AFTER ending Pontypridd's reign as champions Ebbw Vale have set their sights on taking their title as flag bearers for the Principality Premiership, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Steelmen start the defence of the crown that they won in stunning fashion at Sardis Road when they head to Llanelli on Sunday.

Skipper Damien Hudd lifting the trophy aloft capped a remarkable and rapid rise after a four-year spell outside the Premiership but head coach Nigel Davies insists there is still hunger to achieve more.

"It's a different place for this group to be so will pose different sorts of problems for us and we have to find the solutions," said the former Scarlets and Gloucester supremo.

"We are there to be shot at and sides will definitely be on top of their game when we come up against them, which means we will have to be that much better than we were last year.

"We are looking to pick up where we left off because at the end of last season we played some really good rugby.

"The challenge is to build on that, improve and push the boundaries of where semi-professional rugby can go. We are trying to keep raising the bar and be the flag bearers."

There remains some frustration at Eugene Cross Park that some say they are over-reliant on their well-drilled driving lineout.

With the six-point try experiment over, Davies is confident the naysayers will see that the Steelmen have more to their game.

"People always try to put you in a little box and we actually played a heck of a lot of rugby, which some don't appreciate," said the former centre.

"Sides also gave away a lot of penalties against us when we were in attacking positions so if sides are going to infringe then you have to be able to take advantage of that.

"Northampton build their game around that for many years where they could score tries but also kick to touch and score.

"I think things will be a little different this year but we are equally comfortable playing expansive rugby. We've got an all-round game that we are trying to develop but rugby union is also about scrums and lineouts."

Ebbw have strengthened this summer with the signings of a pair of Scarlets in fly-half Josh Lewis and number eight Rory Pitman.