British and Irish Cup Round 5 (Rugby)
Rodney Parade, Newport
Admission: £12.00
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 697
Match Rating: 4
Having booked a weekend in Newport some time previously, I realised the day before that Newport rugby club were playing at home on the evening I would arrive.Whilst having nowhere near the same interest in rugby as I have in football, I still find watching a rugby game moderately interesting, and as my coach arrived in Newport about half an hour before kick off, I had just about enough time to dump my bags in the Travelodge I was staying in, and walk the ten minute journey over the River Usk to the ground with a few minutes to spare before kick off.
Rodney Parade is one of the most historic and traditional rugby stadia in Wales, but is currently undergoing extensive development. The only stand open to spectators this evening was the Hazell Stand, along one length of the pitch, which offers a terracing for standing below seating. The opposite length has been almost completely knocked down and more resembles a building site currently. Behind one of the goals is a temporary looking all-seater stand, unused this evening, and behind the other goal is a building of hospitality rooms.Tickets had to be purchased at the ticket office some distance away from the actual stadium. Seats were £2 more than standing, although with a low roof and many obstructing pillars, the view from the terrace was more than satisfactory. The 16 page programme was glossy and pleasing on the eye, but didn't really serve its purpose of informing spectators about the match, with just a limited welcome message, team line ups and a list of fixtures and results, with no information on the away team, the competition nor recent match reports.
This evening's game was in the British and Irish Cup, a competition which brings together the top clubs from the second tier leagues in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. These days, Newport play in the Welsh Premiership, the top league in Wales but whose standing has considerably diminished after the introduction of regional teams in Wales who play in the Magners League - indeed, Newport now act as a feeder club to the Newport Gwent Dragons. Currently, Newport lie in 6th place in the 14 team league, but came into this game in good form, having won their last three games, although progress to the knock out stages in this competition already looks beyond them, having lost two of their opening three games.Tonight would be a tall order against the reigning champions of the British and Irish Cup, the Cornish Pirates, a professional outfit who are in third place in the English Championship this season and had won nine of their last ten British and Irish Cup matches.
It's fair to say that I am not a great connisseur of rugby and do not understand many of the rules, but on a bitterly cold evening under clear skies the game was entertaining, somewhat feisty but played with plenty of attacking intent. The Cornish Pirates drove over for a converted try within a couple of minutes, which set the pattern for most of the game in which they were mostly in the ascendancy, apart from a brief few moments when Newport edged into the lead midway through the first half, and the Pirates took a 17-13 lead into half time. The Pirates extended their lead throughout the second half and did most of the attacking, before a fairly extraordinary finale to the game. The Cornish Pirates had opened up a 32-20 lead with just minutes left on the clock, Andrew Brooker reduced the deficit to five points, before Owen Broad surged forward fully 80 yards to score a try to level the scores as the clock ticked past 80 minutes. Matthew Jones converted the try with the last kick of the game to somehow give Newport the win, provoking loud, wild and probably disbelieving celebrations amongst the home fans and quieten the fairly impressive contingent who had travelled up from Cornwall.
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