Round 6 of Super Rygbi Cymru saw the Black & Ambers back on the road with a short visit up the Eastern Valley to our near-neighbours Pontypool RFC. After the defeat at home to Llandovery last time out, Ty Morris would be keen for his charges to right the ship and crack on challenging at the top of the league table.
It was a glorious afternoon as supporters walked through the beautiful park surroundings to the ground itself. The wind had dropped, and the pitch was relatively dry, considering how much it had rained around Southeast Wales in the week leading up to the game. The autumn sun shone brightly, picking out the colours in the woodland at the crown of the hill, summer greens making way for gold and bronze leaves.
Matt O’Brien was away with the day job again, so Carwyn Penny was selected to run the show from the ‘10’ position, while Che Hope was given a run out at scrum half. Max Williams and Barney Langton-Cryer were chosen as a young and talented pairing at second row.
Pontypool were playing with the slope in the first half as outside half Harri Ford got the game underway. Jonny Morris receiving the ball. Ioan Davies ran into contact, Josh Skinner taking the next phase in before Pontypool conceded a penalty. Carwyn Penny booted Newport up to Pooler’s 10-metre line. However, Newport were caught offside following the lineout, so Harri Ford took the opportunity to reply by placing his forwards on the Newport 22. The lineout ball went to the tail as the Pooler drives began to rain in. Centre Kieran Meek popped the ball to fellow centre Joel Maloney before the expected pairs of big forwards in red, black and white began to hurl themselves at the Newport fringe defence, but the hosts ran out of patience, forcing a pass that bobbled to ground allowing George Young to belt the ball clear.
Che Hope tackled Kieran Meek solidly, forcing a knock forward, but the referee, Mr Tom Spurrier, repeated his trick from the Llandovery fixture of missing obvious forward balls and allowed the hosts to play on, but, luckily, Pooler were more profligate than our Mid-Walian friends.
Pontypool overthrew a 6th minute lineout, Carwyn Penny making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear with the ball. Chay Foster-Smith delayed the pass nicely to release Liam Lloyd, but the winger couldn’t take the pass, and a clear chance went begging for Newport.
Sadly, that was the end of George Young’s game, hobbling off with, what looked like, a leg knock. Kyle Tayler replaced him.
The hosts had clearly done the homework on the Newport lineout, regularly interfering, if not stealing, Newport ball. Second row Joe Davies was especially adept at this. Newport would have to think their way out of this one.
From a 17th minute Newport penalty, Ben Roach took lineout ball before Josh Skinner slammed his way into contact. Carwyn Penny kicked long, encouraging Lloyd Lewis, Ioan Davies, and Che Hope to pursue while lone defender Huw Anderson, at full back, was left to sort it out. Anderson did remarkably well to hang on to the ball before his big forwards arrived and win a penalty for his team as Newport were over-exuberant in attack.
The scoring opened on 19 minutes as Pooler won a scrum penalty, Kieran Meek taking a shot at goal from 45 metres, straight in front of the posts to make the score Pontypool 3 Newport 0.
Spurred into action, Newport drew a penalty from Mr Spurrier but were getting nowhere. With the advantage, sensibly, Carwyn Penny went for the corner. Barney Langton-Cryer took the lineout ball. Jonny Morris thrust himself forward, Carwyn Penny sought to create gaps with Che Hope popping the ball up from rucks, but it was to no avail as the Pontypool defence held firm, and it was Newport who ran out of patience.
The hosts worked their way back upfield, Joe Davies cleanly taking a lineout as the forwards drove around him. Kieran Meek was playing like a second 10 as he tried to spray the ball around, but a run by wing Jordan Thomas was ill-timed, blocking defenders as he went and conceding the penalty as a result.
Carwyn Penny released Lloyd Lewis on 35 minutes, giving the winger space to make a typical scorching run, out then in, propelling Newport up to the 22. The Black & Ambers spread the ball wide again, Ben Roach lurking out wide. He fed the ball to Liam Lloyd, but the winger was firmly tackled into touch by Jordan Thomas.
As added time arrived, Newport benefitted from an overthrown lineout ball, Wade Langley rescuing it before the backs threw it across the line. Liam Lloyd set up a ruck before Carwyn Penny boomed a long pass to Lloyd Lewis again. Running between the 22s and with Che Hope and Carwyn Penny in support, Newport seemed odds-on to score, but a despairing slap down by Joel Maloney saw Mr Spurrier reach for his yellow card and invite the young man to take a seat and think about what he had done. Carwyn Penny punted Newport into the corner, win the lineout, before Wade Langley latched onto the tail and was driven across for a try. Carwyn Penny added the conversion to make the score Pontypool 3 Newport 7 on the stroke of halftime.
