Powell back on Parade

Powell has left Swansea after less than three months

Celtic League - Pool B
Connacht v Newport at the Galway Sportsground; Friday 20 September (kick-off 1745 BST).

Joe Powell has completed an amazing about-turn to rejoin Newport less than three months after quitting Rodney Parade for Swansea.

The 27-year-old made only nine appearances for the Black and Ambers last season and felt his future lay elsewhere.

Powell joins the All Whites

But the 6ft 5in, 16st 11lb Powell again found himself warming the bench at St Helen's, getting on the field just once - against Edinburgh - in Swansea's opening three Celtic League matches.

With Alix Popham announcing that he would be joining Leeds Tykes in three month's time, and Peter Buxton having already left for Gloucester, Newport suddenly had a backrow crisis on their hands.

Nabaro found himself out of favour at Bristol

Powell is one of two signings announced on Wednesday, with Bristol Shoguns wing Luke Nabaro also unveiled ahead of this week's Heineken Cup registration deadline.

Fiji-born Nabaro, a Hong Kong international, made his Bristol debut during the 1998/99 season, and has appeared almost 50 times in first-team colours.

Nabaro's recent progress has been injury-hit though, while the 28-year-old also saw his Shoguns opportunities restricted by the likes of fellow wings Phil Christophers and David Rees, both England internationals.

With Ben Breeze certain to be out of action for several months with knee ligament damage, Nabaro will contest the wing spots with Matt Mostyn, Alex Cadwallader and Andrew Wagstaff.

Popham signs for Leeds

However, neither new signing will be included for Friday night's Celtic League match in Ireland.

Ironically, Popham will make his first start of the season in Galway against Connacht as injury-hit and winless Newport ring the changes.

Out of the reckoning are Jon Pritchard (broken foot), Ceri Jones (broken nose and fractured cheekbone), Jason Strange (groin strain), Hal Luscombe (Achilles) and Andy Powell (shoulder).

Wing Cadwallader and lock Matthew Veater make their league debuts, while Canada prop Rod Snow makes his first start of the season and Shane Howarth switches back from fullback to fly-half.

Montgomery arrival delayed

Coach Richard Hill says Newport haven't given up hope of qualifying for the Celtic quarter-finals. "We need to win all four remaining games and we aim to do just that."

They will be helped by the fact that Mark McHugh, Connacht's match-winning fullback at Leinster last week, will miss the game becaue he is on international duty with Ireland in Russia.

Ireland Under-21 cap James Norton replaces him in the starting line-up for his Connnacht debut, the only change from last week's win in Dublin.

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Connacht: J Norton; T Robinson, D Yapp, T Allnutt (capt), W Munn; E Elwood, C Keane; D McFarland, J Flannery, P Bracken, W Waugh, R Frost, M Swift, J O'Sullivan, C Rigney.
Reps: R McCormack, M Uijs, E Peters, J O'Connor, E Reddan, S Moore, M McPhail.

Newport: M Pini; M Mostyn, S Williams, A Marinos, A Cadwallader; S Howarth, O Tonu'u; R Snow, P Young, C Anthony, M Veater, S Raiwalui (capt), A Popham, J Forster/S Ojomoh, G Gravell.
Reps: A Wagstaff, M Hook, L Lane, A Garvey, J Richards, M Voyle, J Forster/S Ojomoh