Llandovery RFC v Newport RFC by John Evans
Newport’s start to the Super Rygbi Cymru 26-27 didn’t get any easier; following a home win against RGC, the Black & Ambers were away at the home of the Champions, Llandovery RFC. The Church Bank side had a sticky start to their season, going down by one score away at Pontypool. It’s a given that they would have worked hard in the intervening week to correct the errors that caused that, so Newport RFC would have a busy afternoon ahead.
As usual, Ty Morris made a few changes to the matchday 23; Ollie Drake started at prop, combative Josh Reid started at 7, and Will Ford and Sam Morgan were given starts following their excellent debuts last week, while persisting with the exciting prospect of Brogan Leary in the centre. It was good to see Joe Peard on the bench following his long absence through injury, and Tiehi Chatham and Joe Salter would make an appearance too. Very encouraging.
The wet and windy weather that had seen us off from Newport seemed to relent the further north we travelled; by Crickhowell it was reasonable, but in Llandovery the sun was out, but a stiff breeze persisted. It was good to see the town itself jumping due, in no small part, to the Sheep Festival that was taking place.
Onto the game; Newport started out attacking the clubhouse end of Church Bank, home outside half Sam Potter getting things underway. Carwyn Penny caught the ball and booted long. Unfortunately, the ball caught the breeze and rolled dead allowing the Drovers an attacking scrum in a good position. The Black & Ambers eight got the squeeze on their opponents but scrum half Lucca Setaro got the ball away swiftly allowing centre Gryff Watkins to set up the ruck. Setaro recycled the ball and Potter’s pop pass to number 8 Dan Gemino was sweet, giving the big fella space to jog in for the first score with just 90 seconds played. Potter’s conversion hit the uprights making the score Llandovery 5 Newport 0 with 2 minutes played.
Drovers flanker Griff Evans was responsible for blocking a ruck, awarding Newport a penalty. Going to the corner, Hunter Ward caught the lineout ball before Dafydd Buckland sprayed the ball out to Chay Foster-Smith. He was snagged but managed to make the ball available. Superb fingertip passing by Dafydd Buckland out to Oli Andrew left the big winger with work to do, but he brushed aside his challengers to open Newport’s account. Carwyn Penny added the two-pointer to make it Llandovery 5 Newport 7 with 5 minutes played.
The Black & Ambers were in the mood. Hunter Ward and Brogan Leary were both deployed as battering rams, trying to ease apart the Drovers defence. Dafydd Buckland was omnipresent, cycling the ball around until a loose pass seemed to fool everybody; the Llandovery defence seemed to just look at the ball while some of the Newport team seemed unsure if it was knocked forward: maybe they were wary of giving away an offside penalty? Ed Thompson knew. He gathered and popped the ball to Brogan Leary who carved through the defence, being downed just metres short. The ball remained available and it was Ethan Phillips who pirouetted through the defence to touch down. Carwyn Penny nailed the conversion to make it Llandovery 5 Newport 14 with 8 minutes played.
Dafydd Buckland extended Newport’s lead on 12 minutes. Following a Llandovery infringement, Newport kicked to the home 22. A nice steady maul was set allowing the scrum half to break and round the slack defence and sprint in for a try. Carwyn Penny again improved the score, making it Llandovery 5 Newport 21.
Unfortunately, there was a four-minute stoppage to attend to Llandovery hooker Harry Thomas who stayed down following an attempted tackle on Hunter Ward. He was swiftly attended to by his own club’s medics, but also Newport’s. We are blessed with an outstanding medical team at Newport RFC. Thanks to all of them for looking after the players, ours and the opponents.
Newport were playing some outstanding rugby. A solid scrum on the Llandovery 10-metre line was a platform to start from. Brogan Leary was used to puncture the defence and make inroads, Dafydd Buckland was at the centre of everything good that the Black & Ambers were doing, Josh Reid was muscular in doubling down on the attack. Wade Langley mopped up a loose ball as Chay Foster-Smith broke clear but was hauled down, popping the ball back to Dafydd Buckland as he went. The lively scrum half spotted Hunter Ward lurking out wide, but with three defenders on him. As luck would have it, those defenders didn’t seem overly keen on tackling, so the mobile flanker biffed his way through to score. Newport had secured the try-scoring bonus point, away at the Champions, within 26 minutes. Llandovery 5 Newport 26.