Half Time: Pontypool RFC 3 Newport RFC 7
Newport emerged from the break unchanged from how they ended the first half as Carwyn Penny restarted the contest. Pontypool quickly spotted a gap as Liam Lloyd had drifted infield, claiming themselves as handy 50:22. Pooler second row Dan Hill took the ball, number 8 Morgan Allen split from the pack and charged, but Josh Skinner was more than equal to it. Pooler captain Mike Herbert thought that he was through for a try, but a teammate had infringed in the build-up, so wasn’t best pleased to look around and see Mr Spurrier indicating a penalty against the hosts.
Will Reed took the field in a Newport jersey for the first time in a while as he replaced Liam Lloyd, Carwyn Penny moving to full back and Ioan Davies shuffling across to the wing.
Following a spell of aerial tennis, Huw Anderson made a neat chip and chase, until Josh Skinner flattened him. Pooler went through the hands, Max Williams challenging hard, but a firm hit in scrum half Morgan Lloyd dislodged the ball, compounded when a colleague dived onto it and conceded a penalty.
Prop Sam Cochrane, in an unnumbered jersey for Pontypool, popped the ball to Morgan Lloyd out of a tackle, the scrum half scampering off with Kyle Tayler and Lloyd Lewis in pursuit. Predictably, Lloyd Lewis caught his man, but his tackle was judged as a bit too ‘seatbelt-y’ for some. With the penalty, Pontypool opted to tap and go, big man after predictable big man hauling themselves onto the Black & Amber rocks. Morgan Allen and flanker Scott Matthews were making themselves available repeatedly, but were getting nowhere as the Newport fringe defence was enormous. It was only when they put some air on the ball, spinning wide to wing Marcus Jones that their efforts were repaid as he crossed out wide for a try. Kieran Meek added the conversion to make it Pontypool 10 Newport 7 on 59 minutes.
Newport made their changes, Harry fry replacing Tom Workman, Josh Reid taking over from Josh Skinner, Henry Palmer coming on for Wade Langley, and Ollie Drake relieving Nathan Evans of duty.
The sun dipped behind the main stand and the shadows lengthened as Pooler hooker Sam Scarfe recklessly dived into a ruck and lost his team territory again.
Newport seemed to suddenly come to life a bit, following the previous hour of drudgery. With a strong scrum earning a penalty and Will Reed coaxing Newport into the corner, the Black & Ambers began pommelling the Pooler line. Ollie Drake made several carries, Harry Fry went close, but Pontypool infringed. With this golden opportunity, Newport chose to….let the Pooler defence set, then tap and go. With much huffing and puffing, the Black & Ambers moved no further forward and, ultimately, lost the ball.
Further changes for Newport as Joe Peard replaced Max Williams and Che Hope stood down for Dafydd Buckland to take over.
The Black & Ambers won a scrum which became a penalty as the Pooler 8 dissolved. Will Reed booted Newport to the corner for the lineout. A deceiving shimmy from Ben Roach left the way clear for Barney Langton-Cryer to take the lineout and set the drive up. As Newport barged forward, it was Harry Fry that was shoved across the line to touch down. Will Reed added the two-pointer to make it Pontypool 10 Newport 14 on 75 minutes.
Lloyd Lewis did enough to secure the restart, Josh Reid mopped up and bashed into contact, but the kick ahead simply drew a penalty on Huw Anderson. Pontypool kicked up to the Newport 22. Again, the Pooler pack did what the Pooler pack do, eventually creating space out wide when an unlikely pass reached hooker Sam Scarfe to cross for a try. Kieran Meek added the conversion to make it Pontypool 17 Newport 14.
There was still time for Newport to rescue the game, but they really shouldn’t have been in this position. There had been opportunities to chip away at the scoreboard that had been shunned. Newport heaved at a last Pooler scrum on their 22, creating havoc, but even with the close attention of Dafydd Buckland, Morgan Lloyd managed to get the ball to touch and close out the game for a home win.
This was Pontypool’s first victory over Newport since April 2012, and the reaction of both supporters and players demonstrated that this was a result that they had craved since that day.
Full Time: Pontypool RFC 17 Newport RFC 14
Newport RFC are next in action next Saturday as their Super Rygbi Cymru campaign continues with the visit of North Walians RGC 1404. The game will be held at Newport Stadium kicking off at 2.30pm. Why not come along, make an afternoon of it with your mates and cheer on the Black & Ambers!
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Newport RFC Man of the Match; Barney Langton-Cryer
Final Score – Pontypool RFC 17 Newport RFC 14