Cardiff RFC v Newport RFC – 22nd December 2024 by John Evans
Newport were on the road for the first time in just over two months, following the vagaries of the Super Rygbi Cymru schedule and various named storms calling fixtures off; indeed, the last away game was the defeat to Pooler on October 19th. Speaking of our friends from the Eastern Valley, they blew the league ladder wide open with their defeat of leaders Ebbw Vale. While Newport couldn’t go top at the end of this round of games, mainly due to lack of games played, Cardiff could, so the incentive was there for both teams to win and go into the Christmas period with a morale boosting win in their back pocket.
The fixture was moved to the unusual day and time of 4.45pm on a Sunday, at the behest of S4C, who were showing it on the proper telly, rather than on YouTube.
Newport mixed the starting XV up again, Jac Lloyd getting the nod to start at 10, with the luxury of Matt O’Brien coming off the bench. The selection of promising back-row Scott Davies to start at 6 was interesting, whilst the return of George Young in the second row ensured an amount of ‘edge’ to the forward play. However, there was a late change on the day, with the withdrawal of Dai Richards at centre. Jonny Morris stepped up off the bench, while his vacant spot was taken by Chay Foster-Smith.
There was a strong wind coming off the river as Jac Lloyd prepared to kick-off, the flags held up by the Guard of Honour, formed by some young age-group players from Llanharan RFC, blowing straight across.
Aled Ward, the Cardiff 8, caught the kick, set up the ruck and allowed scrum half Ethan Lloyd to box-kick clear. Ioan Davies challenged for the ball while Scott Davies made his intentions clear when he collared Cardiff wing Joe Goodchild with the ball, dragged him forward 10-metres before flooring him. Newport tried to go quickly from Cardiff’s recovery. Lloyd Lewis skipped through a couple of tackles, but his pass out to Johnny Morris was made as he was falling and ended up around Johnny’s shins.
A Cardiff lineout on the Newport 22 saw second row Craig Hudd, formerly of this parish, take the ball as his outside half, Harri Wilde, tried a cheeky cross-kick to Joe Goodchild, but with no success. Instead, they came back for the penalty advantage awarded by the referee, Mr Ben Whitehouse, and plumped for the corner again. Thankfully for Newport, Ethan Phillips, playing 5 for the Blue & Blacks, infringed and Newport could clear.
A spell of ariel tennis between the two back divisions took a little while to get out of their systems, Cardiff centre Elijah Evans clearly getting bored the quickest as he powered into contact but lost the ball on impact.
Johnny Morris made a terrific job of stripping the Cardiff ball-carrier of possession on 9 minutes, as the Cardiff pack waved their arms at Mr Whitehouse, rather than help their mate. Harri Ackerman ploughed on, drawing a penalty as he did so. Jac Lloyd kicked to the corner, but Craig Hudd continued playing like he did in his Newport days, getting over the ball-carrier in a flash, reclaiming the ball for his team and nullifying the danger.
Cardiff were notably quick when transitioning from defence to attack and seemed to make a feature of overloading the wings as they went, trying to flood a channel and overwhelm it.
The scoring opened on 15 minutes when Newport were caught offside in defence. Harri Wilde lined up the kick to make it Cardiff 3 Newport 0.
Jac Lloyd kicked Newport to the corner again following a penalty award for a high tackle. Newport played through the phases patiently, Johnny Morris and Wade Langley constantly offering themselves up as battering rams. Cardiff nearly got hands to the ball several times, but Newport were tenacious and kept plugging away. It took a little bit of initiative by Jac Lloyd as the Blue & Black defensive line strung out; a quick little dink behind the line, a sprint and recovery of the ball before popping a pass left to the supporting Ben Roach to cross near the posts. Jac Lloyd converted the try to make it Cardiff 3 Newport 7 on 19 minutes.
Dafydd Buckland’s box-kick from a scrum deep in Newport territory got caught in the wind and went out on the full. Cardiff completed the lineout and started a rolling maul 25-metres out. The maul splintered, but ball-carrier Alun Rees sprinted clear, getting close, before Dafydd Buckland halted him. Cardiff’s heavyweights joined the fray before prop Marc Thomas did just enough to claim a try on 25 minutes. Harri Wilde’s conversion attempt struck the left-hand post and bounced out, so the score now was Cardiff 8 Newport 7.
