IT'S back to the bread and butter of the Premiership for players and coaches alike when Ebbw Vale make the tough trip to Bedwas.

Head coach Pat Horgan has been on duty with Wales Under-20s and the players go into the game fresh from a Konica Minolta Cup romp against Tondu.

But now the focus is well and truly on their Gwent rivals and the rigorous examination that they will no doubt face at the Bridge Field.

And if the Steelmen are to match last season's second-place finish then they need to halt and alarming run of form away from their Eugene Cross Park home.

They have lost their last three league games on the road, the last of which was a 32-6 drubbing at the hands of Bridgend.

Forwards coach Will Thomas said: "Our away form is a concern and is something that needs addressing. Maybe it is the mental approach that is letting us down, and that's not good enough.

"Our home form has been good but the boys need to be raring to go when they head to other grounds. If we want to finish at the top of the league then we need to start picking up points on our travels.

"I was really pleased with the attitude of the boys when we lost narrowly to Neath (22-12 three weeks ago) and we were a bit unfortunate with how things went really.

"But if we take that approach, which probably wasn't there in previous games if we are honest, then we can leave Bedwas with the win."

Bedwas sit in 11th place in the table and have been hit by injuries in recent weeks, as well as suffering from the absence of influential centre Phil Dollman who has been on Dragons duty.

Ebbw Vale have problems of their own, particularly in the back row where they will be without James Thomas who is with Wales Under-18s and Nio Aiono who is working abroad, so will need big performances from 1 to 22.

"We are under no illusions about how tough it will be and they are always a hard side to play against," said Thomas.

"Bedwas will be up for this because it is a derby and they probably want to be higher in the league. They will make life tough for us and we need to do a professional job."

Vale are boosted by the return of influential skipper John Bowd in the back row while young Newport Gwent Dragons Gareth Maule and Ieaun Coombes, who has featured for Cross Keys this term, come in at centre and wing respectively.

Ebbw Vale: A McLaughlan, K Owen, G Maule, A Bramwell, I Coombes, C Anderson, R Lewis, I George, M Williams, M Jones, M Griffin, N Edwards, W Thomas, J McPhail, J Bowd (captain). Replacements: A Coundley, R Wilkes, A Lott, W Jones, B Shelbourne, S Hunt, J Lewis.