Their 24-6 defeat was only their second of the season, and once again came in Gwent, but still leaves them with the opportunity to end the regular league season as the top dogs. With a home draw in the play-off semi-finals only a point away they have a game in hand on the new leaders and are only four points adrift.
The Black & Ambers underlined their credentials to be considered major contenders for their first title since 2004 with a commanding performance in wet and windy conditions. Their 12th win in a row also confirmed a home draw in the semi-finals.
“We’re normally two high-tempo teams, but it ended up being a bit of a slug fest because of the weather,” said Newport forwards coach Sam Hobbs.
“We’re under no illusions, this was probably a phoney war because the real games are going to be in the play-offs in a month’s time.
“We’ve put a lot of work into our defensive line-out play and that kept us in the game. Then the impact from our bench made a difference.
“Momentum going into the end of the season is huge and you can’t underestimate the impact of our whole squad. We’ve rested and rotated a few boys, and some have gone into the Dragons set-up in the last few weeks, but everyone who has come in has shown they are capable of playing at this level.
“Selection is going to be really tight come the play-offs. We’ve got two big games to finish off our league season and then anything can happen in the play-offs and the top four have all beaten each other.”
The injury to Davies will mean a change to Llandovery coach Euros Evans’ thinking ahead of the WRU Premier Cup final against Merthyr at Principality Stadium on Sunday 7 April. His likely replacement, Jack Maynard, kicked their only points in Newport with two penalties.
Those kicks gave the Drovers an early lead with the wind, but it was the home side who came on strong in the end to secure the win they needed to leapfrog the Drovers at the top of the table.
Che Hope’s quick thinking from a tap penalty saw him lead the charge from just inside the Drovers’ half before finding his half-back partner Matt O’Brien, who finished with aplomb to notch his side’s first try midway through the opening period.
As influential as ever, O’Brien went on to convert all three tries and kick a penalty to end the game with a tally of 14 points.
Hope then showed his turn of speed to latch onto a kick up field from just inside his own half by Iwan Pyrs Jones’ to slide in for his side’s second in the left corner. Newport’s victory was then sealed five minutes before the end when a clinical catch-and-drive move from a lineout deep in Llandovery’s twenty-two led to Henry Palmer notching his 10th try of the campaign.
That capped a performance that gained revenge for Newport’s defeat at Church Bank in November – their last defeat.
Scorers: Newport: Tries: C Hope, M O’Brien, H Palmer; Cons: M O’Brien 3; Pen: M O’Brien. Llandovery: Pens: J Maynard 2
