The magnificent South pack nullify Newport!

South took the field in sunny Shropshire aware that Forton Road has not been a happy hunting ground since arriving in this league in 2006. Determination to erase that statistic was evident from as early as the warm up as South went through their routines in clinical fashion.
Keiran Stone was replaced by Rhod McNaughton, Gareth Kerr by Will Cave, Connor Smith moving out one position to enable the return of Andy Gates at No 12. Simon Johnson and Lee Miller came into the back row with Josh McLaurin, Demo Gonsalves and Dave Weston making up the bench.
Aaron Langan was also in attendance and it was good to see a number of the executive attending – shame the chairman couldn’t make it.

On probably the nicest afternoon of the week weatherwise South kicked off down the slope and immediately put the home side under considerable pressure courtesy of the South juggernaut rolling maul. Pressure didn’t turn into points immediately as South were penalised in midfield and Newport’s kiwi fly half Hawkins converted a penalty to take the home side into the lead.
South came back with the forwards doing the hard yards to create a platform
enabling Joe Glover and Mark Lord to control the game. From a series of scrummages, penalties and line outs South dominated and the ball was moved left quickly for Sam Greasley to go over for his sixth try so far this season with not a forward in the backline after a least six phases! Glover couldn’t, however, add the conversion.
Newport came back as South were again penalised in midfield although Hawkins missed his attempt at a penalty goal.
Back came the South rolling maul and dominance in the scrums. Newport had no answer to the considerable forward pressure as Chris Bale controlled the ball and plunged over as South propelled the Newport eight back over their own line for a pushover try, Glover added a straight forward conversion for South to lead 12-3.
The visitors immediately then went to sleep and failed to tackle “ first up” in broken play following some poor defensive kicking. The result was two well taken tries by Clymer and Mann, both run in under the posts and both converted by Hawkins. Now leading 17-12 Newport were back in the game.
South woke from their slumbers and forced the home side back again with the forwards again doing the hard yards to enable Connor Smith to go over via Gareth Clarkes scoring pass. Glover added the conversion with a fine kick from wide out to reach half time with a narrow 19-17 lead.

Would two point be enough going up the slope and defending the dreaded bottom right hand corner? Surely the home team would exploit their knowledge of their own pitch and bombard the South defenders in the second half.

Strangely enough didn’t try and capitalise on that tactical advantage preferring to move it wide. After a short period of Newport ascendency it was their turn to be penalised within kicking range of Joe Glover. He failed to take advantage with his first attempt, but slotted the second penalty to take South out to a five point lead. Newport made three changes in their pack, but such was South’s dominance in the scrummage area that the fresh legs still went backwards at a great rate of knots.
The home side were not done yet as Hawkins added a penalty to their total only for Glover to strike again with another penalty to restore South’s five point advantage.
The turning point in the latter part of the game came with five minutes left as Newport opted for putting a penalty kick into the bottom corner to gain an attacking position. Unfortunately for them it went directly into the in goal area and South were rewarded with a scrummage in midfield. South never let go of that advantage although last ditch tackles by Greasley and Lord were needed in order to close the game out and record South’s second only victory at Forton Road in seven attempts.

Overall the forwards were magnificent throughout although it was mighty close in the end. South played the correct tactics in the second half by keeping it close, denying the home side any meaningful possession and keeping any wayward kicking to the minimum.

Squad: Clarke, Cave, Smith, Gates, Greasley, Lord, Glover, Bale C, Johnson, Miller, Bale S, Ward, McNaughton, Coltman ©, Harris, Gonslves, McLaurin and Weston.

Andy Gates made some strong carries in midfield, however, the pack of forwards lead by the evergreen Andy Harris had their opponents in a vice like grip all afternoon so they are my collective men of the match.

The old adage that the forwards win the game and the backs decide by how many was certainly true today – long may it continue.

Hoorah!