WELSH PREMIERSHIP Newport (18) 33 Tries: A Cadwallader, S Williams, O Tonu'u, S Raiwalui. Cons: P Montgomery (2). Pens: Montgomery (3). Llanelli (13) 13 Tries: Pen. Con: G Bowen. Pen: Bowen. DG: M Phillips. Att: 5,894

The sides will be very different at the Millennium Stadium on 3 May, though, as both coaches rested key players for this league clash.

Newport fielded six of the team that started their Cup semi on Saturday, Llanelli just two, for a match that took the Black and Ambers to joint second in the table.

The Scarlets briefly took the lead in the first half, but Leigh Jones' team rallied and shut the visitors out in the second period, ending with four tries to the visitors' one.

An impressive crowd of almost 6,000 saw Newport's semi-final hero Percy Montgomery open the scoring with a third minute penalty, cancelled out by young scrum-half Mike Phillips' drop goal.

Montgomery's second penalty was followed by a Llanelli penalty try, but Newport regained the lead after 24 minutes and never relinquished it.

It was a good exercise to ease some of us back into action and to give the youngsters a game Andy Marinos

Captain Simon Raiwalui rounded off good approach work by number eight Steve Ojomoh to score Newport's opening try, and although Bowen kicked a penalty, centre Scott Williams sprinted through a gap for another Newport touchdown.

Newport lost their Welsh international centre Jason Jones-Hughes with a rib injury at half-time, but that gave Andy Marinos his first appearance for three months and he played an instrumental role in keeping Newport driving forward.

Llanelli's defence held up well for much of the second period, but wing Alex Cadwallader's superb solo dash put Newport clear.

Ofisa Tonu'u finished off the job, with Montgomery adding another penalty and conversion.

"The guys did well against a youthful and very energetic Llanelli side," said Marinos after the game.

"It was a good exercise to ease some of us back into action and to give the youngsters a game."

Newport: P Montgomery; A Cadwallader, J Jones-Hughes, S Williams, N Brew; J Strange, O Tonu'u; D Pattison, J Richards, R Thomas, S Raiwalui (capt), M Veater, A Powell, G Gravell, S Ojomoh.
Replacements: A Garvey, P Young, L Charteris, R Jones, D Llewellyn, A Marinos, B Breeze.

Llanelli: B Davies; W Proctor, N Boobyer, T Selley, S Finau; G Bowen, M Phillips; P John, A Gravelle, J Davies, B Griffiths, P Clapham, J Cudmore, I Boobyer, G Williams.
Replacements: N Williams, Yelland, Jenkins, Cunningham, Walters, Lewis, G Evans.

Ref: Phil Fear (WRU)