Newport out to dethrone the Drovers and end 20-year wait
IT has been 20 years since Newport last won what is now the Indigo Premiership title and Ty Morris’ men are 80 minutes away from bridging that gap when they head to Church Bank today to face reigning champions Llandovery on their own patch, writes Rob Cole.
The ‘Class of 04’ won 27 and drew another of their 30 matches to finish 12 points clear of Neath in the table. Dan Griffiths scored 326 points during the season and Craig Richards scored 30 tries, while Llandovery finished one off the bottom.
Fast-forward two decades and it is the Drovers who will go into the final as the team with the best record over the season having finished one point ahead of the Black & Ambers to top the regular league season by a point.
They beat Cardiff with a terrific, four-try second half performance in last weekend’s semi-final to extend their unbeaten home run this season and are now one game away from securing back-to-back titles.
Newport scored six tries in brushing aside Ebbw Vale to reach the final and post a 15th successive victory.
Llandovery head coach Euros Evans tried to install Newport as favourites in the wake of his side’s semi-final victory, but opposite number Morris is having none of that.
“Everybody wants to be the underdog, but we are travelling to the home of the champions who haven’t been beaten at Church Bank all season. We’ve won there three times in our last 12 visits,” said Morris.
“That said, we don’t fear Llandovery after winning 15 games in a row. We know what they’re capable of, but we’ve been concentrating on ourselves and continuing our level of performance.
“I’m delighted there are play-offs, although I believe the team that finishes top of the table deserves a trophy to mark that achievement. Isn’t it appropriate, though, that the top two teams will be meeting in the final for the title.”
Last weekend’s hat-trick hero Joe Westwood will be chasing more glory, as will another rising star from the Dragons Academy, scrum half Che Hope.
Tight head prop Nathan Evans will be hoping for a big finish after being informed this week he will not be retained by the Dragons next season.
Surrounding the youngsters are experienced campaigners such as outside half Matt O’Brien, skipper Ben Roach and South African lock Rynard Landman.
Former Wales centre Adam Warren, scrum half Lee Rees and forwards Berian Watkins and Stuart
Worrall so a similar job for the Drovers.
“We’ve had to be patient and resilient as a club after losing our home at Rodney Parade. Where we are now is the result of three or four seasons of hard work and planning,” said Morris.
“Things have been building and we’ve been getting better and better with each season. Now we’ve got the chance to prove how good we are by beating the team that has been the best in Wales for the past few years.”
The Drovers will be missing skipper Jack Jones, who lifted aloft the WRU Premiership Cup at Principality Stadium last week, because of a neck injury sustained late in the semi-final win over Cardiff, so Scarlets lock Ed Scragg comes into the second row and Rees leads the side.
Aaron Warren is fit to return to the win, which allows Harri Doel to revert to full back in place of Jack Maynard. Other than that, it is as you were for the home side from seven days ago.
“It would be something special for us to be able to join the likes of Neath, Pontypridd and Merthyr as double winners. It promises to be a great final and the weather looks like being kind to all of us as well,” said head coach Euros Evans. Llandovery: Harri Doel; Macs Page, Adam Warren, Rhodri Jones, Aaron Warren; Ioan Hughes, Lee Rees (captain); Jamie Hughes, Taylor Davies, Berian Watkins, Ed Scragg, Chris Long, Osian Davies, Stuart Worrall, Joe Powell
Reps: Dino Dallavalle, Harry Thomas, Llyr Green, Nathan Hart, Jordan Evans, Kian Abraham, Jack Maynard, Dafydd Land
Newport: Josh Reynolds, Henry Palmer, Nathan Evans, Rynard Landman, Barny Langton-Cryer, Josh Skinner, Josh Reid, Ben Roach (Captain), Che Hope, Matt O’Brien, Elliot Frewen, Joe Westwood, Chay Foster-Smith, Lloyd Lewis, David Richards.
Reps: Wade Langley, Tom Workman, Garin Harris, Elliot Ferriman, Kyle Tayler, Dafydd Buckland, Jon Morris, Carwyn Penny.