Monday 6 January 2025 10:29
Away to Penrith 4th January 2025
Penrith 57-12 Newport
A mid-table crunch on a fast surface augured for an entertaining game between two fast-playing sides. But Penrith’s desire to avenge their narrow loss earlier in the season at Newport, combined with their immense home form and Newport having to make last minute changes, should have tempered expectation. Despite spells of exciting attacking movement in the second period, overall Newport were below par. Penrith however, were good for their win, maximised their opportunities and maintained their unblemished four-year home record.
Penrith began at full-pace, whilst Newport acclimatised gradually, running in three tries, the first with power through the middle. Penrith’s second having numbers over on their right-wing and third from a pair of quickly taken penalties. Whilst Newport looked disjointed, their endeavour looked promising; Jordan Grass’ thumping tackle winning the knock-on, Ricky Bailey’s linespeed and tackle chasing Benny Elliot’s chip and debutant Uluaki Kale’s power from the rear of the scrum, brought hope.
Indeed, an injection of energy and Newport progressed through phases to within Penrith’s 22. Kale’s break off from Newport’s maul still required him to bludgeon through two Penrith defenders before securing Newport’s first-half try. Inspired, Newport rallied, looking more dangerous in attack but more importantly shutting down Penrith’s possession, most notably George Perkins snuffing out Penrith’s breakaway from the side of their maul.
Fin Barnes then upped Newport’s tempo further by charging forward thirty yards, but Newport succumbed to the sucker-punch. Newport failed to fully consolidate their territory, Penrith exploited Newport’s mishandle and charged full length, despite Charlie Gamble’s monster-tackle, to sour Newport’s revival just before the break.
Penrith’s portentous first minute try after the restart, with no effective Newport tackle, was illustrative of what was to come. Newport, then reduced to fourteen and in mid-reorganisation, allowed Penrith another. But Newport had been spritelier with the ball in hand and when Bailey interchanged with Elliot, his long pass found Gamble with space to run, and that he did, over Penrith’s tryline at the corner.
Penrith unperturbed worked through two more tries before Newport found new momentum, but again suffered another counter-attacking sucker-punch when losing possession high up the pitch. A kicked clearance and two fly-kicks later, Penrith were under Newport’s posts to seal their ninth try and emphatic win. Whilst Newport would go on to complete the game with a much better spell, this would be too late and not enough to rescue any semblance of respectability, score-wise.
A bitter defeat for Newport, and whilst environmental factors contributed to their struggle against Penrith, Newport have work to do to recapture their form from earlier in the season. By no means unsurmountable, there were enough positives from this encounter to know Newport will turn the corner and with a series of up-coming home games; the opportunity beckons.
