are not looking back too much but looking at this season's results," he added.

"We have been concentrating more on our performance goals, such as trying to improve our defence. And trying to improve our ability to win the ball and cross the gain line. That's the three main areas we've been concentrating on in the early part of the season. "I'd be disappointed if we went back to some of the old habits of last season. It's a new side and they've worked well so they deserve to get some success."

Ebbw Vale: M James, G Cull, R Shorney, D Weatherley, A Wagstaff, S Mitchell, K Ellis, I Thomas, L Phillips, M Jones, C Billen, N Edwards, K Tuipulotu, W Thomas, P Williams. Replacements: P Matthews, R Watts, G Betts, D Penisini, J Evans, O Boyse, G Evans.