Newport RFC v Llandovery RFC by John Evans, 17th October 2026
There would have been time for reflection following the rout handed out in North Wales in the previous game. The heaviest defeat since our annihilation at Newcastle in December 2013 would surely merit a reaction, certainly if the club had any ambition to win silverware this season. The Black & Ambers have already beaten the Drovers up at Church Bank, but they have hit a run of form themselves, winning three matches on the bounce. They would arrive at Newport Stadium preparing to have a jolly good go at taking the Challenger Shield back up the A470 with them.
Carwyn Penny was available to start at fullback, while the pack had a settled look about it, save the absence of Josh Skinner; Nick Thomas started while Joe Peard was on the bench. There was also a first league outing for Kyle Tayler-Wooliston this season, making a mark off the bench later in the game.
With Cardiff RFC failing to gather any points in their televised loss at Swansea RFC on Thursday evening, it was an excellent opportunity to have a new leader at the top of the Super Rygbi Cymru ladder. Ebbw Vale hosted Aberavon, so a mighty score would put them in contention, but Newport had an equally good shot at knocking Cardiff into second.
There was a late change to the Newport line-up; Joe Westwood was sidelined through illness, so Matt O’Brien was called up to deputise.
It was a bright and dry afternoon and Will Ford kicked off, Newport attacking the Cricket Club end of Newport Stadium. Llandovery wing Corey Baldwin caught the ball and began to play, the Drovers looking to move the ball. Hooker Cam Lewis set up a ruck for the visitors before scrumhalf Lucca Setaro found touch. Will Ford took the lineout quickly for his captain, Ben Roach, to carry the ball into contact and garner a penalty for the Black & Ambers. Will Ford punted Newport up to the visitors’ 22. Ben Roach took the lineout catch before Josh Reid looped around the open side with acres of space and made the simplest of passes to Hunter Ward who gathered the ball and crossed the line. That made the score Newport 5 Llandovery 0 with 2 minutes played.
Newport continued to press, skilful hands opening up the Llandovery defence, but a pass out to Josh Reid was fierce and simply cannoned off the back-rowers chest.
Llandovery got onto equal terms on 10 minutes with a try by Lucca Setaro. Carwyn Penny had done very well to retain possession for Newport and make space for Matt O’Brien to kick clear. However, an unfortunate bounce of the ball favoured the red & whites. They didn’t need a second invitation to run at Newport before an excellently weighted grubber kick rolled over the try line, the scrum half being first to the rolling ball. The conversion was missed making the score Newport 5 Llandovery 5.
Sam Morgan did well to get hands to the restart kick but was judged to have knocked on in the process. A massive Newport scrum heaved their opponents off their own ball and earned a penalty. Will Ford went to the corner, Ben Roach provided from the lineout while Wade Langley, ball clamped to his chest, looked for the opportunity to pounce. Dafydd Buckland dictated play, demanding the ball and sniping, being held up. Wade Langley was millimetres behind and carried the charge on. The ball went wide, but the final pass to Fin Baker was noted to have been forward. Thankfully, Newport had an advantage coming. Seeing their scrum dominance minutes earlier, it was no surprise that Ben Roach nominated to scrummage. Dafydd Buckland whipped the ball out to Matt O’Brien who passed onward to Chay Foster-Smith, whose arcing run took him around the defence. Will Ford added the conversion to make the score Newport 12 Llandovery 5 with 15 minutes played.
Llandovery built a decent response, laying an attacking platform, but it was all undone by a knock-on by flanker Tiaan Sparrow.
Newport extended their lead further on 19 minutes through a try by Nick Thomas. Ethan Phillips read the play well, intercepting a Llandovery pass and launching an attack. The Black & Ambers went wide quickly, trademark fast hands from Matt O’Brien putting Fin Baker into space and up into the visitors 22. Ed Thompson was available to go hard at the line, but the big second row finished the job off, scrambling across the line under pressure. Will Ford added the two-pointer to make it Newport 19 Llandovery 5.
Chay Foster-Smith bagged his second try, and Newport’s try-scoring bonus point, on 24 minutes. Carwyn Penny declined the easy option, choosing to run and leave three defenders for dead. Dafydd Buckland took a pass at top speed getting Newport up to the 22. The Black & Ambers recycled the ball quickly and another display of quick hands from Matt O’Brien put the centre in at the corner. Will Ford nailed his kick making the score Newport 24 Llandovery 5.
