The Black & Ambers will also be keen to avenge the defeat earlier in the season at the Brewery Field in a controversial match in which Newport scrum-half Andrew Quick was tackled and punched. He retaliated assisted by 2nd row Dafydd Rosser.
Players from both sides then joined in but the referee double yellow carded Newport rather than a player from each side which many at the time thought should have been the decision. In fact later this was confirmed as to be the correct decision and Rosser’s yellow card was rescinded.
The double carding effectively killed the game with Newport going 15-0 down after 17 mins before they got back to 15 men and then 29-3 down after 27 mins before they got their heads back up and recovered their composure.
In the end they narrowly went down 35-42 thanks mainly to the outstanding Bridgend MOM match Matthew Morgan on loan from the Ospreys.
Newport and Bridgend first played each other in November 1879 at Rodney Parade when Newport won by 4g, 2t to 0. Since then they have played each other 122 times with Newport on 64 wins and Bridgend on 52 and 6 drawn matches but the Premier league record is evenly matched at P41 W20 D1 L20 : F1013 A959.
Newport G O’Driscoll, O Broad, D Robinson, D Franchi, E Frewen, T Hancock, R Downes, D Pattison, R Prosser, G Robinson (capt), D Rosser, R Jones, B Lampitt, C Attwell, R Coombs.
Reps : D Rogers, J Jeune, J Sullivan, C Everett, A Awcock, A Quick, J Leadbeater, N Williams.
Bridgend 1. Jon Thomas 2. Chris Francis 3. Owen Williams 4. Shaun O’Rourke 5. Owain Lloyd 6. Jonathan Vaughan (c) 7. Lloyd Evans 8. Scott Hicks 9. Glenn Holloway 10. Lewis Williams 11. Glen Lewis 12. Sam Campbell 13. Nathan Edwards 14. Robin Lock 15. Jamie Murphy
Replacements: 16. Matthew Llewellyn 17. Dan Suter 18. Alex Jones 19. Andrew Waite 20. David Griggs 21. A. N Other 22. Rhys Thomas 23. Ben Thomas