Alert Cardiff sprung a 4-on-2 overlap when a tackle was missed in midfield, but they managed to butcher the opportunity when a pass was rushed, and it sailed harmlessly forward, and Newport were saved.
From a scrum penalty, Jac Lloyd kicked Newport to the corner, the big Black & Amber forwards going through their phases, but Cardiff claimed the ball back and kicked it away. Oli Andrew took the catch strongly, jinked through the cover, rounded his opposite number, and powered across the line, arcing nearer the posts as he ran. Jac Lloyd kicked the conversion to make the score Cardiff 8 Newport 14 on 33 minutes.
The Blue & Blacks responded straight away as a mix-up in defence left Lloyd Lewis isolated. Cardiff centre Jason Harries was first to the loose ball, but the Newport cavalry were there to sort him out. Craig Hudd and prop Tom Harper were prominent in the softening-up process for Cardiff, as the home team inched closer to the line. It was spotted that Newport had drifted infield a little and Harri Wilde pulled the trigger, spreading the ball quickly to Joe Goodchild to cross in the corner. Wilde managed to hit the right-hand post with this conversion. He only needed the crossbar to complete the set. The score now was Cardiff 13 Newport 14 with 37 minutes played.
Ioan Davies took a high ball, Dafydd Buckland sniped right, but Tom Harper was very clumsy with his tackle. Mr Whitehouse had no hesitation in brandishing a yellow card at the Cardiff man and invited him to the naughty step for ten minutes. From 38-metres, Jac Lloyd chose to utilise the strong wind and take a shot at goal, and it proved to be a good decision. Cardiff 13 Newport 17 on 41 minutes.
Deep into stoppage time and Cardiff were determinedly attacking the Newport line, belying the fact that they were a player short, They couldn’t quite muster the accuracy, though, and Jac Lloyd emerged from contact with the ball, frankly, looking as surprised as everyone else in the ground. He set off with Ioan Davies in support, passing inside before taking the return pass. Unfortunately, the overhead ‘basketball’ pass to Johnny Morris was judged forward and a gilt-edged opportunity was lost as both teams headed into the changing rooms for halftime.
Half Time: Cardiff RFC 13 Newport RFC 17
The Black & Ambers switched out Johnny Morris at halftime, making way for Chay Foster-Smith in the centre. Harri Wilde restarted the game, Newport now attacking the riverside end of the ground. Chay Foster-Smith was called upon straight away as he took the catch, but Newport erred when they were pinged for being off their feet at a ruck. Harri Wilde put his team to the corner, Aled Ward taking the lineout catch. The rolling maul was loose and splintered but Cardiff kept possession, working the phases, drawing Newport in until the was space enough for fullback Josh Thomas to score out wide. Harri Wilde converted form the touchline to make it Cardiff 20 Newport 17.
Aled Ward fumbled the restart backwards and Ethan Lloyd’s clearing kick got caught in the wind, as had happened to Newport. Josh Skinner took the ‘funny’ lineout, charging on as Wade Langley backed him up. Cardiff loose forward Lucas De La Rua was blatantly offside, so Newport played with an advantage. Ioan Davies picked a line that took him within metres of the tryline. Ben Roach battled onwards and just about managed to get the ball down to score, but not to the satisfaction of Mr Whitehouse who took play back for the penalty, despite the Captain’s protests. Jac Lloyd placed Newport perfectly for a lineout which produced a dynamic rolling maul. Dafydd Buckland picked out Harri Ackerman who bustled and barged his way to score despite the attention of 3 Cardiff players. Jac Lloyd converted to make the score Cardiff 20 Newport 24 on 47 minutes.
