Sat 25 Feb 2023, 14:00
Newport made the last long-haul journey of their current campaign to face an Exeter University side jam-packed with exciting young talent. The Shropshire side followed up their two recent home wins with another excellent team performance in what was an exciting and pulsating game of entertaining rugby played in a difficult strong cross-wind that made the displays from both teams all the more creditable and both were able to register five tries. In truth the result could have gone either way but with Newport scoring all their tries wide out all the conversion attempts were extremely difficult given the conditions whereas the students were able to score some of theirs rather closer to the posts.
Both Ricky Bailey and Nick Murphy were missing from the match day twenty and Newport shuffled their cards somewhat with Nick Yeoward coming in at centre for his debut and George Boughey on the bench. Chris Perry, Tom Cowell, Kaid O’Neill and Oli Buckley all made the starting line-up this week.
As expected, the game started at a frantic pace but in the face of some excellent attacking play from both sides defences held firm until the seventeenth minute when Connor Adams, Charlie Gamble and Jake Leonard all combined on the counter attack down the right flank, Leonard’s inside pass sending Adams over for the opening score. Newport’s advantage didn’t last long, however, as they made a mess of fielding the re-start and Dylan Power levelled things up almost immediately.
Finn Barnes was having another excellent game and came to Newport’s rescue on a number of occasions with vital turnovers in the red zone. Poor first up tackling then let Luke Bralsford break clear from twenty metres out to score by the posts, Jack Park adding the conversion to make it 12 – 5 to the home side.
Danny Brough, as ever, looked extremely dangerous when in possession and having narrowly failed to score from his own chip and chase repeated the feat shortly afterwards and won the race to ground the ball from sixty metres out so it was 12 – 10 after thirty-five minutes. Newport were soon under the cosh again but Barnes was on hand once more to turn over possession and ensure Newport went in at the interval just two points down.
The visitors started the second period well and when they earned a penalty in front of the home posts Leonard took the points to put them ahead at 12 – 13 after forty-two minutes. The students then hit something of a purple patch with Jacob Morris crashing over after forty-seven minutes, Park again converting before Power was over for his second on fifty-one to make it 24 – 13 although there was an air of controversy to both tries, one being allegedly held up and the other score possibly including a knock-on in the build-up. There was a clear threat at this stage that the students would run away with the game but Newport are made of sterner stuff these days and Gamble was soon finishing well in the corner to reduce the deficit to 24 – 18. Exeter then added their fifth try when Ed Volley cut through infield to brush off a couple of defenders and cross by the posts, Harvey Beckerleg converting to extend their lead to 31 – 18. Buckley, Matt Hubbart and Perez Raqio were now driving hard into the home defence to try and rescue the game and they soon caused enough damage to allow Perry to cross and secure the first bonus point. It was no more than Newport deserved and they soon secured another when Hubbart crashed over from short range to make it 31 -28 with just two minutes left on the clock. Exeter kicked deep and managed to play out the remainder of the match in the Newport half whereupon time ran out.
Two excellent points that could, on another day, quite easily have been five but Newport can go into next Saturday’s game against Hornets with the confidence and belief that they can claim some more points and pull further clear of Barnstaple, Bournville and Stourbridge who still sit below them with games rapidly running out.
Written by: Chris Wilde
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