Newport RFC v Aberavon RFC – 3rd May 2025 by John Evans
Now that the regular season was over, we were into Play-Off territory. Newport had been seeded at home to face Aberavon, a side that play with terrific ambition and no little talent. This was cup football, and Newport would need to be somewhere near their best to overcome the Wizards.
It was an absolutely beautiful day at Newport Stadium, but the strong breeze would undoubtedly play a part in proceedings. It would be an interesting afternoon.
Aberavon’s outside half, Ed Dunford, kicked off, with Newport defending the Cricket Club end of the ground. Newport worked hard in defence but were instantly caught cold as a few popped passes to the left opened the Black & Ambers up a treat. Wing Felix Gilbert took the final pass and glided in to score in the corner with double figure seconds on the clock. The score, on 1 minute, was Newport 0 Aberavon 5.
Oh dear.
Newport regained the ball on the restart, Ben Roach trucking it up the middle to the 22, but Aberavon had hands all over the ball in the ruck, conceding a penalty. Jac Lloyd’s kick to touch didn’t yield much yardage, but Josh Skinner gathered the lineout ball to set up a powerful rolling maul. However, the Wizards were adept at stopping these drives and won themselves the turnover. A fantastic effort from the Newport front three trio of Devine, Olding, and Harris shoved Aberavon backwards and won another penalty. Jac Lloyd punted to the corner again, Ben Roach taking the catch at the lineout, but the Wizards wrapped up the maul again.
Aberavon yielded an 8th minute penalty, Jac Lloyd kicking to the corner. A scruffy lineout was recovered by Dafydd Buckland. Newport went through the phases, Ben Roach straightening everything up, before visiting centre Bradley Roderick found himself offside at a ruck. Newport played with an advantage, so Jac Lloyd rolled the dice, boomed a pass out to Lloyd Lewis who sprinted for the line, diving athletically, almost cartwheeling in to touch the ball down over the line. The conversion was unsuccessful, so the scoreboard now read Newport 5 Aberavon 5 with 9 minutes played.
Newport fluffed the restart, the Wizards claiming a penalty. Ed Dunford kicked to the corner, but the lineout was overthrown. Newport infringed again, this time they gestured to the sticks, Ed Dunford slotting the three-pointer to make it Newport 5 Aberavon 8 with 12 minutes played.
Aberavon were intent on making a statement. They kept ball well and fullback Scott Delnevo stepped through some loose tackling to threaten the Newport line, but he was downed metres short and spilled the ball.
Iestyn Galton ran infield to collect a high ball and motored into the visitors half. Lloyd Lewis carried the move on, but Aberavon were impatient in defence again. Newport played through, Jac Lloyd going quickly. Tom Devine was first to bludgeon forward before the ball went wide, but the final pass to Lloyd Lewis was horribly forward, and the opportunity was lost.
Newport were caught offside on their own 22, Aberavon kicking to the corner. The lineout went long to flanker Rhys Thomas, but Newport conceded another penalty. Aberavon reset, Shay Smallman taking the catch this time, setting up the rolling maul. The backs joined in, Neath-style, before hooker Luke Davies claimed the try in the corner. The conversion was missed, making the score Newport 5 Aberavon 13 with 22 minutes played.
Aberavon were offside at the restart. Jac Lloyd lined up his penalty shot at goal, but the kick sailed to the left of the sticks, leaving the score a 5-13 with 26 minutes played.
Carwyn Penny caught the restart before passing to Jac Lloyd. He had Kyle Tayler in support before Dafydd Buckland appeared, lurking on the left wing. He took the pass before haring off at top speed, only to be hauled into touch, just a handful of metres short of the line.
Newport tried to run out of defence on 30 minutes, a loose pass putting them back into trouble. Elis Horgan, the Wizards 9, put in a tantalising kick that had Chay Foster-Smith competing with opposite number Joe Gage, but the Aberavon man knocked on as the ball stood up in the corner.
The Wizards worked hard to create an opening, but a pass out to the wings was picked off by Dafydd Buckland. He set off on a lung-busting sprint to the line, on the shortest possible route. Scott Delnevo and wing Cori Lewis-Jenkins raced back to cover, and it looked for all the world the Lewis-Jenkins had succeeded in stopping the try, but Dafydd Buckland got the ball down and the referee, Mr Keith David, had little hesitation in awarding it. Jac Lloyd nailed the conversion, so the score now was Newport 12 Aberavon 13 with 32 minutes played.
The game was attritional at this stage, two solid packs wearing each other down. Aberavon were letting Newport have very little space to get going, while progress at forward was minimal as the big men cancelled each other out. It was going to take either mistakes, or moments of magic, to progress.
Aberavon ratcheted up their efforts as the half drew to a close. An excellent kick to the corner bounced unkindly for Carwyn Penny as it went to touch. The Wizards launched their rolling maul, but Newport offended again. Ed Dunford put his teammates into the corner again, but this time, it was not straight at the lineout. Yet Newport had infringed again. The lineout set for a third time and again, hooker Luke Davies let his pack down by overthrowing. Jac Lloyd seized the ball and booted it dead to draw the half to a close, the clock coming to Newport’s rescue.
Half Time: Newport RFC 12 Aberavon RFC 13
Jac Lloyd restarted the game, Aberavon making an absolute hash of the kick. Lloyd Lewis was onto it in a flash. Ed Dunford flopped across the call, coughing up a penalty. Newport went to the corner again, Ben Roach climbing highest, but the ball slipped through his hands onto George Young, inadvertently changing the point of attack. However, The Wizards pack again wrapped up the maul and gained the turnover.