Nathan Evans and Garin Harris replaced Tom Workman and Ollie Drake on 52 minutes, just as a training ground move saw Oli Andrew burst through a gap as he sprinted from his wing. Chay Foster-Smith was in support, the move carrying Newport well over 50-metres forward, but the ball subsequently fell loose. Lloyd Lewis had a dip, but hooker Alun Rees infringed at the ruck. Jac Lloyd kicked for position again, Wade Langley had a charge, the Black & Ambers went through phases, but Cardiff were over eager and joined the ruck from the side. Even with the buffeting wind, it was now within kickable range, so Jac Lloyd motioned at the sticks and Newport were now 27-20 ahead.
Henry Palmer and Matt O’Brien took to the field on 56 minutes, replacing Wade Langley and Harri Ackerman.
There was a break in play on 59 minutes as physios Emily O’Driscoll and Jess Evans tended to an injury to Kyle Tayler which resulted in the Deck Master having a couple of rolls of bandage stuffed up his nose.
The Newport scrum wouldn’t settle on 64 minutes and yielded a penalty. Cardiff went to the corner, going through phases quickly, but Jason Harries coughed up a mistake and the Black & Ambers could clear. Indeed, Cardiff seemed to be entering a ‘clumsy’ phase. They were winning lots of ball, but one could almost rely on a knock-on, forward pass, or other mistake to save Newport from too much defending; that would be needed later.
Newport were pinged for a 68th minute tackle. Harri Wilde fancied his chances from 48 metres and, to be fair, he wasn’t far away. Ioan Davies cleared the ball to touch. Cardiff came back at Newport but spilled possession again. Matt O’Brien kicked long but the pitch at Cardiff, as good as it is, isn’t ‘true’, as the ball won’t roll. Instead, it stands up on its end, short of its intended target.
The Black & Ambers gained a penalty as Lucas De La Rua was off his feet at a ruck. Jac Lloyd took a shot at goal, but it faded left of the posts.
George Young was constantly abrasive in attack as he blasted into contact again. Nathan Evans offered himself as a runner as Newport broke left. Ben Roach and Oli Andrew continued the move as Chay Foster-Smith found himself held up. Scott Davies did well to puncture the Cardiff 22, but the Blue & Black defence was strong and won the turnover.
The clock was ticking and, with Cardiff still 7 points adrift, they needed something quickly. The Blue & Blacks upped their intensity, working hard and protecting the ball well. Newport, desperate to slow them down, resorted to all the tricks they could think of. A penalty was conceded, Harri Wilde kicking them to an ominous position in the corner. The phases piled in, the bodies moved closer to the line and Newport were hanging on by their collective fingertips. The pressure release valve came from Cardiff’s Sion Davies, whose pass out was so poor that it barely left the ground. Newport gobbled the ball up and Jac Lloyd belted it away as far as he could.
Cardiff returned for a last bite at the cherry. A lineout close in proved difficult to stop for Newport, but Craig Hudd’s touchdown was no clearer than Ben Roach’s earlier non-try, so Mr Whitehouse declined to award it and gave a penalty instead. With one last shot at tying the game, Cardiff set the lineout again. As seems to be fashionable these days, a swarm of backs joined the tail of the maul to force it over, but cunning work by Newport saw the ball-carrier isolated, downed and claim the win for Newport RFC. That was a defensive set of no little endeavour and shows how well-drilled the team are in that aspect. Superb.
The S4C broadcast awarded the Seren y Gem to Jac Lloyd, and it’s difficult to argue with that, although mentions in dispatches should go to Dafydd Buckland and Josh Skinner, both of whom were outstanding in what was, possibly, Newport’s best performance of the season so far.
Full Time: Cardiff RFC 20 Newport RFC 27
Newport RFC are next in action on Saturday when the Blue & Blacks reciprocate by visiting us at Newport Stadium on December 28th for a Super Rygbi Cymru fixture kicking off at 2.30pm. Following that it a visit to Llandovery RFC on January 4th and another 2.30 kick off.
It only remains for me to wish any readers who’ve waded through this much nonsense to wish you a fabulous Christmas from everyone at Newport RFC. See you on Saturday.
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Newport RFC Man of the Match; Jac Lloyd
Final Score – Cardiff RFC 20 Newport RFC 27