Neath V Newport
Saturday 27th November 2004, 2.30pm KO

MATCH REPORT (by Phil Space)

(Photographs by Julian Brock)

NEATH 37 NEWPORT 13
The Blacks march on ! Neath extended their invincible record to 14 successive wins by casting aside one of their major challengers Newport at The Gnoll.

This was probably the Blacks' best display of the season as they dominated the match from start to finish. The forwards played with a sustained vigour that they have not shown - or, more correctly had to show - all season and, with the solid foundations laid by the front five, the back-row of Andy Llewellyn, hard-tackling Hywel Jenkins and Lee Beach were very prominent. Behind them, Patrick Horgan was a real old master at scrum-half, releasing only the best of ball to his eager threequarters.

Territorally, Neath totally dominated the first-half and edged ahead through two penalties by outside-half James Hook. Newport's continued ball-killing eventually led to them incurring two yellow-cards, correctly administered by referee Mr. Phil Fear, and the Blacks scored the first try through barnstorming prop Andrew Howell, Hook supplying the conversion points. A Daniel Griffiths penalty gave Newport brief hope but the Blacks went further ahead when the dangerous Aled Brew entered the line and handed on to skipper Gareth Morris who went across for his 8th try of the season, Hook converting.

A Griffiths-Hook penalty exchange launched the second-half but the Blacks maintained control and good work by Horgan behind his rampant pack led to a first try of the season for tight head Cai Griffiths. Newport's best period of the game brought them reward with a try by much-travelled lock Darren Davies that Griffiths converted but Neath sealed an outstanding win with a magnificent fourth try. Running the ball from their own line, Hook made rapid ground and the backs were up in support for replacement scrum-half Martin Roberts to cross at the other end, Hook administering the last rites with a superb conversion to give him 17 points.

The Neath majority in the disappointing 2,800 crowd went home happy but Neath are somewhat perplexed by Robert Jones' sinister comment on Scrum V that "Neath's experience will raise questions" - whatever that means.

Was it the 5 Under-21's in the team, the 4 on the bench, the injured Andrew Bishop who would certainly have played had he been fit or Lee Beach who is just out of that age-group ? In contrast, Newport had one Under-21 in their starting line up. Perhaps Mr. Jones would be better served by coming along to The Gnoll, enjoying the "Neath experience" (which he cannot have done often as a Swansea player) and learning something about the Premier Division. We have come to expect vacuous and ill-informed comments from Scrum V and herein lies the answer to why the Premier gets so little TV coverage - the "experts" know next to nothing about it !

Neath v Newport :- Gareth Morris (captain); Aled Brew (Neil Clapham); Dave Tiueti, Wayne Mitchell, Richard Johnston; James Hook, Patrick Horgan (Martin Roberts); Andrew Howell (Paul Jones), Huw Bennett (Andy Littlehales), Cai Griffiths; Steve Martin, Ian Evans (Chris Gittins); Andy Llewellyn (Tom Smith), Hywel Jenkins (John McPhail), Lee Beach Replacement - Aled Bevan