Newport 31 RGC 32
Sunday 3rd April 2022
Three yellow cards, 4 tries and a dramatic late penalty were all part of 80 minutes in which RGC claimed another away win at league leaders Newport, Having beat them back in November in the cup, RGC headed south knowing they were unbeaten in the Indigo Group Premiership.
RGC started on the front foot and Afon Bagshaw went close but was held up on the line, but the visitors did open the score minutes later with a Dion Jones penalty.
The Gogs were making some good yard with Danny Cross taking the ball into the defensive line
Newport then grabbed the first try of the game after some good work down the wing for Geraint O’Driscoll to touch down. Matt O’Brien added the extras.
Matters were made even more difficult for RGC when Bryn Jones was given a yellow card.
The crowd began to raise the noise levels, and Newport went close when an O’Brien penalty hit the post from distance.
Newport then got the maul going, but it was held up by some good RGC defensive work.
Pressure was building and seconds later Newport knocked on with the try line in sight, but again fail to take the chance when it looked on.
Those missed opportunities were made to look worse in the 27th minute when RGC regained possession.
Dion Jones put a deft kick over the Newport’s defence for Bagshaw to collect and set the Gogs onto the attack. The ball was well worked wide and Zach Clow went over for the try. Dion Jones hit a superb conversion as RGC lead 10-7.
Newport then built more pressure on the RGC line, and the infringements came thick and fast for RGC
Rhys Williams was yellow carded for RGC and minutes later Newport had scored with a Matthew Powell try, O’Brien converted.
The Newport fly half then grabbed a try of his own when the space opened up and Newport attacked. He converted to make it 21-10 with a few minutes left of the half.
A frantic 40 minutes ended with the Gogs getting back on the scoreboard. Dion Jones and Afon Bagshaw combined to set up Rhys Tudor who did well to finish.
The second half began with Newport finding gaps with ball in hand and RGC and making some good yards. It wasn’t long before they got the bonus point try when winger Matthew Powell stepped a couple of RGC tackles and touched down. The boot of O’Brien was again on target.
RGC were having to work hard as Newport spread the ball and attacked with pace, with Dan Owen and Jordan Jones both making some important tackles.
The Gogs needed to get back into the game and Dion Jones created an opportunity by kicking into space before Bagshaw collected the ball on the bounce to score. Jones hit the conversion
Momentum shifted and RGC took the lead when the driving maul powered over and Brodie Coghlan came up with the ball and the bonus point try before Dion Jones kicked the extras.
Newport were a point down and soon to be a man down when they were shown a yellow-carded on the 62nd minute.
Much of the game was then spent in the Newport half but RGC were unable to put any more points on the board.
The last 5 minutes of the game summed up the previous 75 minutes as Newport broke down the field with Jack Wright before he was tap tackled by Dion Jones, but managed to offload the ball, Afon Bagshaw then knocked the ball on and was yellow carded. This all resulted in a penalty chance which O’Brien took under pressure to give his side the lead with minutes remaining.
That was not the end of it, as from the restart RGC managed to work the ball and were given a penalty chance themselves.
This time the pressure was on Dion Jones, and he delivered the match-winning kick to silence a vocal home support.