Cardiff RFC v Newport RFC 7th February 2026 by John Evans
With last week’s weather-affected draw with Pontypool done and dusted it was time to concentrate on our old friends from along the A48, Cardiff RFC. The Blue & Blacks have been uncharacteristically hot and cold over the last two games, battering league leaders Ebbw Vale at the Arms Park before taking a similar beating away in North Wales. One suspected that they were going to be fully-focussed on the visit of the Black & Ambers.
Ty Morris made a few changes to the last selection; Ollie Drake started at tighthead while Kobi Rees’ recent efforts were rewarded with the starting ‘7’ jersey. Carwyn Penny’s injury against Pooler ruled him out, but Morgan Williams is a more-than-able deputy while the retention of Joe Westwood at 13 is always welcome. Dragons Academy prospect Carter Pritchard was named on the bench, a young man with Black & Amber heritage from his late grandfather Gordon.
The morning had been very wet across South Wales, the rain still coming down as Jac Lloyd kicked off with Newport attacking the ‘City’ end of the famous stadium. Newport were on the attack instantly, but Cardiff flanker Gwilym Bradley was across a downed Black & Amber, retrieving the ball for Cardiff.
Newport’s scrum dominance was immediately apparent as the Blue & Black eight were shunted backwards at pace, yielding a penalty as they went. Jac Lloyd punted for the corner, Josh Skinner won the lineout ball, but Henry Palmer’s pop pass inside was instinctively picked off by Cardiff flanker Nathan Hudd and the hosts could escape.
Another strong Newport scrum gave the visitors another penalty. Josh Skinner won the lineout again before Harrison James looked to prise open the Cardiff defence, but they infringed. Jac Lloyd pumped the ball to the corner once more, but the tail-end lineout ball was knocked on, and Cardiff were off the hook.
Cardiff entered the Newport half with ball-in-hand for the first time on 10 minutes and scored. They worked hard to maintain possession, forwards and backs driving hard at the Black & Amber wall until they found a gap on their right. Fullback Steffan Davies was prominent as he looked for gaps before wing Harry Turner and centres Ioan Leyshon and Bailey Cutts combined well to work the 3-on-2 against the Newport defence, Cutts going over out wide to score the game’s opening try. Outside half Steffan Crimp missed the conversion, so the score was Cardiff 5 Newport 0.
Hunter Ward was popping up in midfield, carrying tacklers with him as he pumped his legs into contact. Morgan Williams took a magnificent catch in tricky conditions, sprinting into the Cardiff half. Ben Roach spread the play wide, getting Fin Baker involved but the following carry was spilled forward in a tackle.
Newport were looking like they were doing ok, earning plenty of possession, but they couldn’t crack the stubborn Cardiff defence. Kobi Rees hard a dart along the wing, Harrison James linked well in midfield while Callum Bradbury carried hard, but Jac Lloyd’s kick to the corner was grounded by Harry Turner for a goal-line restart. Newport retorted, but Jac Lloyd’s pass was picked off by Cardiff wing Joseff Jones. However, his pass away was sloppy and Callum Bradbury could hack through putting the Blue & Blacks back where they started. Cardiff shipped another penalty, Jac Lloyd going to the corner, but Ollie Drake’s charge at the guts of the Cardiff defence proved in vain, frustrating the Black & Ambers.
Cardiff were beginning to haemorrhage penalties as Newport laid siege to the Cardiff line; Henry Palmer was active in attack before Nathan Hudd flew up and conceded as he tackled Kobi Rees. Newport opted to scrummage as they were just metres from the Cardiff line. The Black & Amber eight eased forward, penalty advantage coming, but Kobi Rees was judged to have knocked on in the act of scoring. Cardiff prop Tom Harper was the guilty party at the last infringement, and he was invited to take a ten-minute break as he was shown a yellow card by Mr Ben Connor, the referee. Ironically, at the following scrum, Cardiff fared much better and it was Newport penalised for not driving straight.
A speculative 38th minute kick paid dividends for the hosts as Dafydd Buckland put a foot in touch as he tried to retrieve the ball. Cardiff drove from the line out, number 8 Aled Ward being at the centre of play. The rolling maul edged forward, but as second row Ethan Phillips reached out to touch down, Mr Connor ran under the crossbar and awarded Cardiff a penalty try, sending the hosts 12-0 ahead and Ben Roach to the sinbin for an unseen offence.
Newport battled back upfield, Dafydd Buckland’s kick giving his second rows a target to aim at, but the Cardiff defence was quick-thinking and agile, blocking and harrying Newport. Jac Lloyd boomed a pass out to Fin Baker, the big winger kicking ahead, but Harry Turner won the footrace and ran the ball into touch. Hunter Ward caught the lineout, but Henry Palmer was flipped as he tried to cross, and the ball was held up. Steffan Crimp’s goal-line restart went directly to touch, gifting Newport an attacking scrum 5-metres out. The Cardiff front-row slipped giving Newport another penalty and, notably, Tom Harper was substituted out, such was the torrid afternoon he was having at the hands of Tom Devine. Such was the level of frustration with Newport’s performance that they then gave away a penalty from a gilt-edged position, and Cardiff kicked the ball dead to bring the half to a close.
