Newport RFC v Blackheath RFC – 10th August 2024 by John Evans
Newport RFC were delighted to welcome our oldest English friends to Newport Stadium to help mark our club’s 150th season. Fixtures began between our two clubs in 1879 and the two have met 153 times on previous occasions, Newport edging the number of wins. We were honoured to have been invited to help them celebrate their 150th in 2008 and thrilled that they accepted our invitation in 2024.
The morning’s rain eventually cleared as kick-off time approached, but the presence of a few hundred spectators must have been unsettling to the Swallows that were still in residence in the roof of the Newport Stadium.
Ty Morris named a near full-strength starting XV for this fixture, with a mix of new faces on the bench to make an impact. As befits a celebration season, the team were wearing the new old-fashioned cotton jerseys, and players were numbered in the old pattern, i.e., full-back Ioan Davies wore number 1, whilst captain Ben Roach wore 16, number 13 being omitted due to its connotations to bad luck.
All of us at Newport RFC were genuinely saddened to hear of the passing of former Black & Amber Alun Carter recently, at the much-too-young age of 59. Alun was a swashbuckling loose forward of no little ability, so much so that it reached a point where Wales simply had to select him as he was demonstrably the best number 6 playing in Wales at the time. The back row combination of “Withey, George, and Carter” is still talked about as being one of the clubs finest in recent years. We offer Alun’s family and friends sincere condolences at this sad time.
Blackheath kicked off, Oli Burgess kicking towards the Cricket Club. With the ruck set, Luke Crane cleared the ball to touch. However, the Club, as Blackheath are known, stated their intentions by attacking Newport from the outset. Andy Denham, on the Blackheath wing, made an effective turnover, allowing Burgess to fire his backs into life. Good hands across the line, and especially good work by scrum half Jordan Burns, provided possession for Josh Smart to run the ball in for a well-worked try, despite the close attention of Josh Skinner. The conversion was missed making the score Newport 0 Blackheath 5 with 4 minutes played.
A kick by Luke Crane, and a Blackheath kick return proved to be a net gain for the Black & Ambers. Blackheath were flying up in defence, but not quick enough to prevent Matt O’Brien manufacturing a kick to the corner. But Blackheath were smart enough to use the tools in their kitbag, and a clever overthrown lineout almost paid dividend for them. Streaking up field, wing Jake Lloyd seemed certain to score, until a superb cover tackle by Dai Richards hauled him down with just metres to go. Lloyd then exacerbated the situation by knocking-on as he tried to regather.
Matt O’Brien had evidently spent much of the summer adding entries to his rolodex of kicks; a cross-kick within his own 22 to Iwan Pyrs-Jones wasn’t very far away from being hugely effective, and a variety of chips and flicks kept Newport moving forward, until the killer kick came in, which appeared to be both high, and soft, at the same time. It bounced cruelly for Blackheath, allowing Dai Richards to pop the ball to Elliot Frewen, who, in turn, found Josh Skinner on his right shoulder to cross the line to score. Matt O’Brien added the conversion to make the score Newport 7 Blackheath 5 on 15 minutes.
Blackheath had a scrum, about 40 metres from the Newport line; an unlikely position from which to score directly, but visiting scrumhalf Jordan Burns made it work. His number 8, Tom Stradwick, popped the ball to him before he used pace, strength and superb evasion to burst the Newport defensive line wide open. Despite Ioan Davies’ corner-flagging efforts, Burns wasn’t to be denied. A try that the visiting number 9 fully deserved. Oli Burgess added the conversion to make the score Newport 7 Blackheath 12 on 18 minutes.
Another midfield scrum, but Stradwick proved slightly clumsier this time, tripping over the boots of his openside flanker and being swiftly isolated by Kyle Tayler. Matt O’Brien booted the resultant penalty to the corner, before Ben Roach was lofted and the rolling maul set. Wade Langley broke and went close, within millimetres, before Kyle Tayler finished the move by getting the ball onto the line. Matt O’Brien added the two-pointer, making the score Newport 14 Blackheath 12 with 22 minutes played.
Luke Crane and Wade Langley interpassed neatly to progress the Black & Ambers forward along the touchline. Crane dictated play well, bringing runners onto him. Wade Langley surged forward, Ben Roach onwards again as Newport built a head of steam. Blackheath were becoming sucked in to defensive duty giving Matt O’Brien the opportunity to delay his pass by half a second, affording Iwan Pyrs-Jones room to gallop around his opposite number to score. This made the score Newport 19 Blackheath 12 on 29 minutes.
Josh Skinner juggled the restart kick, visiting prop Rory Marsh seizing the ball allowing the red and blacks a platform to attack from. Their big forwards went through the phases until Jordan Burns spotted a half-gap and pushed through it. His right-hand pass out to captain Joey Harding had ‘TRY’ written all over it, but the hooker contrived to fumble the ball with the line at his mercy. A let-off for Newport. It was short-lived, as Jordan Burns was back directing play, bringing runners onto him until Jake Lloyd, wearing shirt 14, bustled through the cover and scored in the corner for Blackheath. Oli Burgess added the conversion, so the score now was Newport 19 Blackheath 17 with 32 minutes played.
