Awooga! Awooga - Newport go west as South pile on the pressure!

South travelled to Forton Road, home of Shropshire side Newport, buoyed by their upsurge in fortune lead by charismatic coach Mitch Read. They, however, had to make a number of late changes in the back division due to injury and unavailability. In came Danny Yeow and Gaz Nicholson while forwards Chris Bale and Wes Cartwright featured at 12 and 14.

South started off at a pace taking the game to their hosts with strong forward drives. They were rewarded as early as the second minute when Mark Lord put over a penalty hard and low into the wind. Newport responded with a penalty and two well judged converted tries by their right wing. The home team playing with the wind knew the local conditions and peppered full back Yeow with high balls looking for a mistake. Danny, however, responded in kind clearing well under pressure and initiating some attacking thrusts. It was a game of contrasting styles as South made inroads through some dynamic close in ball carrying lead by Dom Green, Mike March and Max Castrogiovanni, while Newport wanted to move the ball wide at every opportunity. Newport were in the early ascendancy, but the tide began to turn on the half hour as a series of scrums put the home pack, on their own line, under severe pressure. South ground out the hard yards to put Chris Bale over for an unconverted try. For all Newport’s wide attacking play the South defence held firm with Chris Bale, Nick Childs and the ever destructive Chris Mark to the fore.

Half time South trailed 17-8, but were now with both the wind and the slope. Guided by Read’s perceptive team talk South came out in a confident mood putting the home side to the sword. Lord added a long range penalty to the South tally, Chris Bale a rampaging second try, converted by Lord to take South into the lead. Newport were blown away by the forwards who combined together to demolish their opponents both in set piece and loose play. A deft piece of handling by Yeow set up Gaz Nicholson for South’s next try expertly converted by Lord from wide on the touch line. The Newport eight were torn apart as a penalty try was awarded as the referee lost patience as they went backwards under severe pressure and popped up. Lord again added the conversion. Lord added the next try with a scything run around the much vaunted Curvengan as Newport wilted under the South pressure. He added the conversion and the coup de grace with a well judged drop goal to conclude South’s scoring - Awooga!

Just the tonic South needed and what a turn around with 109 points and 16 tries being scored in the last two games. The return of the correct tactics to get the best out a South side are to be applauded and go forward ball at will.
Newport is not an easy place to go and get a result, but it was most satisfying to pressure their much hyped backs into running sideways and making mistakes. One of their supporters suggested they played all the rugby, but I suggested he first looked at the scoreboard, then consult “ wireless” who again completely misjudged this weeks prediction on Rolling maul.com.

A second half of uncompromising, aggressive, go forward rugby from South that condemned the ground to a late eerie silence from the home crowd punctuated only by the raucous vocal support of the larger than normal South faithful.

What a grand day out!

Team: Yeow, Cartwright, Childs, Bale C, Nicholson, Lord, McFedries, Castrogiovanni, Mark C, March ©, Bale S, Antill, Bayley, Green, Mark M.

Reps: Jordan, King L.

Man of the Match : Mark Lord on the basis of a full set of scores – a try, 2 penalties, 4 conversions and a drop goal.