Saturday 15 February 2025 12:38
Willenhall 10pts v Newport 8pts
With a promising start against a forward orientated Willenhall, Newport second XV sought to build momentum with expansive play to stretch Willenhall’s defensive line, but soppy conditions favoured the slower game and Newport got drawn into a battle of attrition, resulting in a low scoring encounter. Willenhall’s ideal playing surface deteriorated gradually into a mushy mire and whilst Newport competed combatively to create a knife-edge finale, Willenhall’s size advantage in the scrum ultimately gave them the upper hand, particularly throughout the second half.
Newport’s fourth-minute try looked very simple. Their ball carriers, Luke Kendall, Fergus Lamb and then Will Turner harrying forward to occupy Willenhall’s big defenders then suddenly Billy Parry was sprinting on the right-wing toward Willenhall’s tryline after a rapid exchange of passes. Parry stomped over, carrying a pair of Willenhall defenders with him, the blueprint demonstrated perfectly.
In fairness, Newport attempted to keep an energetic high pace, with quickly taken penalties and Daniel Boomer stealing lineout possession but any handling errors were easily punished by Willenhall, who regained lost territory through close contact and short phases. Pressing Newport deeper, tough Newport tackling kept Willenhall at bay, then a misjudged interception attempt gave Willenhall an overload on their left wing, stealing into the corner to level.
Marsden Humphries’ redemptive tackle, dragging Willenhall’s winger into touch, gave Newport another opportunity. Newport’s quickly taken lineout was snaffled out to Parry and the dangerous break developed exponentially, but an adjudged infringement curtailed the excitement. The remaining minutes of the half became a prophesy of what was to come.
Will Turner’s penalty-kick put Newport ahead in the first moments of the second half, but Willenhall, now dominating the scrum and electing to do so with repeated penalties from five yards out, inevitably found their way through from the side of one of their many rucks. Newport had battled hard to keep Willenhall out, but now were also a player light.
Most importantly, Newport found resilience to withhold Willenhall. Willenhall battered and battered forward but could not find a way through despite their numerical advantage. And as Newport were restored to fifteen, Willenhall’s attacking kick was rounded by Humphries, whose surge forward was met with a high tackle, which in turn reduced Willenhall to fourteen.
Newport’s revival now pressed Willenhall back inviting a nervy end for an ever-increasingly vocal crowd. Newport’s prolonged attack searched for an opening and despite a scramble for the ball in Willenhall’s goal-area, the dynamism in play which brought Newport’s first try, appeared to have deserted them.
Effectively, Willenhall’s forwards won the day as Newport struggled, in soggy conditions, to increase the pace of the game. Certainly, a faster, more solid surface would have benefitted Newport, but resisting Willenhall’s force, whilst missing a player, illustrated their character and undying spirit. This gave them a platform for a reinvigorated final offensive period, which potentially could easily have overturned Willenhall, alas on this occasion; not to be.
| First half | Second Half |
| Tries Parry | Tries |
| Conversions Will Turner 0/1 | Conversions Will Turner 1/1 |
