By: Paul Hopkins
It was a performance of the ages from the All Whites as they overcame a 16 point deficit to beat Super Rugby Cymru champions Newport 42-40 in their own backyard.
After a slow opening period, lock Callum Bradbury took a lineout on half way, but fellow second row man Josh Skinner inexplicably chipped ahead, only for the Whites to feed the ball out to full back Lewis Edwards, who chipped ahead, but winger Fin Baker got back to defend and clear.
Winger Iwan Glynn superbly chipped high and gathered his own kick on the Newport 22, but the visitors’ supporting forwards were too slow to arrive, so they surrendered possession.
Flanker Brandon Owens was turned over on half way, with fly half Jac Lloyd finding touch with a grubber kick on the Newport 22. The first try soon followed when centre Dai Richards dummied a pass and broke through a weak tackle to touch down under the posts. Lloyd converted.
Centre Chay Foster-Smith weaved past a tackle over half way, but the supporting winger Morgan Williams was penalised for holding on after the tackle, allowing fly half Josh Phillips to chip to touch.
Lock Matt Dodd tapped back a lineout and prop Daf Davies made good yards into the 22, but prop Ed Thompson dropped a pass and the move came to an end.
The visitors then scored a try out of nowhere when scrum half Matthew Aubrey nipped in to intercept a long pass, as he raced 60 metres downfield to touch down with ease. Phillips missed the conversion.
Phillips took the ball inside his own 22, but his up and under attempt went awfully wrong, as the ball was taken by Foster-Smith, who set up a Newport attack, allowing scrum half Lucas Welch to nip in for a try under the posts. Lloyd converted.
The visitors were caught offside in midfield so Lloyd found touch inside the attacking 22 with his kick. Skinner just about collected the lineout as his pack mauled forward, forcing the Whites to commit a further offside offence at the breakdown. Lloyd again kicked into the corner.
Bradbury this time took the lineout and a third try came about when hooker Wade Langley peeled off an advancing maul to score. Lloyd converted.
Aubrey made 15 metres upfield from a quick tap penalty after the home side gave away a penalty at the breakdown, but the supporting winger Ieuan Cornelius lost possession forward on the 22.
Lloyd misjudged a clearance kick as the ball had been passed back inside his 22, gifting the Whites an attacking lineout. Dodd tapped the ball back to number eight Callum Bowden and a clever flip pass by Aubrey found Cornelius, but play was brought back for a visitors’ penalty.
The Whites made major inroads into the game when Phillips chose to kick into the corner and lock Chris Thompson took the lineout, with backs joining the maul to send hooker Rhodri King over for a try. Phillips converted.
The visitors almost made a complete mess of collecting the restart but Williams wasn’t quite able to collect the bouncing ball and Swansea cleared, sparing their blushes.
However, Bradbury took the lineout and made a few yards into the 22, with the powerful Foster-Smith showing great strength, before the Whites’ were penalised for diving over the top. Lloyd chose to dink the ball into the corner.
Skinner took the lineout, which turned into an inevitable rolling maul from, and Langley touched down for a try. Lloyd converted.
Number eight Ioan Rhys Davies was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on half way, so Phillips was able to find touch inside the Newport 22. A powerful maul from 10 metres out saw the Whites use their man advantage to send King over for a try. Phillips missed the conversion.
Bradbury took a lineout on half way, but his side lost possession, allowing Richards to set up an attack, with flanker Kyle Tayler yellow carded for a professional foul. Phillips chipped to the corner and Bowden wasn’t able to cleanly take the lineout, but Phillips’ crossfield chip sailed into touch as his side wasted the chance.
Half-time:- Newport 28-17 Swansea
The visitors looked to press home their two man advantage as the second half began, and flanker Ethan Fackrell raced across the 22, before neat handling between Edwards and centre Callum Carson, sent Cornelius over for a try at the corner. Phillips’ conversion attempt hit the outside of the post.
Cornelius looked to race down the wing from his own 22, but he was turned over and instead the Black and Ambers began an attack, but the move petered out as Glynn cleared.
Moments later a superb move by the Black and Ambers saw the ball swept out to Williams, who backed his pace to race clear for a try. Lloyd missed the conversion.
Carson dummied his way past a tackler and found Cornelius on his shoulder, before centre Joe Thomas powered over the 22 and the home side gave away a penalty, which Phillips chipped into the corner, but the visitors lost the lineout so Lloyd was able to clear.
Edwards used his strength to recover from a poor pass and Thomas was tackled in midfield, but Carson’s chip through was easily dealt with by the Newport defence.
