Sat 12 Mar 2022
Newport’s fifteen match winning run that has brought them to the brink of securing the Midlands Premier League title was finally ended in some style by an impressive Burton outfit that were well worth their victory. It wasn’t that Newport played badly but they were perhaps to a man ten-per-cent below their usual performance levels and it was Burton who demonstrated more edge and intensity and were clinical when scoring chances came their way.
James Morton, Henry Vaka and Ricky Bailey all returned to the squad after missing out at Bromsgrove the previous week whilst Jake Goulson would make his 200th appearance for the club, a fantastic landmark not reached by many!
Games between the two sides are always close and attritional and Saturday was no exception at a blustery Forton Road. It was all Burton in the opening exchanges, clearly demonstrating their desire to cause an upset and it was no surprise when Josh Kent went in for the opening try after relentless pressure in the Newport twenty-two, Chas Bunting converting for a lead of seven points after six minutes.
Newport were working their way back into the game but it was always Burton who looked the more purposeful before the home side finally clicked into gear and swift hands saw Orisi Nawaqualiva over in the corner, Jake Leonard couldn’t convert but the arrears had been reduced to 5 – 7.
Burton were soon to be on the scoresheet again, however, when a huge George Castledine clearance ran and ran before rolling over the dead ball line bringing play back for a Burton scrum inside the Newport twenty-two. A nice chip through in behind the home defence by Alfredo Bergada saw the kicker win the race to touchdown his own kick to extend the lead to 5 -12 on twenty-four minutes.
Vaka then had a try ruled out after lengthy discussions with the Burton touch-judge, short or in touch nobody really knows but we really shouldn’t be having 14 year olds running touch at this level – not the kid’s fault but a club of Burton’s stature should not be placing him in such a difficult and responsible position.
Things quickly got worse for Newport when from a promising attacking position Castledine was brought down in the Burton twenty-two only for the ball to fall kindly for winger Tristan de Berger to gather up and race seventy-five metres to score, Bunting converting to extend the visitor’s lead to 5 – 17.
Morton was then yellow-carded for killing the ball at a ruck meaning Newport would start the second half reduced to fourteen but yet they struck back almost from the off when Chris Taylor tidied up a retreating scrum on half-way and following some good phases Vaka ghosted through to score on the right and make it 10 – 17 after forty-seven minutes. Vaka then moved to centre allowing Bailey to make his first appearance for four weeks, Nawaqualiva being withdrawn. Bunting then added a simple penalty from in front of the posts to make it 10 – 20 before Vaka was in again following more good phases on fifty-two minutes, Leonard converting for 17 – 20 and time for Newport to take control maybe, or maybe not, for they were soon back under the cosh and Bunting knocked over another penalty from long range to extend the visitor’s lead to 17 – 23.
Vaka was then yellow-carded, apparently for a “no arms” tackle whereupon Burton put the resultant penalty into the corner and set up the position for hooker James Davies to evade the last-ditch tackle of Harry Mahoney to score the bonus point try, converted by Bunting and stretching the visitors lead to 17 – 30.
Newport needed a good last ten and they gave themselves a sniff of victory when Connor Adams sliced through and fed the supporting Taylor who unselfishly handed on to Morton to score their fourth try, Leonard being unable to convert leaving them eight points adrift with time running out.
Whilst there was insufficient time to make up the deficit, Alex Nesbitt was carded for the visitors for a deliberate knock-on so there was still the chance of what would have been a valuable second bonus point and they looked to have got it when Sam Evans went through only to be denied the try by a desperate ankle-tap that brought him to ground just a few metres from the visitor’s line and so Newport would have to settle for the one losing bonus point but despite this disappointing result they still sit top of the table with a seven point advantage over Sheffield.
Team: 15 Castledine, 14 Vaka, 13 Leonard, 12 Nawaqualiva, 11 S Evans, 10 Adams, 9 Brown, 8 Taylor, 7 Mahoney, 6 Morton, 5 Hubbard, 4 Buckley, 3 Manning, 2 Cowell, 1 Grass
Bench: 16 Wells, 17 Goulson, 18 Bailey
Newport can now enjoy a welcome break, having played every Saturday since the turn of the year, before making the trip to Doncaster on the 26th March. The Phoenix will still be hurting and very much hoping to rise following their 89 – 5 hammering at Forton Road last month.
Written by: Chris Wilde
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