Half Time: Cardiff RFC 12 Newport RFC 00
Ty Morris clearly had something to say to his players during the interval. He also took decisive action, changing a third of the team for the start of the second half; Ollie Drake and Tom Devine made way for Harry Fry and Garin Harris, Harrison James was replaced by Harri Ackerman, Morgan Burgess took over from Callum Bradbury in the second row, while Kyle Tayler relieved Kobi Rees of duty.
The effect of the team talk took a while to show itself as Newport knocked on the restart. Harri Ackerman made an effective steal, but the Newport cylinders were still misfiring; a forward pass here, a knock-on there. It clicked on 47 minutes when Josh Skinner found himself with ball in hand on the wing. His kick ahead for Noah Morgan to chase was good, Cardiff scrumhalf Joe Williams found himself being sacked by Josh Skinner. The Blue & Blacks belted the loose ball clear, but Jac Lloyd scooped it up and went off on an arcing run. Fin Baker picked the direct route forward, evading tacklers, before the ball spun right for Harri Ackerman to sprint in and get Newport off the mark. That made the score Cardiff 12 Newport 5.
From the restart, Cardiff seemed to switch off as Fin Baker ran straight back at the Cardiff defence, kicking infield, the ball rolling towards the posts. Joseff Jones had to track back infield, triangulating onto the ball, but Newport were overeager in attack and strayed offside.
Cardiff extended their lead on 56 minutes as they grafted hard, keeping the ball well. The Newport defence could only push them across, rather than away, but Bailey Cutts had the power to barge across to score his second try of the afternoon. Steffan Crimp kicked the conversion to make it Cardiff 19 Newport 5.
Josh Reid replaced Hunter Ward at this point, providing Newport with different options in the back row.
Steffan Davies’ egregious roll into Dafydd Buckland was almost comical. However, Buckland made Cardiff pay as he tapped the ball quickly and sprinted away. Henry Palmer was in close support before Josh Skinner got to within 5-metres, fending and driving as he went. Noah Morgan played on, but with a penalty coming Newport went back to the corner. Josh Reid drove into the defence before Josh Skinner picked up and finished off the move. Jac Lloyd converted to make it Cardiff 19 Newport 12 with 62 minutes played.
Newport were starting to look like the side we know and love. A Garin Harris carry into contact sucked in enough defenders to let Dafydd Buckland have a dart around the side of the ruck. Jac Lloyd took the pass, but he ran into a cul-de-sac as four Blue & Black shirts converged onto him. Undeterred, he bravely went for the try, but his effort was held up over the line.
The sun began to emerge from behind the thick, heavy clouds, and shadows were cast at long last. A rainbow even managed to form over the apartment blocks at the end of the ground.
Dafydd Buckland found room at the side of another ruck to snipe forward, popping outside to Harri Ackerman for the big centre to stride in. Jac Lloyd’s conversion equalised the scores at 19 points apiece with 68 minutes played.
Henry Palmer burst forward on 72 minutes, looking for support. Noah Morgan arrived but quickly realised that he wasn’t going to outstrip the defence in front of him. He cut back infield, but the Newport attack went off their feet at the ruck and a chance to go ahead had been squandered.
Cardiff’s lineout had been spluttering all afternoon, but a 73rd minute effort proved their undoing. The athletic Morgan Burgess got a hand to a stray Cardiff ball and palmed it to Newport’s side. Jac Lloyd wriggled clear of the defence to sprint forward with Dafydd Buckland in support. The scrumhalf dived across the line putting Newport ahead for the first time that afternoon, scoring a try that he richly deserved being instrumental in just about everything that Newport did well. Jac Lloyd added the conversion to make it Cardiff 19 Newport 26.
Jacob Winter and Carter Pritchard were the last of the Newport replacements, Henry Palmer and Dafydd Buckland making way for the two young men. Indeed, Carter Pritchard was straight into action as he lofted a kick high for Noah Morgan to challenge for. A Cardiff hand managed to palm the ball directly into Kyle Tayler’s hands before Morgan Burgess loped to just 2 metres out, setting the ball up perfectly for the young scrum half to pick up and dot down to complete Newport’s try scoring for the afternoon and, no doubt, bring a smile to the faces of his family in remembrance of his granddad. Jac Lloyd added the two-pointer to make it Cardiff 19 Newport 33 on 78 minutes.
Cardiff were still up for the battle, to be fair, Tirion Bowen and Steffan Davies making inroads into the Newport defence, but a tackle on flanker Rhodri Morgan dislodged the ball and, with 80+3 minutes on the clock, Newport claimed another win to end the weekend at the top of Super Rygbi Cymru Cup Pool A.
Full Time: Cardiff RFC 19 Newport RFC 33
Next Saturday. the Black & Ambers will face RGC for the third time this season in, what will undoubtedly be, another tough, physical challenge from the North Walians. Kick-off is at 2.30pm at Newport Stadium. This completes Newport’s Super Rygbi Cymru Cup pool phase. We then have four weeks without rugby to watch due to the vagaries of the Six Nations tournament before travelling to Ebbw Vale RFC on March 21st in a Super Rygbi Cymru league fixture.
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Final Score – Cardiff RFC 19 Newport RFC 33
Seren y Gem – Dafydd Buckland