Wednesday 12 November 2025 10:37
Newport travelled to their illustrious neighbours on a near perfect day for a match that despite being early in the season already had a look of giving promotion indicators with the hosts sitting top of the division and Newport two points behind in third place. The large crowd weren’t disappointed with what they were to witness as the two teams went head-to-head in what proved to be high octane stuff throughout.
Benny Elliot returned to the side at full-back whilst Mike Adams had recovered from illness to take up the hooker berth. George Perkins was another returning to the side following injury whilst plans to give Joe Parkin his first start at scrum half were scuppered when he was taken ill late on Friday. Jack Ingram came up from the bench and was replaced there by Callum Cload.
Stour put Newport under immediate pressure when they claimed possession from their own kick-off but Newport’s defence held firm as it did for virtually all of the afternoon repelling everything that the hosts tried to throw at them.
Ricky Bailey and Charlie Pugh both made good half-breaks but were quickly closed down by a Stour defence that was proving equally resolute as that of their visitors. Jake Goulson, who had an outstanding game that saw him dominant at the line-outs, saved Newport’s bacon when he won a vital turnover penalty just ten metres out from the Newport line as it remained scoreless after fifteen minutes play.
That was soon to change when Tim Waqadau was taken out high allowing Elliot to put the resultant penalty into the home twenty-two. Goulson took the line out and with the backs joining in the fun the pack drove Adams fully fifteen metres to register the first score and with Elliot landing a tricky conversion Newport led 0 – 7 after sixteen minutes.
Elliot had a chance to extend the lead when Stour conceded a turnover penalty trying to run it back after a long kick into the home twenty-two but he pushed the attempt wide to the right. Play continued at a frantic pace but chances were few and far between with most of the rugby being played between both twenty-two’s.
Perkins then broke down the right but couldn’t find the supporting Charlie Gamble with his attempted pass only for the exact same scenario to play out again moments later. Chris Taylor made a crucial steal before being replaced by Rhys Morgan who again made an immediate impact with his typical barn-storming runs. Sam Gibson was also showing why he is such an exciting young prospect before injury forced him off to be replaced by Luke Kendall. Stourbridge were coming more and more into the game and after multiple phases had sucked in the Port defence they created enough space out wide to get over in the right-hand corner. The difficult conversion was missed which signalled the end of a frantic first half with the score 5 – 7.
The first play of the second half saw Stour awarded a penalty which was well slotted to put them into the lead for the only time in the entire game at 8 – 7 but as such it was short-lived. Port won a penalty which took them to within fifteen of the home line, Morgan again proving difficult to haul down. As the ball was released right Waqadau floated a lovely long pass to Gamble who touched down unopposed in the corner to regain the advantage 8 – 12 after forty-five minutes.
An outrageous Kendall dummy didn’t quite work out as planned as he was swallowed up in midfield before a quick tap and go from Ingram came to nought as he was isolated and conceded the penalty for not releasing. Port were then pinged again and Stour took the easy three to narrow the deficit to just one point with fifty- six minutes played. Taylor then replaced Morgan who had produced a significant cameo.
Callum Cload then came on for Elliot and no sooner had he taken to the field he was breaking a tackle thirty out and scampering in under the posts for Elliot Dolphin to tack on the simplest of conversions to make it 11 – 19 and more significantly a two score cushion but there was still eighteen minutes to play and the result still very much up in the air especially when after a set of repeat penalties Stour crashed over in the corner to make it 16 – 19 after sixty-six minutes.
Stourbridge then blew two clear cut chances when it looked easier to score than not but they spilled the ball in the tackle brought on by some desperate Newport defending. There was then a rare Newport sortie into Stour territory and a fine Waqadau break. Morgan re-entered the fray when Fin Barnes was taken out with a high tackle that saw a yellow card issued to Jess Smith who clearly was looking for revenge having just emerged from a bout of handbags with John Tuia, who was absolutely outstanding on the day.
Stour then had a chance to go for the draw when they won a penalty but it would have been a difficult kick and instead chose to put the ball into the corner and go for the try that would win it. To sum up their day they put the kick into touch-in-goal` rather than it’s intended destination. There was one last play to come, a line out on Newport’s throw which they managed to secure and put the ball out to seal a memorable victory and make it three from three in the only three league outings against Stourbridge.
This result sees the top three shuffle position with Bournville now heading the division, Newport second just one point behind and Stourbridge now dropping to third again just the one point behind Port. Very tight and competitive, a real quality advertisement for rugby at this level.
Yet more crazy RFU scheduling means Newport have another week’s break before taking on Nuneaton at home on 22 nd November when kick-off reverts to 2.15pm
Written by: Chris Wilde