NEWPORT BREAK WIZARDS’ SPELL
NEWPORT .......................... 30 ABERAVON ........................ 20
NEWPORT upset the form book as they notched their first win of the season in the Indigo Premiership as they ended league leaders’ Aberavon’s six match winning streak.
Nobody had been able to contain the Wizards this season up to their re-match with the Black & Ambers, who had beaten them in the WRU Premiership Cup final at Principality Stadium last season.
With the Newport pack up for the struggle, and Will Reed controlling things superbly behind, it was a redletter day at Rodney Parade for the home team.
Centre Cameron Lewis gave Newport a great start when he crossed for the first of three home tries.
Next over the visitors’ line was prop Kyle Tayler, who was making his 100th appearance for the club.
With two conversions from Reed, and a trade off in penalties by the Newport No 10 with his opposite number Aled Thomas, that made it 17-3.
But the Wizards struck before the break when back row man Ashton Evans barged his way over for a try that Thomas improved to make it 17-10 at the break.
It was anyone’s game still, but Newport came on strong in the second half.
Ben Road grabbed the vital third try, once again converted by Reed, and with two more penalties from Reed the hoe side rocketed up to 30 points.
Aberavon responded with another Evans try and one at the death from Joe Tomalin-Reeves, but it was too little, too late to save their unbeaten run and to pick up any bonuspoints.
It means their lead at the top of the table has been cut from eight points to three, with unbeaten Cardiff in second having a game in hand over them.
As for Newport, they are now very much up and running and finally off the bottom of the table. Newport: Tries: C Lewis, K Taylor, B Roach; Cons: W Reed 3; Pens: W
Reed 3. Aberavon: Tries: A Evans 2, J Tomalin-Reeves; Con: A Thomas; Pen: A Thomas
CARDIFF failed to make it four wins in a row as they were beaten by Edinburgh at the Arms Park in their final United Rugby Championship fixture before the autumn internationals.
The Arms Park side were looking for their fifth win out of seven in this opening block of URC fixtures and had led at the break due to a strong performance by their forward pack, with Thomas Young leading the charge on an afternoon when both sides were without a host of internationals.
However, they failed to build upon their half-time lead in a scoreless second-half, with Edinburgh starving Dai Young’s side of possession and territory for much of the secondhalf.
It was the away side who started brightly, opening up a eight-point lead after just seven minutes.
First. Emiliano Boffelli registered the afternoon’s first points from the tee before Ben Muncaster slid over in the corner minutes later for the opening try.
Cardiff responded well, with Rhys Carre reaching out from close range to score what appeared to be Cardiff’s first points. However, a late
TMO check resulted in the score being chalked off, though they wouldn’t have to wait long for the try to come.
As the home side’s pack continued to cause problems for Edinburgh, it was Young who forced his way over to close the deficit to a point.
That eight-point gap was soon restored, with centre Chris Dean getting his hands free amongst a couple of Cardiff tacklers to put Luke Crosbie over for Edinburgh’s second try.
However, the dominance of Cardiff’s pack remained crucial.
Jarrod Evans made it a one-score game with with the boot, before the Cardiff forwards forced Edinburgh into conceding a penalty try five minutes before the break - with away flyhalf Charlie Savala sent to the sin-bin in the process.
Cardiff had another try chalked off after the break, with Jason Harries’ scored pulled back for a forward pass from Evans.
Back up to a full compliment, Edinburgh went ahead shortly after after Young was penalised, with Boffelli kicking the penalty.
Momentum started to shift at this point, with the away side getting rewards from their set-piece - resulting in replacement hooker Patrick Harrison burrowing over from the back of a powerful maul just before the hour-mark
The final ten minutes saw a lengthy stoppage after a nasty injury to Edinburgh’s Connor Boyle.
Cardiff pushed for a score to get back into the game, but ultimately they fell short in doing so.