Newport head coach Ty Morris was pleased with his side’s reaction to their hammering at RGC as they bounced back in style by inflicting a crushing 57-19 defeat on reigning Super Rygbi Cymru champions Llandovery.
Centre Chay Foster-Smith ran in a hat-trick of tries for the Black & Ambers as recorded a thumping nine tries to three victory over the Drovers for their fifth win from six matches. It also halted the Drovers’ three-game winning run.
It completed an early league double for Newport over Llandovery, having run out comprehensive 46-26 winners at Church Bank four weeks earlier. The result also marked Newport’s fourth successful defence for this season of the SRC Challenger Shield, and their sixth in total.
“I’m really pleased with the reaction from the players. We spoke after the game last week around us not being a bad team overnight and it was down to mental application,” said Morris.
“Fair play to the boys, we had a really good reaction and an outstanding performance, so I’m very, very pleased with that.
“I thought there were also some really good individual performances from Sam Morgan, Will Ford, Hunter Ward and Ethan Phillips within that team performance that was above and beyond – and definitely made us better.”
With Cardiff losing at Swansea, the win over the Drovers also saw the Black & Ambers reclaim top spot in SRC. Next up is a Gwent derby clash at Pontypool.
“I’m really looking forward now to a huge derby game against Pontypool,” added Morris.
“Although we’ve had some up and down results and they’ve had some wins and losses, that doesn’t matter going into a Newport-Pontypool game. All the slates are clean, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”
Along with Foster-Smith’s hat-trick, flanker Hunter Ward and replacement hooker Henry Palmer also scored twice, with lock Nick Thomas and replacement back row Kyle Tayler-Woolston also dotted down. Will Ford converted six of their nine tries.
Scrum-half Lucca Setaro, wing Llien Morgan and back rower Dan Gemine were the Llandovery scorers. Ioan Hughes added two conversions.
Ebbw Vale, three points behind Newport in third, also made it five wins from their opening six games after their Ieuan Morris inspired 33-26 victory over Aberavon at Eugene Cross Park.
Hooker Morris, last season’s top try scorer in SRC, helped himself to four tries, two in each half, to ensure Ebbw held off the Wizards.
The Steelmen had been 21-7 to the good at half time, with outside half Tom Howard also scoring for Ebbw and converting all three tries.
Hooker Luke Davies was Aberavon’s first half scorer, and they were back on level terms at 21-21 when captain Rhys Thomas and wing Morgan Williams went over. Steff Jac Jones added the extras.
Another two tries for Morris, the first converted by Howard, ensured it would be Ebbw who were victorious.
The visitors would score again in between those two tries through replacement Owen Popple’s unconverted try to secure Aberavon two bonus points but was unable to prevent them slipping to a fifth straight reverse.
Bridgend Ravens are now unbeaten in three matches after making it back-to-back victories with a thrilling 38-33 victory over Pontypool at the Brewery Field. It also completed a league double for the Ravens over Pooler this season.
Two first half tries for Ben Evans and one for centre Ryan Wilkins helped the hosts into a 17-14 half time lead, with Fraser Jones converting Evans’ second try.
Hooker Sam Scarfe and centre Joel Mahoney went over Pooler in the first half, with both tries converted by Kieran Meek.
Hooker McKenzie Scales’ try off a mauling maul, converted by Jones, extended Bridgend’s lead but a topsy-turvy second half saw the lead change hands again another four times, twice for both sides.
Mahoney scored his second before lock Joe Davies, having come on, went over to help put Pooler 28-24 ahead, with Meek adding the extras.
Wilkins then went in for his second on 69 minutes, converted by Jones, as the hosts went back in front 31-28 – only to surrender the lead again on 77 minutes when replacement hooker Tiaan Hall scored an unconverted try to nudge the visitors ahead again 33-31.
But there would be one final twist, when Bridgend replacement back rower Ioan Davies gathered the ball out wide and crossed to snatch victory for the Ravens in the dying seconds. Jones added the extras.