Llandovery tried to get themselves back into the game, but the defence was terrific. However, a tackler lingered on the wrong side for a few seconds too long, yielding a penalty. The Drovers kicked to the corner, second row and captain Joe Powell claiming the ball. Lucca Setaro was busy again, Gryff Watkins setting up position once more. Setaro tried to break against the grain, but Ollie Drake simply despatched him back from whence he came. The red and white hoops kept ball well, slowly sucking the Newport defenders in, until Sam Potter spotted the moment to release fullback Jac Davies to cross easily. Potter kicked the conversion to make it Llandovery 12 Newport 26 with 30 minutes played.
Unfortunately. Ed Thompson’s afternoon was done, Tom Workman coming on to replace him.
Play became a bit ragged as balls ricochetted around the field, but Jac Davies popped up with possession in a favourable position. He sprinted 40 metres with ball in hand before being tackled near the Newport 22. Sadly, the follow-up tackler was judged to not be supporting his own weight while reclaiming the ball. Llandovery kicked to the corner, but, for all their hard work, they were ultimately inaccurate and gave away a penalty of their own letting Newport off the hook in the process.
From a lineout, Will Ford booted the ball long. Jac Davies contrived to spill the ball forward encouraging Ethan Phillips to hoof the ball towards the tryline, but the home defence were there to touchdown. A goal line drop-out followed, Carwyn Penny taking the catch. The ball worked right and there followed some mesmerizing patterns as Black & Amber jerseys sprayed around the field at pre-planned angles. Dafydd Buckland was like Merlin the Magician, the man in the eye of the storm. Brogan Leary was outstanding as the ball worked back left, Ethan Phillips having a dabble at the line before Chay Foster-Smith injected genuine power and pace into the move. He was held up again, but lost possession. Llandovery had, what should have been, a relieving scrum, but the wind was such that the clearing kick didn’t get as far as the 22. Callum Bradbury cleanly caught the lineout ball, setting up a good rolling maul. Wade Langley was in the chair, ball on his hip as the maul edged forward. He broke but didn’t quite make it. Thankfully, Dafydd Buckland was millimetres behind to pick up the ball and dot down for his second try of the afternoon. Carwyn Penny added the extras to make it Llandovery 12 Newport 33 with 40+4 minutes played.
There was time to restart before Will Ford’s kick was touched in flight, altering its trajectory and foxing Jac Davies, who could only watch as the ball bounced off his shin and into touch. The Black & Ambers tried to move the ball around, but a knock-on ended their ambitions as the referee, Mr Ben Whitehouse blew and gestured towards the player’s tunnel for halftime.
Half Time: Llandovery RFC 12 Newport RFC 33
Oli Andrew didn’t reappear for the second half, Matt O’Brien relacing him. It wasn’t like-for-like, obviously. Matt O’Brien went to 12, while Brogan Leary covered the wing.
Sam Morgan made an attack at the line, chipping the ball as he ran, him and Dafydd Buckland both contesting the ball. Llandovery won the ball back, but Sam Morgan got a hand to the ball as it sailed high. Newport regrouped, but loose hands spoiled the chance.
Super work by Chay Foster-Smith regained Newport the ball as he ripped it clear, but that was negated by a penalty conceded at an ensuing ruck. Llandovery kicked to the corner as Carwyn Penny was replaced by Joe Salter on 45 minutes. The lineout completed, Llandovery’s rolling maul was solid but held up by determined Black & Amber defence. A lone ranger broke but was comfortably dealt with. However, Mr Whitehouse decided that Hunter Ward had overstepped the mark in defence. He was shown a yellow card on 46 minutes. Llandovery reset, hooker Cameron Lewis being held up over the line. Lucca Setaro kept momentum going before a loose pass by him rolled along the Newport try line, inviting wing Aaron Warren to pick the ball up and make the angle easier for Sam Potter’s conversion. Llandovery 19 Newport 33 on 49 minutes.