Super work from the restart by Iwan Pyrs-Jones forced Blackheath to knock on. From the scrum, Newport went through the hands, stretching Blackheath, but the last pass to Ioan Davies was slightly forced, and the fullback couldn’t hold on to the ball.
Newport were working hard, and working effectively, until Matt O’Brien’s gorgeous flat pass, staggering in its execution, put Josh Skinner clean through the defensive line. With just the last man to beat, Skinner’s cheeky dummy sat him on his backside as the big man skipped in to score unopposed. Matt O’Brien improved the score, now making it Newport 26 Blackheath 17 on 37 minutes.
Blackheath restarted with a kick out on the full and, despite their trying to play, a careless fumble by prop Marsh seemed symptomatic of their last 20 minutes.
Half Time: Newport RFC 26 Blackheath RFC 17
Dafydd Buckland relieved Luke Crane of duty at half time as Matt O’Brien restarted the game, Newport now defending the SDR end of the ground. Jordan Burns ran directly back at the Newport wall but was effectively gang-tackled to the ground. Blackheath were being eased backwards with each play. A Newport scrum seemed a decent attacking weapon, but the referee, Mr Keith David, judged that the put in wasn’t straight.
A 44th minute scrum, deep in Newport territory, seemed an unlikely place to launch an attack, but this is Newport 2024, and here we go! Dai Richards’ long ‘miss one’ pass released Iwan Pyrs – Jones who moved the Black & Ambers forward 50 metres before being downed. Matt O’Brien was on hand to take the ball forward, but he was stripped in contact. Following Blackheath’s scrum, the Club didn’t help themselves when Leo Jowett’s pass is so unsympathetic to Oli Burgess that it rolls forward. Newport went wide from the scrum, Elliot Frewen zeroing in to the try line, but the Blackheath defence stayed firm, and the low pass to Chay Foster-Smith sees the Newport centre isolated and stripped of possession. However, again, Blackheath bungled their exit and kept the pressure on themselves. The timbers on the good ship Blackheath were properly creaking now and, when Chay Foster-Smith blazed through the defensive line, the game was all but over as a contest. Matt O’Brien added the conversion to make the score Newport 33 Blackheath 17 on 48 minutes.
Ty Morris made changes on 50 minutes, Henry Palmer, Lewis David, Jonny Morris and Nathan Evans all taking their place on the field.
Blackheath must have sensed the game slipping away as the made a fist of attacking Newport. Drive upon forward drive edged them nearer the line and they finally seemed to be there, as prop Will Davis burrowed in, but Mr David had spotted a double movement in placing the ball and Newport were given a penalty.
Jac Lloyd and Louie Pullen were introduced to play, just as Blackheath surged forward. Jake Lloyd’s effective kick putting them deep in Newport territory. A terrific surge by Josh Smart looked promising for the Club, but the robust Newport defence dealt with him and slowly began to work clear.
Archie Callaghan entered play on 64 minutes as our visitors were getting plenty of possession, a superb kick by Matt Armstrong pinning Newport back on their 5-metre line. Again, this version of Newport 24.0 came through as Jac Lloyd broke inside his own 22, with Jonny Morris in support. There was a knock on, but Mr David played advantage to Blackheath. A fantastic tackle by Dafydd Buckland won the ball back for the Black & Ambers as Dai Richards sprinted left, finding Josh Skinner lurking out wide. The big man still had work to do, but with the opposing winger biffed out of the way, the score was completed. Jac Lloyd kicked the conversion to make it Newport 40 Blackheath 17 on 68 minutes.
Blackheath’s Finn O’Sullivan made a thunderous run but was downed, jointly, by Jonny Morris and Dafydd Buckland. Sadly, Jonny stayed down, was assisted from the field by Emily O’Driscoll and Jessica Evans and was spotted wearing a protective boot post-match. Fingers crossed it’s not too serious.
As the game wore on, Blackheath kept pushing for another score. However, it wasn’t going to be through Archie Holland. With just the last man to beat, his pass out was so unforgivably sloppy that it evaded both his support runners and bobbled harmlessly into touch. However, the Club kept pushing and were finally rewarded on 78 minutes with a try by Mike Hoyt wearing 16, not like that means a lot as they had two players wearing 16 and two wearing 17 by this point. Matt Armstrong kicked the conversion to make it a final score of Newport 40 Blackheath 24.
Full Time: Newport RFC 40 Blackheath RFC 24
Blackheath proved a proper test for the Black & Ambers and we at Newport RFC wish them all the best for the season ahead and thank them for their visit.
Newport RFC follow their pre-season build up with a game away at Brecon next Saturday before travelling to Dings Crusaders on August 31st. The Friends of Newport Rugby Trust are running a bus to Dings, keenly priced at £15 per seat. The bus leaves the Riverfront at 1pm, returning from Dings at 6pm. If you would like to travel, please email Steve at stattonrfc@live.co.uk soon. Unfortunately, there will be no bus to Brecon.
On Saturday September 7th, we celebrate the club’s 150th season! There is a gala dinner arranged at the Celtic Manor. Phil Steele will host the evening, which will also feature live music from Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band. The Gold tables have already sold out, so please email commercial@newportrfc.co.uk for more information.
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Newport RFC Man of the Match; Josh Skinner
Final Score – Newport RFC 40 Blackheath RFC 24