PONTYPOOL aim to draw a line under their Principality Premiership promotion disappointment by following the Ebbw Vale route to the top flight, starting with a home clash against Narberth this afternoon.

Pooler suffered anguish last season when they finished fifth behind Merthyr, Swansea, Bargoed and RGC 1404, condemning them to life in the Championship until at least 2020.

There has been a change at the top with Leighton Jones promoted to take the reins from Louie Tonkin with former Newport Gwent Dragons fly-half Matthew Jones joining as player-coach.

And the new boss wants to follow the lead of the Steelmen, who won two Division One East titles and two Championship crowns before qualifying for the Premiership play-offs on their first season back then winning the title last term.

Jones said: "When we missed out on the Premiership we sat down as a group and had a look at where we went wrong and we will work hard to put those things right.

"We probably needed one or two more players and now a few of the senior boys are looking to drive things forward more and take more on their shoulders, while as a club we haven't really developed in the community and off the field.

"Ebbw Vale is a successful model, dominating the Championship and linking with other clubs in their area to drive forward.

"Our aim is to be a better club and a better squad and these years in the Championship will give us the opportunity to do that.

"After being at the top end last season we know that the expectations will be on us to be up there for the title and we know that a lot of clubs will be targeting us and will raise their game for us.

"But we have to turn the disappointment of last season into a positive and I know the boys are determined to do that, because they have hunger to succeed after feeling that they let the club down."

Pooler, who showed encouraging signs when pipped by Premiership side Aberavon in pre-season, start that challenge with a home game against Narberth.

Newbridge have also had a summer of change and will hope to get off to a winning start when they travel to Division One West champs Dunvant.

'Bridge saw Neil Edwards depart at the end of last season, when they finished 11th to avoid the drop, and brought in Dafydd Lloyd as director of rugby with Scott Williams and Anthony Wilshere his coaches and John Day filling the role of team manager.

They will oversee a rebuilding process after seeing a number of leading players head for pastures new, notably influential forwards Dan Mock and Kyle Tayler to Newport.

National Championship fixtures: Bedlinog v Glamorgan Wanderers, Dunvant v Newbridge, Newcastle Emlyn v Cardiff Met, Pontypool v Narberth, Skewen v Glynneath, Tata Steel v Beddau