Newport were conceding a lot of penalties, and the chat between Mr David and Ben Roach would certainly have caused concern.
Naturally, then, when Dafydd Buckland inched offside at a maul just 2 minutes later, Mr David had nowhere to go other than his top pocket.
Aberavon sought to exploit the numerical advantage by going wide quickly. A cross-kick to Felix Gilbert found the Aberavon man being met by Iestyn Galton, who pushed the attack back out and away from the line. Newport stepped up their defensive efforts and earned a break when Aberavon offended at a tackle situation.
Jac Lloyd kicked for a 50:22, but Joe Gage took the ball. His foot clearly touched the line, but this was missed by the refereeing team as play went on. There then followed the most ‘Keystone Cops’ section of play that has been seen for a long while. Scott Delnevo missed the pass completely; the cover defender overran the ball. Newport broke and sprinted toward the line, before over-complicating it and losing possession. Cori Lewis-Jenkins gained the ball and ran out of defence, getting deep into the Newport half. He was tackled, and the support couldn’t control the ball, bobbling loose for Jac Lloyd to scoop up and gallop 60-metres to score in the corner. After all that, he then regained his composure to slot the two-pointer, making it Newport 19 Aberavon 13.
Still down to 14 players, and Newport were enjoying a purple patch. Lloyd Lewis was given room to manoeuvre but was tackled. Carwyn Penny acted as a stand-in 9, before Jac Lloyd noted how flat the Aberavon defence had become. A well-aimed kick had Iestyn Galton in pursuit. He was patient, allowing the ball to roll to where he wanted it, before touching down to claim the try. Jac Lloyd kicked the conversion to make it Newport 26 Aberavon 13 on 52 minutes.
Just as Dafydd Buckland rejoined the fray, Newport lost Max Williams to a yellow card. The big man had made a clumsy tackle on a player dipping into contact. Aberavon went to the corner, but the crooked throw spared Newport.
However, Aberavon were becoming irresistible. Wave upon wave of attack, phases being successfully completed against 14 players takes its toll, and Rhys Thomas picked a nice line to score under the crossbar, despite the Newport defender’s efforts. Ed Dunford kicked the conversion to make it Newport 26 Aberavon 20 on 57 minutes.
Ty Morris changed his front row on the hour, Messrs Devine, Olding, and Harris made way for Tom Workman, Aneurin Jenkins, and Ollie Drake.
Balancing numbers up, it was Aberavon’s turn to attract Mr David’s stern gaze. Lloyd Lewis had run out of defence up to the Newport 22. Dafydd Buckland was preparing to launch the ball away from the base of the ruck before Wizards openside Ben Gregory stepped across the ruck and neutralised the Newport 9. Off to the naughty step for Mr Gregory.
Jac Lloyd kicked to touch, but Aberavon managed to burgle to lineout. However, Ed Dunford’s neat kick behind the Newport defence hadn’t accounted for Dai Richards. The centre took the ball. Turned on a sixpence, outfoxing the attacking Dunford, before sprinting straight to the tryline and score under the crossbar. Jac Lloyd kicked the conversion to make the score Newport 33 Aberavon 20 on 64 minutes,
George Young was relieved of duty by Josh Reid on 67 minutes, shortly before Dai Richards scored again. Kyle Tayler was doing Kyle Tayler things on the deck, the ball magically reappearing Newport’s side. Josh Skinner carried hard into contact; Ollie Drake pushed the move on. Jac Lloyd was controlling play nicely before putting Dai Richards into space. Just as cover appeared to be closing in, Richards’ outrageous dummy appeared to wrongfoot the entire Aberavon backline, leaving the blond centre to coast in to score. Jac Lloyd did the business again, making the score Newport 40 Aberavon 20 on 69 minutes.
Morgan Burgess replaced Max Williams, while Luke Crane came on for Dafydd Buckland.
A terrific 50:22 by Jac Lloyd turned defence into attack on 72 minutes. Newport fought well but blew their position by going off their feet at a ruck.
Chay Foster-Smith and Dai Richards were withdrawn to enable Barney Nightingale and Elliot Frewen to take the field.
Aberavon weren’t done yet, and they kicked to the corner following a penalty decision. Shay Smallman again climbed highest, setting up a rolling maul which Ashton Evans finished off. This made the score Newport 40 Aberavon 25 on 78 minutes.
Newport were involved in some spirited defending into stoppage time. Lloyd Lewis reached out for an interception but only knocked the ball on. Mr David had little hesitation reaching for his pocket to issue Newport’s third yellow card of the afternoon, but it seemed an odd decision as it was outside the 22 and there was plenty of cover behind him, Regardless, the game was effectively won, and it wasn’t worth complaining. Aberavon kicked to the corner, but their lineout let them down again, Josh Reid carrying the ball away before booting clear.
Full Time: Newport RFC 40 Aberavon RFC 25
As Newport were dealing with the Wizards, Cardiff RFC were seeing off a spirited effort from Bridgend RFC at the Parc yr Arfau , so it will be a trip to the Capital City next weekend for the Black & Ambers. Quite which day, and what time kick-off is, remains to be seen. Please keep an eye on the Newport RFC socials this week.
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Newport RFC Man of the Match; Jac Lloyd
Final Score – Newport RFC 40 Aberavon RFC 25