Newport (Salop) RUFC

Sat 5 Nov 2022, 15:00

Hornets

33 - 19

(HT 21-19)

Newport (Salop)

Hornets

Newport (Salop)

National 2 West

Hornets Sting Too Good for Newport

Hornets 33pts v Newport 19pts

A vital match for both teams went the way of the home side down in Weston-Super-Mare largely due to their better execution in the “red zone” and some critical wrong options taken by the visitors at vital times. 

There was a blow for Newport when influential prop Nat Titchard-Jones was forced to withdraw due to an arm infection bringing Kaid O’Neill into the starting line-up and a place on the bench for the effervescent Luke Kendall. Chris Taylor replaced the injured James Morton in the back row.

Hornets struck as early as the second minute when an aimless kick out of defence went straight down the throat of the dangerous home full back Charlie Carter who scythed his way through a dog-legged Newport kick chase before feeding winger Andrew Wheller who finished well in the corner, Carter adding a splendid conversion to open up a 7 – 0 lead. More territorial pressure from Hornets was well defended by the visitors where Oli Buckley and Josh Kent set an aggressive tone for the rest to follow. The Newport pack got a shove on at half way that drew a penalty which Jake Leonard drilled into the Hornets twenty-two. Some excellent phases eventually led to Jack Wells being driven over to reduce the arrears to 7 – 5 after sixteen minutes.

Hornets were soon back in Newport territory, however, and wasted no time in adding to their score, Sam Townsley being driven over for the try with Carter again on target with the conversion to make it 14 – 5 twenty minutes in. Hornets were enjoying somewhat of a purple patch dominating both ball and territory so it came as no real surprise when their third try arrived after multiple phases had given Ayden Chenoweth enough space to trundle over out to the left, Carter converting for  a 21 – 5 score-line.

Signs were looking ominous for the visitors as Hornets belied their lowly league position with some decent rugby but Newport hit back strongly. Again, some patient phases in the home twenty-two eventually generated space for Ricky Bailey to cut through and score by the posts untouched, Connor Adams knocking over the conversion and reducing the deficit to nine points at 21 – 12. There was more to come. A repeat set of penalties gave Newport the position to pound away at the Hornets line, the pack exerting sufficient control of the maul to drive Wells over for his second of the day, Adams’s conversion meaning Newport went in at the break just the two points down at 21 – 19.

Newport started the second half equally as badly as they had started the first, a series of carries up the centre by the home big boys took play fully forty metres up-field and with Newport scrambling back to try and defend the ball was spun left where prop Alec Chase was on hand to finish, Carter couldn’t convert this time but nevertheless the home side had secured their 4-try bonus point and extended their lead to seven.

Newport continued to spread the play in an attempt to find space out wide but invariably the home defence was robust and resolute and there was none to be found. Up the middle seemed to be the way to go and although they were able to build pressure they just couldn’t penetrate, a few wrong options not helping their cause, peeling off the back of an advancing rolling maul or again releasing the backs with the maul still going forward?

Newport had the upper hand but their execution was failing them when they needed it most, a converted try now would bring them level and see them leave with three valuable league points but as the game ran down it seemed increasingly unlikely and when Hornets were able to work themselves into the Newport twenty-two they made the game safe with a classic catch and drive try of their own, Chase again being the beneficiary of a concerted forwards effort. Carter converted to make it 33 – 19 after seventy-two minutes so now it was a case of chasing a converted try that would see them come away with a losing bonus point but, alas, the day belonged to Hornets who deservedly took the spoils.