TRUIMPH IN TENSE TALBOT ATHLETIC TIE
by Rhys Owain Jones
Newport continue their winning streak in all competitions with victory on a cold Friday night at the Talbot Athletic Ground.
The Black & Ambers narrowly secured a 36-32 win against Aberavon and a third league double over Super Rygbi Cymru opponents this season.
Both sides took a break from winning starts to their Super Rygbi Cymru Cup campaigns to fulfil this league match after its half-time abandonment in October due to what can only be described as Monsoon-like conditions.
The Wizards’ Gwilym Evans opened the scoring shortly after the five-minute mark, before Oli Andrew, a late change to the B&As’ starting fifteen, replied with a scintillating 25-minute dash from an attacking lineout after 10 minutes.
A Josh Skinner sin-binning soon followed leaving the visitors down to 14 men. Referee Craig Evans deemed the B&A centurion to have illegally cleared out at a dangerous attacking ruck and Skinner could have no arguments.
The ill-discipline did yield some points. Afan’s Lewis Marsh crossed over to double his team’s tally, before a second Oli Andrew try equalled the scoring once again. The missed conversion gave the hosts a slender two-point lead.
Aberavon’s Ed Dunford added a further penalty before Newport bagged a third try with the final play of the half. Ashton Hewitt, making his first appearance in the famous Black & Amber since September 2016, was afforded space on his left wing to simply touch down and level the score going into the interval.
HANNER AMSER: Aberavon 17-17 B&As
The second half began with a try apiece. A penalty try from an attacking scrum put the Wizards back into the lead, before Henry Palmer secured the bonus point try for the visitors from a five-metre catch-and-drive.
Following another Ed Dunford penalty, the B&As began the final quarter by taking the lead for the first time during the evening. Captain Ben Roach cleverly beat three defenders in the space of five metres to score his side’s fifth five-pointer.
Gwilym Evans briefly put Aberavon back in the lead with his second try of the night, before the 78th minute when Tyler Olding found himself at the bottom of a driving maul to score his first try of the season and ultimately win the game for his side.
SGÔR TERFYNOL: Aberavon 32-36 B&As
With wins over Swansea in December and at Bridgend in January, this becomes Newport’s third double of this Super Rygbi Cymru season and their fourth consecutive competitive win at the Talbot Athletic Ground.
Cup action returns next week when Newport welcome Carmarthen Quins to Newport Stadium (Sat 15 Feb, 2.30pm KO) before back-to-back visits to Eugene Cross Park in the league (Thu 20 Feb, 7.30pm KO) and cup (Sat 1 Mar, 2.30pm) respectively to face Ebbw Vale.
Join the B&A Wall, and get behind…
Your CITY,
Your COLOURS,
Your CLUB.
#COTP #YmlaenCasnewydd