BBC SPORT | CELTIC | Thomas runs Newport ragged

Swansea 52-13 Newport

Newport's championship aspirations were dealt a second major blow in a week as they suffered an embarrassing defeat against Swansea.

Fly-half Arwel Thomas was the star of the show as his 32 points haul included a try, five penalties, three conversions and two drop-goals.

The result keeps Newport in second place and two points behind league leaders Llanelli, but strengthens Swansea's hopes of securing Heineken Cup qualification for next season.

After Thomas and Newport's Jason Strange had exchanged an early penalty, both sides showed promising signs of being able of developing some high-tempo attacking play.

Scoring details

Swansea (18) 52:
Tries: Martens (2), Taylor, Lima, Thomas.
Cons: Thomas (3).
Pens: Thomas (5).
Drop-goals: Thomas (2).

Newport (6) 13:
Tries: Powell.
Cons: Strange.
Pens: Strange (2).

Att: 2,500

Any hopes of breaching each other's defence, though, were often spoiled by a poor pass or a tendency to cut back inside rather than heading for the open space out wide.

The referee showed his intent of wanting an open game when he sin-binned home winger Brian Lima for killing the ball after a strong tackle on Newport's flying winger Matt Mostyn.

Strange put Newport ahead from the resulting penalty.

But any advantage the visitors thought they would enjoy for the next 10 minutes quickly disappeared when flanker Jason Forster was himself sin-binned for a professional foul.

Thomas emulated Strange in taking full advantage from the penalty to restore parity.

The match needed a flash of inspiration to come alive, and it was Swansea scrum-half who obliged as he finished off two well-worked tries.

Swansea skipper Scott Gibbs
Scott Gibbs breaks through the Newport defence
The first arrived on the half-hour mark thanks to a surging run from the back of a scrum by number eight Hywel Jenkins.

Scott Gibbs was on hand to take a short pass from Jenkins and then fed Martens some 30 meters out.

A side-step and dummy took him past the full-back to score under the posts and so gave Thomas the easy task of converting.

Martens added the second in the left corner after finishing off a pre-planned move from a line-out.

The home side were well worth their 18-6 halt-time lead, and wasted little time after the interval in adding to their advantage.

Thomas maintained his almost perfect record at the posts with another penalty and a drop goal in quick succession.

The fly-half was on targeted again as he converted a Mark Taylor try which was handed to the centre on a plate after winger Shaun Payne intercepted Andy Marinos' over-ambitious long pass.

Another Thomas penalty took the score to 34-6 and even with 25 minutes still left on the clock, there seemed no way back for Newport.

Swansea scrum-half Sililo Martens
Sililo Martens was the perfect foil for Arwel Thomas
Everything the fly-half attempted was now coming off - and his sublime kicking accuracy continued with a second drop-goal and then a penalty which took his side to the 40 point mark.

Brian Lima then scored Swansea's fourth try as he sprinted half the length of the field after collecting another loose Newport pass in midfield.

Swansea were now rampant, and Thomas completed his full scoring set with a try after collecting his own delicate chip kick near the right corner.

Newport's number eight Andy Powell grabbed a last minute consolation try to end the scoring, but the Black and Ambers were in no mood to celebrate as released they had been completed out-classed.

Swansea: K Morgan, B Lima, M Taylor, S Gibbs (capt), S Payne, A Thomas, S Martens, D Morris, G Jenkins, B Evans, T Maullin, L Jones, H Jenkins, G Lewis, D Thomas.
Reps: R Jones, G Henson, S Winn, P Dunkley, J Marsters, J Bater, J Thomas.

Newport: E Lewis; M Mostyn, A Marinos, M Watkins, B Breeze; J Strange, L Lane; C Jones, P Young, C Anthony, S Raiwalui (capt), I Gough, P Buxton, J Forster, A Powell.
Reps: A Garvey, J Richards, R Snow, M Voyle, J Powell, M Pini, J Pritchard.

Referee: N Williams (WRFU)


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