Despite being injury ravaged, the Black and Ambers completely dominated the game against a poor Parc y Scarlets outfit who offered very little.
The home side’s forwards bossed the game from start to finish in a display that was in stark contrast to the insipid effort in the 29-16 defeat to Bedwas away just seven days earlier.
Newport annihilated the visitors in the scrum, Llanelli unable to build any momentum or gain a foothold in the game. The hosts’ backs also showed flashes of real brilliance and the failure to get a bonus point victory was down to the final pass just not going to hand or a desperate tackle saving the day when the West Walians were more or less on their knees.
Newport got off to a great start with what should have been a spectacular try in the opening two minutes after a fantastic run by wing wizard Elliot Frewen found Owen Davies, the scrum half brought down just inches from the Llanelli try line. The visitors’ openside Duane Eager was yellow carded for killing the ball at the ruck but the Black and Ambers infringed at the ensuing scrum.
The hosts’ early pressure was however rewarded when full back Geraint O’Driscoll put over a straight forward penalty. But their lead was short lived after opposite number Frazier Climo equalised for Llanelli with one of his own.
A lovely break by centre Jamie Murphy eventually led to a fine try for outside half Julian Mogg as the home side showed great patience to go through the phases, O’Driscoll’s conversion giving them a 10-3 lead after 19 minutes. But Climo closed the gap with two quick fire penalties as Llanelli clung on despite being under intense pressure at the scrum.
Newport were playing some attractive rugby but the final pass or a needless infringement prevented them building momentum, the impressive Frewen often causing chaos for the desperately defending West Walians.
Referee Gwyn Morris lost patience with the Llanelli scrum on the stroke of half time after it collapsed once again, tighthead Aled Hopkins being sent to the sin bin. O’Driscoll’s penalty struck the posts, just about summing up Newport’s luck as they led by just a point at the interval when they should have started racking up a cricket score.
Another fine piece of play by Murphy put Llanelli under all sorts of pressure early in the second half but again they failed to finish the move off from his break, Frewen also going on another super run. O’Driscoll did put them 16-9 up with two penalties, the last after Llanelli second row Ed Price was yellow carded for infringing at a ruck.
Again Climo kept the visitors in the game with his fourth penalty in the 58th min.
There must have been fears that Newport might somehow blow it by allowing Llanelli to hit them from deep to consign them to another narrow and numbing defeat at the death. But their frazzled nerves were eased when Murphy was put through a gap by Mogg to score a try just three minutes from time to make it safe, converted by O’Driscoll.
With Llanelli’s resistance broken, there was still time for Mogg to bag his second try in a breathless denouement, O’Driscoll again adding the extras. Newport went in search of a bonus point victory but it was Llanelli who got the final score with the last move of the game when blindside Roy Osborn crossed for a converted try to give the score a veneer of respectability for his side.
