A TENSE, bruising encounter saw Llandovery just have the better of the first 40 minutes before Newport raised their game to take the win, writes Peter Hughes.

It was the visitors who opened the scoring in the sixth minute. From a scrum on their own 22, wing Will Thomas made a break as far as the Newport 5m line before he was ankle tapped by opposite number Johnny Morris.

Not being held, however, Thomas was able to regain his feet for the score, which was converted by outside half Jack Maynard.

Newport used the power of their pack to level things up eight minutes later. Having just seen their rolling maul held up a couple of metres out, a scrum five gave number 8 Sam Cross the opportunity to go over under the posts.

Llandovery’s second try saw them kick for touch from a penalty on the half way line to set up a line out close to the Newport 22. Confusion in the home side’s defensive ranks allowed scrum half Rhodri Davies to cross unchallenged.

Newport once again fought back and from a line out on the halfway line, a break by Cross plus a little interplay with prop John Lavender set up wing Wes Cunliffe for the touchdown. Llandovery were unable to make use of a scrum 6m from the Newport line in the dying moments of the half making the score at the interval 14-16.

The restart saw Newport straight onto the offensive and within two minute prop John Lavender was over in the corner to give his side the lead for the first time in the game, Arwel Robson adding a difficult conversion.

Maynard narrowed the gap with a 52nd minute drop goal and with the game so closely poised it appeared that the next score could be critical. That was reflected in the nervy way both sides played with handing errors frequently bringing moves to a premature conclusion.

It was ultimately Newport who got that score, replacement prop James Greenfield crashing over for a try before Steffan Marshall secured Llandovery a losing bonus point with the last kick of the game.

Newport scorers: Tries - S Cross), W Cunliffe,  J Lavender . J Greenfield; Cons - J Mogg, A Robson (43)

Llandovery scorers: Tries - W Thomas), R Davies); Cons - J Maynard (2); Pen - S Marshall; Drop goal -  Maynard

Newport: R James, J Mogg (E Frewen 77), J Morris, A James (A Robson 17), Haydn Palmer, W Cunliffe, E Howley, J Lavender (J Greenfield 72), Henry Palmer (E Whitson 72), T Piper, D Partridge, R Jones, B Lampitt (c), R Jenkins (L Phillips 47 (J Davies 62)), S Cross.

Llandovery: L Rees (M Evans 62), W Thomas, J Cowley, C Woodall (R Jones 66), M Jacobs (c), J Maynard (S Marshall 80) , R Davies , W Jones (D Howells 80), T Ball (L Lewis 66), G Cunniffe (B Watkins 72), M Harbut (B Griffiths 80), P Day, R Rees, S Worrall, R Brooks.

Argus man of the match: Sam Cross