Newport were looking in imperious form; Carwyn Penny was making things happen from 15, Matt O’Brien was flipping balls left and right before booming a pass out to Ben Roach, lurking on the wing. He tried to release Sam Morgan, but a desperate covering defender knocked the ball backwards and into touch.
The casual observer was about to witness six minutes of open, end-to-end rugby; Newport supporters, however, were about to be exposed to six minutes of anxiety. Carwyn Penny set the ball rolling, metaphorically, with a determined carry, but some clumsiness at the ruck saw the Drovers come away with the ball. The Black & Ambers regained possession, and Fin Baker was released to streak along his wing. However, he ran out of support quickly and cut infield. Unfortunately, his pass was picked off. Llandovery progressed upfield, purposefully at first, but becoming more ponderous as they approached the Newport try-line. With an advantage coming, they seemed to run out of ideas and plumped for the penalty. Even then, with that platform, the throw-in was too long, Hunter Ward scooped the ball up and Will Ford kicked clear. Newport set about trying to extend their lead, but as the Black & Ambers were appealing for a penalty, Sam Morgan got on with it. His mazy run got to within metres of the line. Newport battered the defence, but a final pass out to Ben Roach was at shin height and left the captain with little chance of collecting the ball. Llandovery had been spotted offside, however. Matt O’Brien went quickly, being downed short of the line. A few lunges, and suddenly, the ball was loose. Will Ford and Chay Foster-Smith were on the back foot, trying to secure the ball. Llandovery’s Corey Baldwin was chief disruptor, regaining the ball and moving it wide. The Black & Ambers were overstretched and wing Llien Morgan simply had to pick his line and switch the afterburners on to sprint clear to the line. Ioan Hughes added the conversion meaning that both teams ran down the tunnel with the scoreboard reading Newport 24 Llandovery 12.
Half Time: Newport RFC 24 Llandovery RFC 12
Ioan Hughes restarted the game, but it was Newport who were next to bother the scoreboard operator. Dafydd Buckland quickly took a freekick. Matt O’Brien made space for Fin Baker to dash forward before being downed in the 22. Nick Thomas made ground with a purposeful surge, but a penalty was coming. Will Ford went to the corner; the lineout was completed and Wade Langley made for the line. The ball was whizzed out to Hunter Ward who crashed through to score. Will Ford kicked the conversion to make it Newport 31 Llandovery 12 with 45 minutes played.
Ty Morris made changes at this point changing the front row from Ed Thompson, Wade Langley, and Ollie Drake to Tom Devine, Henry Palmer, and Garin Harris. Also, Noah Morgan, back from injury, replaced Fin Baker on the wing.
Newport yielded at 47th minute penalty for not releasing in the tackle, Llandovery kicking to 15-metres out on the stand side. The Drovers patiently worked their way forward, Lucca Setaro recycling the ball well. Number 8 Dom Kossuth barged through and came within a few metres of the line, but Setaro was available to boss the play and pick his runners. He found the combination of prop Tom Phillips and flanker Dan Gemine to his left, looped the ball their way and it was Gemine who crossed. Ioan Hughes kicked the conversion to make it Newport 31 Llandovery 19 with 51 minutes played.
Josh Reid’s afternoon was over as Kyle Tayler-Wooliston took over the openside role. Typically, he proved himself to be the Jackal King by doing just that within seconds of being on the field and earning a penalty. Will Ford kicked for touch. Lineout completed, a fantastic maul marched the Drovers back metres, into their own 22. Henry Palmer, ball tucked under his arm, looked up, but Dafydd Buckland had other ideas. He picked his moment before moving the ball out. Noah Morgan kept the move alive, dancing back infield to seek support. Newport continued to press until Matt O’Brien’s simple pass to Chay Foster-Smith to barrel through a half-gap and touch down. Will Ford sealed Foster-Smith’s hat-trick of tries with a neatly taken kick making it Newport 38 Llandovery 19 with 56 minutes gone.
Nick Thomas made way for Joe Peard at this juncture.
Llandovery attacked, but it was well marshalled by the Black & Ambers. Hunter Ward intervened, winning the ball back allowing Matt O’Brien to kick long. Llandovery contrived to overthrow the lineout, Henry Palmer gathering the loose ball and setting the wheels in motion. Newport worked hard but were unfortunate to be called back when the last pass to Dafydd Buckland was adjudged to have been forward.
