Monday 5 October 2026 09:27
Newport travelled to Leicestershire in confident mood boasting the best away record in the division last season and buoyed by their opening day victory over Lichfield last weekend. That win looks even better given the Staffordshire sides mauling of Oxford Harlequins, most people’s pre-season favourites to take the title, on Saturday
The visitors were without Will Galbraith (shoulder) and skipper Ricky Bailey (groin) due to injury but were pleased to see George Boughey, recovered from the illness that kept him out last week whilst Henry Williams came in for his first start to replace Bailey. Tom Clifford was also selected at 8.
A delayed arrival due to a collision on the M6 resulted in a restricted warm up and things didn’t get any better when Charlie Gamble was yellow-carded in the first minute of the game for taking out his opposite number in the air, lucky in the eyes of some not to suffer a harsher punishment. Careless, not reckless, others would argue?
Despite being reduced in numbers Newport were able to stifle any threat that Lutterworth were able to mount and when they won an early penalty it was an easy decision to take the three points on offer for a narrow lead after twelve minutes. Lutterworth were struggling in the line-out especially on their own ball where Jake Goulson and Boughey seemed able to steal possession almost at will preventing the home side from exerting any real pressure by restricting their possession.
Port then went the length of the field from a scrum in their own twenty-two, Billy Dinning, Jake Reynolds and Charlie Pugh all being involved before Ingram went under the posts for a spectacular score, Ingram adding the conversion to his own try to make it 0 – 10 after sixteen minutes.
Lutterworth then enjoyed a bit more of the ball but they were met with several good hits in defence, particularly from John Tuia, Clifford and Tom Furnival. Both teams were guilty of not looking after the ball meaning neither were able to exert any consistent pressure but then from nothing Reynolds made a superb one-handed interception on half way and raced in unopposed to give Ingram an easy conversion and extend their lead to 0 – 17 with half-time rapidly approaching but with one last penalty to the right-hand corner the home side did at last manage to secure one of their own line outs and Simon Johnson was driven over from short range, Alfie Dorrington converting to bring Lutterworth back into the game 7 – 17 at the break.
The second period had only just got under way when Williams, who had a fine game, scythed through the home defence, handing on to Elliot Dolphin to cross the whitewash for Newport’s third, Ingram converting to put Newport back in the driving seat at 7 – 24. Far too many times Newport looked threatening but couldn’t complete before Tuia, Boughey and Gamble combined well putting Reynolds in for another, Ingram added the extras and Newport led 7 – 31 after fifty-nine minutes.
Finn Barnes had replaced Will Turner midway through the first half and now it was Oliver Bird, Luke Kendall, Henry Longfellow and Chris Lindsey’s turn to enter from the bench replacing Mike Adams, Tom Clarke, Ingram and Tuia respectively.
Having secured the four try bonus point the coaching team would probably have liked to see Newport close down the game and take home the 7 – 31 victory but Lutterworth weren’t prepared to throw in the towel and two quick converted tries, the first by Noah Green, from an interception as Newport tried to attack from deep and then a second score of the day for Johnson who muscled his way over from a catch and drive. That made it 21 – 31 and the home side had their sights on, if not the win, certainly a bonus point or two.
Newport, however, soon put that idea to bed when, after Goulson had stolen yet another Lutterworth line out in the danger zone Clifford galloped away up the middle making excellent ground that caused chaos in the home ranks, the ball eventually being spun left where Bird was loitering, drawing the last man and putting Reynolds in for his third of the afternoon, Dolphin striking an excellent conversion from wide out on a day when not a single shot at goal was missed.
That was the last of the action and Newport returned home with all five points, one of only four teams to have won their opening two games. A tough assignment awaits next Saturday when they return to the Old Showground to take on Bromsgrove with a 3pm kick-off
