Albion's dogged pack will be no easy touch (From Campaign Series)

Albion's dogged pack will be no easy touch

11:50am Friday 27th November 2009

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NEWPORT shouldn’t be fooled by the Championship league table as they head into tonight’s encounter with Plymouth Albion, writes Drew Hill.

Their visitors may lie tenth but they have shown signs of revival in the past month after a poor start to the season.

A recent win over third-placed Nottingham lifted the team’s spirits after losing six of their opening eight.

They followed it up with a creditable but ultimately unsuccessful performance against former Guinness Premiership side Bristol before claiming their first away win of the season with a surprise bonus-point victory at London Welsh.

Last weekend they opened their British and Irish Cup campaign with a narrow 16-13 defeat against Leinster A, brought about by a dubious late penalty for the Irish visitors.

Plymouth Albion have received criticism from fans and media alike in recent seasons for their perceived one-dimensional tactics – heavily reliant on keeping the ball in the forwards with arguably an over-use of the rolling maul.

However, there is evidence this season of a more expansive game plan which has blossomed in the last month thanks to the emergence of a midfield axis comprising of Kenni Fisilau and former Newport Gwent Dragon Sione Tu’ipulotu.

Tu’ipulotu started the season at scrum-half but has made a more significant impact once partnered with, fellow Tongan Fisilau at centre.

Despite this new found potency in their back line it is still the pack which is the focal point of Albion’s game.

Coach Graham Dawe will use the opportunity to rest a few of his first-choice forwards but the pack includes enough first-team regulars to be capable of dealing with whatever Newport throw at them.

They will not allow themselves to be disrupted in the same manner their Devon rivals Exeter Chiefs were last week at Rodney Parade.

Despite the difference in the clubs’ league fortunes this season, Plymouth Albion should prove to be a more difficult opponent than Exeter did last week.

There is however a chink of hope for the home side – only rock-bottom Birmingham Solihull have scored less league points than Plymouth Albion this season.

If Newport can keep Albion’s Tongan centres quiet and display the same kind of attacking prowess they showed last week – especially in the first half – there’s every chance they will end the day with their 100 per cent home record still intact.

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