Replacement lock Cai Arnold took a lineout just shy of the Newport 22 and the Whites’ pack mauled forward, earning a penalty, which Phillips again kicked into the corner. The Newport defence repelled the maul, with Bowden held up just short of the line, before the Swansea attack remained patient with Ed Thompson powering over for a try. Phillips converted.
The visitors took the lead for the first time when a pass was fired out wide to Glynn, who used his devastating pace to score a well taken try in the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
Swansea were in dreamland just minutes later when Aubrey fired out a pass to Carson, who raced past a few Newport defenders to squeeze over for a fantastic try in the corner. Phillips missed the conversion.
Baker fielded a kick and found full back Carwyn Penny, who raced ran at the Swansea defence, before replacement flanker Morgan Burgess was wrapped up, but substitute prop Nathan Davies lost the ball forward.
A chip and chase by Penny almost sent Foster-Smith racing clear, but a professional foul by Glynn earned him a yellow card and gave Newport a penalty, which Lloyd chipped to the corner. A well taken lineout saw replacement scrum half Dafydd Buckland burrow over for a try. Lloyd converted.
Newport gave away a penalty inside their own 22 after the forwards failed to roll away from a tackle. With five minutes of normal time remaining, Phillips chose to kick into the corner. A second penalty followed, which was closer infield, so Phillips successfully kicked Swansea into the lead.
Foster-Smith tried a clever chip across field, meant for Richards, but it was too strong and the ball ended up bouncing into touch to give Swansea a lineout on half way.
Newport looked to attack through replacement winger Harrison Jones with time running out, but Penny was tackled into touch on the 22, and the full time whistle blew moments later, sending the All Whites’ players into raptures.
It won’t take long for hostilities to resume though, with the reverse fixture taking place just five days later at Swansea’s temporary ground in Broadacre, Dunvant.
Full-time:- Newport 40-42 Swansea
Newport:
Tries:- Dai Richards (9), Lucas Welch (19), Wade Langley (24, 35), Morgan Williams (47), Dafydd Buckland (69)
Cons:- Jac Lloyd (10, 20, 25, 36, 70)
Yellow cards:- Ioan Rhys Davies (37), Kyle Tayler (40+1)
Swansea:
Tries:- Matthew Aubrey (16), Rhodri King (31, 38), Ieuan Cornelius (43), Ed Thompson (58), Iwan Glynn (60), Callum Carson (63)
Cons:- Josh Phillips (32, 59)
Pens:- Josh Phillips (76)
Yellow cards:- Iwan Glynn (68)
Match facts:
Venue:- Newport Stadium, Newport
Weather:- Light cloud, 16C
Man of the match:- Callum Carson
Referee:- Matthew Leon
Attendance:- 900
Newport team:
15 Carwyn Penny
14 Fin Baker
13 Dai Richards
12 Chay Foster-Smith
11 Morgan Williams (rep: Harrison James 79)
10 Jac Lloyd
9 Lucas Welch (rep: Dafydd Buckland 61)
1 Tom Devine (rep: Jordan Morris 46)
2 Wade Langley (rep: Henry Palmer 52)
3 Liam Newstead (rep: Nathan Davies 61)
4 Josh Skinner ©
5 Callum Bradbury (rep: Barney Nightingale 79)
6 Josh Reid (rep: Morgan Burgess 52)
7 Kyle Tayler
8 Ioan Rhys Davies
Replacements:
16 Henry Palmer
17 Jordan Morris
18 Nathan Davies
19 Joe Peard
20 Morgan Burgess
21 Dafydd Buckland
22 Harrison James
23 Barney Nightingale
Swansea team:
15 Lewis Edwards
14 Iwan Glynn
13 Callum Carson
12 Joe Thomas
11 Ieuan Cornelius
10 Josh Phillips (cc)
9 Matthew Aubrey (rep: Iwan Temblett 77)
1 Daf Davies
2 Rhodri King (rep: Jamie Cox 59)
3 Ed Thompson (rep: Tom Crockett 70)
4 Matt Dodd (rep: Cai Arnold 41)
5 Chris Thompson
6 Brandon Owens (rep: Jacob Hopkins 52)
7 Ethan Fackrell
8 Callum Bowden (cc)
Replacements:
16 Jamie Cox
17 Logan Heaven-Hearne
18 Tom Crockett
19 Cai Arnold
20 Jacob Hopkins
21 Iwan Temblett
22 Tal Rees
23 Luke Davies