Noah Morgan played from deep, encouraging Chay Foster-Smith to run with him. The cover defence closed in around Chay Foster-Smith prompting him to kick, and what a kick it became. Looking vaguely agricultural, it bounced a few metres short of the line and into touch nearer again, near the corner flag. Newport infringed at the lineout, but the clearing penalty was poor from Llandovery, compounded by a line out not straight error. A Newport scrum on the 22 followed, a mighty heave earning a penalty. Will Ford pinned Llandovery right into the corner, Joe Peard claimed the lineout and set the maul. Another mighty heave, backs joining in, before the mass of Black & Amber heaved over the line. A grinning Henry Palmer was last off the floor receiving the congratulations of his team-mates. Will Ford added the conversion to make it Newport 43 Llandovery 19 with 64 minutes played. Dafydd Buckland took his bow as he made was for Lucas Welsh. Joe Salter relieved Carwyn Penny of duty at the same time, filling in on the wing as Sam Morgan moved to fullback.
Sam Morgan exploited his positional change with a splendid carving run through the Llandovery backfield. Despite warnings from referee Mr Carwyn Sion, Drovers centre Tom Hughes was impatient and stepped across the tackled player and coughed up a simple penalty in front of the posts. Will Ford kicked to the corner again. Once more, Joe Peard caught the lineout ball, set up the maul and, once again, Henry Palmer got himself on the scoresheet. Will Ford added the two points to make it Newport 50 Llandovery 19 on 73 minutes.
Llandovery went close to claiming their try-scoring bonus point on 75 minutes. A penalty by Newport was kicked into the 22, but the funny, the low lineout pass to the prop at the front and pass back to the hooker to trot in, was found to have been a forward pass.
It seemed like last weekend had not happened. Everything Newport were doing came off. Outrageous passes by Lucas Welsh went to hand, a cheeky one-handed lob by Joe Peard was caught by Will Ford who saw the opportunity to go wide. Ben Roach rampaged out on the flank as waves of Newport attacks crashed into tired-looking defenders. Eventually, Kyle Tayler-Wooliston blazed through a gap to score. Will Ford nailed the straightforward two-pointer to make it Newport 57 Llandovery 19 with 79 minutes played.
A swashbuckling run by Sam Morgan deserved more but his pass out was picked off by Corey Baldwin in the Drovers’ defence. He sprinted into the Newport 22, but the ball was slow emerging. That, according to Mr Sion, was because of Kyle Tayler-Wooliston. He brandished a yellow card at the scrum-capped flanker, who trudged off to reflect on quite a cameo; a try, one jackal leading to a try, and a yellow card, all in 29 minutes.
Llandovery fought for their fourth try, but the Black & Ambers were too wily, moving the ball away from danger and, when Matt O’Brien hefted a kick forward, making what would have been a 50:22, it was all over.
This was a rousing response to the performance against RGC, much more controlled and disciplined. Newport RFC rose to the top of the Super Rygbi Cymru standings, and the Challenger Sheild will be having at least four more weeks in NP19.
Full Time: Newport RFC 57 Llandovery RFC 19
The Black & Ambers now have two games on the road; first up is a short hop to visit our friends at Pontypool Park. Pontypool v Newport is next Saturday, October 24th, and kick-off is at 2.30pm. Following that, we travel west to take on Carmarthen Quins in a Friday night game at Carmarthen Park. Kick-off is at 7.30pm. Speaking of Carmarthen, The Friends of Newport Rugby are eager to run a bus for supporters to this game. It is priced at £20 a seat which must be paid up front and is non-refundable, unless in the event of cancellation. Please contact FoNR via Socials to book.
Newport RFC’s next home fixture is on November 21st, when the Whites of Swansea RFC are our guests at Newport Stadium, kick-off at 2.30pm.
Newport RFC host their Hall of Fame Awards on Friday November 6th, in the Bisley Suite at Rodney Parade. Tickets are £45 which includes a carvery dinner. Please email Kevin Jarvis on commercial@newportrfc.co.uk
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Final Score – Newport RFC 57 Llandovery RFC 19
Vittorio’s Seren y Gem – Chay Foster-Smith