Sat 26 Nov 2022
Newport Second XV hosted a Clee Hill side several places above them in the league, hoping to consolidate their component parts into a comprehensive performance for the final fixture for this half of the season. And they did. Explosive and dominant in attack in the first half, but solid and resistant in defence for a huge swathe in the second, with a final flurry of movement and passing to create an impressive and deserved scoreline.
From the kick-off, Newport were on the front foot, Henry Holmes gathering to start an attack of eight phases including Sam Sargeant’s break move to the left corner. But it fell to Phil Bradley to pinch through for the first points, after Tomasi Ratu had forced the opening. Clee Hill tried to respond but found solid stonewall at every quarter, Ben Tunrner and Finn Barnes repelling Clee Hill’s maul and suddenly Newport were back on the offensive as their forwards advanced back to Clee Hill’s touchline. Ratu spotted the chink in Clee Hill’s touchline defence, demanded the ball from left of the ruck and bolted through. Newport were fifteen to the good shortly after, Tom Griffiths kicking the penalty.
Rob Taylor rounded up Clee Hill’s clearance and made yardage plenty, Charlie Gamble’s left-wing dart and chip, and Fergus Lamb’s mazy run, maintained Newport’s attacking intent, but Clee Hill’s resistance was holding Newport out. Only until Ratu’s break and Gamble in close support to finish put Newport at twenty points without reply at half time.
For twenty minutes, Clee Hill then camped on Newport’s tryline searching for a breakthrough. Newport grafted across the entire line to keep Clee Hill out but couldn’t advance play away from danger as Clee Hill sought desperately to turn the game round. Finally, Bradley’s turnover of Clee Hill’s scrum twenty yards out broke their spirit as Newport sprung free through Ratu, Gamble and Taylor with Sargeant and Rich Biggins consolidating the advance. Clee Hill’s frantic clearance only found Lamb, Newport’s attack resumed and moments later Ratu was over the line again.
Newport now started moving the ball at pace and their fast backs starting to create mayhem. Barnes’ quickly taken free kick found Gamble in support whose arrow unlocked space for Griffith’s electric diagonal toward the posts. Clee Hill never surrendered and but for Taylor’s tackle forcing the knock-on, should have opened their account. Instead from Newport’s 5-yard scrum, Barnes slipped Clee Hill’s line to charge some 40+ yards upfield, with Ratu in close company to complete the rest.
Clee Hill knew the game was now insurmountable but determined to get something to show for their valiant efforts found a way through despite Biggins and Holmes making huge tackles. Holmes’ persistently mammoth contribution to the game was not over just yet, his underarm scoop pass found Barnes to have the final word.
A resounding performance from the Second XV, requiring an extended period of staunch resilience to shut Clee Hill out, establishing the platform from which Newport’s other components of play, both in the power of the forwards and the speed of the backs could flourish. The second half of the season appears to have the promise of a successful campaign.
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