Newport 36 - Malvern 21
May
With several changes and perhaps the youngest first team pack fielded for some time, Malvern travelled to Newport for a North Midlands Cup semi-final last Saturday. With a gusting wind making life difficult all game, the Malvern side began brightly, taking play to the Newport 22 metre line, winning a line-out. A maul was followed by scrum half Tom Longley nipping through on the blind side for a 2nd minute try, which Adam Dixon converted. Newport then got into gear and won a line-out for their scrum half to jink through some poor defending to score, the conversion levelling the scores. Dixon put Malvern ahead again with a penalty in the 9th minute, then three minutes later Matt Williams started a pick and go move, with the ball being released to Richard Fleming, whose break set up a James Southall try.
Midway through the half Newport’s forwards started to pop the ball up well with several phases taking them deep into Malvern territory, and they were rewarded with a second converted try to take them within one point of Malvern. The visitors kept up the pressure, against the strong wind, and a 37th minute penalty from Dixon stretched the lead, only for Newport to reply with one on the stroke of half time.
With the elements now in Malvern’s favour the travelling support expected to see more scores, but the Newport coach changed the home tactics, so that their forwards retained the ball and played a much tighter game. Dixon put over another penalty in the 51st minute, but the Shropshire side started to dominate the forward game, their better drilled unit out-scrummaging the lighter Malvern pack. A 15 minute spell saw them run in three unanswered tries to take the honours and go forward to the final.
Malvern’s youngsters will have learned much from the game, which also gave some Academy members a taste of first XV rugby.