Newport sparked back into attacking mode on 53 minutes; Matt O’Brien was doing Matt O’Brien things; Brogan Leary made a terrific break along the left wing before Callum Bradbury broke a tackle and strode forward. Llandovery drifted offside in defence within their own 22, yielding a penalty. With a player down, the shout from the stand was “go for the 3!”. Will Ford did as he was asked and made it Llandovery 19 Newport 36.
The Black & Ambers were beginning to inject some pace into their second half attacks. Ben Roach caught the restart, Brogan Leary sprinted forward with Josh Reid in close support, Matt O’Brien pivoted play around him, but Will Ford’s pass out to Brogan Leary was judged to have been forward.
Hunter Ward rejoined the game on 58 minutes as Mr Whitehouse’s patience with Llandovery appeared to be wearing thin. A penalty for chopsing followed by a harsh, in my opinion, free kick for closing the gap at a lineout. However, Newport couldn’t capitalise on this occasion.
The usual swathe of changes were made around the hour mark – Josh Reid was replaced by Tiger Chatham, Nathan Davies replaced Ollie Drake, while Chay Foster-Smith made way for Lucas Welsh. Henry Palmer took over from Wade Langley a few minutes later.
Llandovery don’t roll over. They never have. They kept coming at Newport with waves of attack, phase upon phase, only coming to an end when Luca Settaro run at Hunter Ward and found himself getting robbed of the ball. Nathan Davies made an early impression by whipping the ball away to Dafydd Buckland, now standing in on the wing. The ball was kicked away, Jac Davies winning the contest to retrieve possession before the hosts rebuilt the attack. However, a daunting Black & Amber wall wasn’t about to be worn down, and a listless kick for position ended going out on the full, much to the delight of the travelling Newport supporters.
Joe Peard came on for Callum Bradbury on 70 minutes, just as Newport gained a penalty as Llandovery were hinging in a scrum. Going to the corner, Ethan Phillips claimed the lineout, the ball going wide quickly. Ben Roach lingered out wide, took a looping pass from Matt O’Brien, and had a canter at the line. Lucas Welsh had a dip himself but was repelled. Newport got themselves organised, Tiger Chatham taking the pass before being powered across the line to score. The conversion was missed, so the score now read Llandovery 19 Newport 41.
Newport conceded a 77th minute penalty, then shipped another 10 metres for chopsing. Llandovery tapped quickly and went, while Newport were resetting. Minimal phases and Josh Thomas was over. Jac Maynard added the conversion to make in Llandovery 26 Newport 41 and ensure that the hosts at least gained a bonus point.
Newport had the final say in the game through some outstanding play. A superb flick by prop Nathan Davies gave the move momentum following some outstanding handling. Brogan Leary took the final pass, sprinted for the line and stretched out to score. The conversion was missed making the score Llandovery 26 Newport 46.
There was time to restart. All Newport had to do was take the catch and get the ball off the field, and the six precious league points were theirs.
Full Time: Llandovery RFC 26 Newport RFC 46
The Black & Ambers are next in action on this Friday evening, September 25th, when the Wizards of Aberavon come calling in Round 3 of the SRC. Kick-off is at 7.15pm at Newport Stadium. We are also at home the following Saturday, October 3rd, when Carmarthen Quins visit us. Both games should be free-flowing entertaining encounters! Come along and support the boys!
Season Tickets for Newport RFC are on sale now! Please visit https://blackandambers.co.uk/2026-27-ticket-prices for more information.
There are also plenty of sponsorship opportunities available for the coming season. If you’d like to know more, please email Kevin Jarvis at commercial@newportrfc.co.uk.
Onwards and upwards Newport.
Your City. Your Colours. Your Club
#cotp
Final Score – Llandovery RFC 26 Newport RFC 46
Vittorio’s Seren y Gem – Hunter Ward