Newport (Salop) RUFC

Sat 15 Jan 2022

Newport (Salop)

11 - 8

(HT 5-8)

Sandbach

Newport (Salop)

Sandbach

Midlands Premier Division

Newport Take it at the Death

Newport 11pts v Sandbach 8pts

Whilst the match between the clubs at Bradwall Road back in September was an end-to-end thriller producing seven tries, this game was just as enthralling but for very different reasons. The winter months are generally when strong defensive displays are required to produce the desired results. Commitment, organisation, ferocity, intensity and physicality are all required and both teams produced these qualities in abundance on a chilly afternoon at Forton Road.

Few would argue that maybe a draw would have been a fair result but Newport were able to exert enough pressure territorially and at the scrum in the closing stages that inevitably drew the two penalties that eventually proved crucial and won them the game.

The only change for Newport saw Jake Goulson named to start with Matt Hubbart taking his turn on the bench along with Jordan Grass and Orisi Nawaqaliva.

Going up the hill Newport made a good start, Jake Leonard’s penalty to the corner giving them an early opportunity but Sandbach defended the driving maul with great aplomb, something they were able to demonstrate all afternoon. Newport were also profiting from some “pick and go’s” through the middle with Tom Cowell, Dave Manning and Sam Brown all making early inroads before Sandbach cottoned on and shore up the gaps.

Newport were beginning to incur a regular stream of penalties against them and on fourteen minutes Sandbach put one into the corner and drove over Alex Bishop for the opening try. Jack Leach, the visiting centre cut a great line through the home defence and looked odds on to score before being hauled down just short by Sam Evans. The scrambling defence saved the day but not without cost as George Castledine was handed a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. Another penalty ensued and Sandbach opted to take the points, Kieran Stubbs converting the relatively simple chance to extend the visitor’s lead to 0 – 8 after twenty-three minutes.

Still down to fourteen Newport were able to regain possession from the restart. Manning found some space on half way and handed on to Jack Price who was able to make ground before straightening and creating enough space for the supporting Harry Mahoney to cross in the right-hand corner, Leonard narrowly failing to convert making it 5 – 8 with twenty-five minutes gone. 

Newport took advantage of spending some time in the visitor’s twenty-two, continuing to put a couple of penalties into the corner when points where clearly on offer but having out-scored every team they have played this season in terms of tries scored the tactic was perhaps understandable. Nevertheless, again Sandbach defended exceptionally well and were able to clear the danger. Henry Vaka was then just held short and another couple of chances were spurned with the ball being lost in contact, a result of the brutal and aggressive nature of the tackles and hits that were being made and so the players went in at the interval with Sandbach ahead by three points.

Newport started the second period well but knock-ons and penalties conceded were killing them. They were very fortunate when two Sandbach throw-ins at five metre line outs went astray, especially given that the visiting pack had already shown their excellence several times in executing the driving maul. Vaka and Leonard both made telling breaks from defensive positions but maybe tried to force the play rather than going to ground and setting up the next phase. Grass and Hubbart entered the fray as did Nawaqaliva with Wells, Goulson and Brown making way. There was great energy in attack from both teams but neither side had anything to show for it as time and time again they came up against an immovable defence. A word here for the evergreen Chris Taylor who at thirty four is perhaps in the twilight of his career but consistently puts in the unseen graft and has the uncanny knack that comes with experience of always being in the right place at the right time.

With time running out Newport abandoned their ploy of kicking penalties to the corners, deciding instead to give Leonard a shot at goal from forty-five metres out.  He struck it superbly to draw things level at 8 – 8 after sixty-nine minutes. Since the huge Mark Irving had been replaced Newport had been dominating the scrums so when Newport were awarded the put in at a five metre scrum they had little choice other than to re-introduce him. The scrum held but then the backs strayed offside and Leonard knocked over the resultant penalty to give Newport the lead for the first time 11 – 8 after seventy-nine minutes.

There was very little time for Sandbach to respond and Newport successfully held on to run down the clock and register a hugely important victory over very competent opposition. It was an outstanding display by both sides and as we all said up at Sandbach in the earlier fixture “a tremendous advert for rugby at this level”

Next Saturday, the long trip to Scunthorpe awaits where Newport will be hoping to make up for the loss they suffered at home earlier in the season.

Team: 15 Castledine, 14 Vaka, 13 Leonard, 12 Bailey, 11 Evans, 10 Adams,            9 Brown, 8 Taylor, 7 Mahoney, 6 Price, 5 Goulson, 4 Buckley, 3 Manning, 2 Cowell, 1 Wells

Bench: 16 Grass, 17 Hubbart, 18 Nawaqaliva

Written by: Chris Wilde