Newport (Salop) RUFC

Sat 29 Jan 2022

Newport (Salop)

20 - 19

(HT 15-5)

Sheffield

Newport (Salop)

Sheffield

Midlands Premier Division

Newport Put Themselves in the Driving Seat

Newport 20pts v Sheffield 19pts

Newport extended their winning sequence to ten games with this crucial win over one of their title rivals. It was a thrilling encounter played in difficult conditions that could have gone either way but Newport hung on at the death and in some ways gained redemption for their injury time defeat in Yorkshire back in October.

The wind that had been forecast grew stronger as the morning progressed and by kick off time had developed into somewhat of a gale blowing straight down the Forton Road pitch so a game of two halves was very much in prospect.

It was the same starting line-up as last week save for Harry Mahoney replacing the suspended Jack Price in the back row and James Morton replacing the unavailable Rhys Morgan on the bench. Jordan Grass would also celebrate his 100th appearance for the club.

Newport chose to go with the elements first up in the hope they could get enough points on the board to then defend in the second period. Both packs lost their own scrummage ball in the early encounters but despite strong carries from both sides, Matt Hubbard for the home side and Ianto Jones for the visitors in particular, no quarter was being given by two resolute defences. The early score Newport sought failed to materialise and fourteen minutes had passed before Jake Leonard slotted a penalty opportunity to make it 3 – 0, much more would be needed!

Twenty-eight minutes had gone before a Newport penalty into the corner led to Jake Goulson, who continues to improve after a pre-season injury meant a late return to the side, securing the resultant line-out and the rest of the pack driving over Jack Wells for a well worked try, the conversion failed but Newport led 8 – 0.

Half backs Connor Adams and George Castledine combined well all afternoon and on thirty-one minutes it was Castledine who made a superb break from his own half being hauled down just short of the line but then visiting fly half Will Hodgson received a yellow card for a side entry and was to spend the rest of the half in the bin. Newport needed to make this count and from the resultant penalty they took the scrum option and whilst playing a further penalty advantage Castledine scythed through for the try, just reward for his break moments earlier, Leonard converted and took the score to 15 – 0. Another score now could prove crucial but unfortunately it went to the visitors. Newport had the opportunity to clear their lines from the re-start but were held up in possession under their own posts giving Sheffield the scrum.

Throughout the afternoon Sheffield proved themselves to be proficient in the basics and they weren’t about to spurn this opportunity going through multiple phases before, even down to fourteen still, they created enough space for centre LewisTaylor to cross wide out, conversion missed but Sheffield very much back in the game with the score 15 – 5 at the interval.

The first score of the second period would be crucial and perhaps provide a clue as to how this game might go. Newport started the half well with some hard straight running from Henry Vaka, Orisi Nawaqaliva, Oli Buckley and finally Toby Evans who timed his pass superbly to get Mahoney in at the corner so even with the impossible conversion attempt missed Newport were in command at 20 – 5 or at least they were for all of two minutes, conceding a penalty from the re-start which Hodgson, who had now returned to the fray, slotted over with ease to reduce the arrears to 20 – 8 after forty-four minutes. Newport were finding it difficult to get out of their own twenty-two and when Vaka dropped a high kick Sheffield had the position set up to turn the screw which again they did to great effect, Will Smith exploiting space out to the left to cross for the try, conversion missed, to reduce the arrears to 20 – 13 with a full twenty-eight minutes remaining so very much “Advantage Sheffield” you would have thought.

Evans and Leonard then got themselves into a mix up trying to run back a Sheffield kick and again gave up ball and territory. Newport defended well as they did all afternoon but eventually conceded a penalty under the posts which Hodgson knocked over with ease to make it 20 – 16 after fifty-nine minutes followed by another just two minutes later meaning there was now just one point in it and Sheffield left with nineteen minutes plus injury time to find the score they needed.

Against these unlikely odds Newport dug in and amongst all this there was an inspirational display from Ricky Bailey who was outstanding in attack and defence all afternoon and typified the spirit that would be required to see this game out. Hodgson then had a chance on seventy-four minutes when Newport offended but his penalty attempt from forty metres sailed just wide.

Newport then managed to get their hands on the ball and maintain possession to ensure they spent the last minutes of the game in the Sheffield half and out of the danger zone eventually putting the ball out of play to secure a vital win that keeps them top of the table, one point above Bridgnorth but with two games in hand and six points above Sheffield with one game in hand.

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

Bench: 16 Grass, 17 Morton, 18 Brown

There will be more action at Forton Road next Saturday when Newport entertain Doncaster Phoenix in a rearranged fixture following a postponement caused by Storm “Arwen”. Having won at Bridgnorth recently they will be no pushovers so another strong performance will be required if Newport are to win and strengthen their grip on the top spot.

Written by: Chris Wilde