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 | | Saturday, 15 September, 2001, 11:53 GMT 12:53 UK Newport stage fine recovery  New Newport scrum half Ofisa Tonu'u on the attack Neath 11-19 Newport Newport produced a tremedous comeback to seal a Celtic League quarter-final place with victory at the Gnoll. They recovered from 11-6 down to beat a battered Neath, who sufered three injuries during the course of the game. Neath had suffered a pre-match blow with fly-half Lee Jarvis failing a fitness test on his injured shoulder. The visitors had Ofisa Tonu'u making his debut with Matthew Watkins and Emyr Lewis winning the vote on the wings. The Welsh All Blacks struck first when, after a run by Barry Williams, Newport were penalised and Shaun Connor fired over a penalty. It took Newport seven minutes to draw level, when Shane Howarth fired over a 35-yard kick.
The forwards set it up with a fine drive after a Gareth Llewellyn line-out take and then Allan Bateman made a superb break in midfield. Connor was on the centre's outside and, when the full back was tackled, Bateman popped up again in support to dive over for an unconverted try. This sparked Newport into a reply and Tonu'u's tackle on Patrick Horgan led to a penalty which Howarth slotted over to make it 8-6. Referee Gareth Simmons earned the wrath of the travelling support when a sublime pass from Matt Pini was ruled forward with Emyr Lewis sprinting unmarked down the wing. And the Black & Ambers missed a great chance to take the lead when Howarth fired a straight 40-yard kick wide. Neath suffered two injury blows when fly half Horgan and prop Andrew Millward went off to be replaced by Andrew Howell and Gareth Morris.
Then, after a smart James Storey break, Connor wasted a two-man overlap as a move broke down. Newport made a change a half-time, with Nathan Brew replacing Andy Marinos, but with the wind advantage, Neath went further in front. Connor found his range from halfway, and thumped the ball over to make it 11-6. Newport, knowing their Celtic League future rested on victory, piled on the pressure, but the home defence held out until Howarth kicked three points after a Brew run was held up. The Black & Ambers' pressure was relieved slightly when Neath made a rare incursion into the opposition half, and Connor was wide with a drop goal.
Shane Williams was injured in making a clearance kick and Brew took his sliced attempt to run it back. After a superb kick and chase, Brew found support from Andrew Powell and Emyr Lewis took Jason Forster's pass to dive over. Williams was carried off as Howarth converted from the touchline to put his side 16-11 up. Newport sealed their victory when Howarth put over a short penalty and send the Black & Ambers into the Celtic League quarter-finals. Neath: S Connor; D Tiueti, A Bateman, J Storey, S Williams; P Horgan, A Moore; D Jones, B Williams, A Millward, J Slade, G Llewellyn (capt), N Bonner-Evans, B Sinkinson, R Francis. Newport: M Pini; M Watkins, A Marinos, J Pritchard, E Lewis; S Howarth, O Tonu'u; R Snow, J Richards, A Garvey, S Raiwalui (capt), M Voyle, P Buxton, J Forster, A Powell. Referee: Gareth Simmons (WRU) | |
  BBC Wales ScrumV
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