Cardiff have found the trip to the north Gwent valleys tough going in recent years having last year lost 22-20 and the previous year 12-7 at Ebbw Vale.
And Steelmen coach Mike Ruddock, who will lead the new Gwent provincial side next season, is looking for his side to add more misery on the Blue and Blacks following their 44-10 Principality Cup defeat against Llanelli.
“We have beaten Cardiff on the last two occasions at home and it would be nice to get their scalp again, especially for the fans” he said.
“We need to catch them early when, maybe, they are still hurting from the cup semi-final.”
Ruddock has included two former Cardiff players in his starting line-up in Paul Williams and Wales Under-21 wing Liam Roberts who left the Arms Park at the start of the season on loan.
But Ebbw Vale have plenty of experience and muscle up front, where they are led by seasoned campaigner Leyton Phillips, and are sure to look to their strength at the set-pieces against a young Cardiff pack.
Meanwhile Blue and Blacks coach Dai Young, also handed a regional contract for next season, has urged his players to restore some pride after their crushing Principality Cup defeat to Llanelli.
Young has made 12 changes, two of them positional, to the side that started Saturday’s semi-final at the Millennium Stadium.
None of the club’s seven national squad members are in the starting line-up with Craig Morgan (shoulder) and Ryan Powell (dead leg) both out injured and Iestyn Harris, Rhys Williams and Jamie Robinson all named among the replacements.
Elgan Jones, who has scored 14 tries in 26 games for Cardiff under-21s this season, is selected on the right wing and Donavan van Vuuren resumes at full back.
Ebbw Vale: M Meenan; L Roberts, R Shorney, P Matthews, A Bevan; S Mitchell, B Shelbourne; A Black, L Phillips (capt), D Penisini, C Billen, P Sidoli, W Thomas, K Tuipolotu, P Williams. Replacements: R Williams, O Booyse, K Crawford, P Jones, G Betts, B Hayward, N Wakley.
Cardiff: D van Vuuren; E Jones, M Allen, P Muller, D Dewdney; N Robinson, R Smith; J Yapp, P Rogers, T Payne, A Jones, L Tait, J Brownrigg, E Lewis (capt), R Sowden-Taylor. Replacements: K Fourie, L Collins, J Tait, J Malpas, I Harris, J Robinson, R Williams.
Ends.
