History of Newport RFC :: 1874

Newport possessed the more skilful players on display at Rodney Parade on this day but they were not able to cope with the size, force and speed of their opposition. The South African XV was a much more physical outfit.

After a bright start, Newport conceded two tries in the first half. A G Stegmann scored after a cross-field kick from de Villiers and this was quickly followed up by a brilliant individual score from Stegmann. Second Row Morkel converted and the half time score was to remain unchanged throughout the rest of the match. Charles Pritchard and George Boots led the Newport forwards retaliation heroically but to no effect.

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The Times of 29th October 1906 reported as follows:-

"RUGBY UNION RULES."

"NEWPORT v. THE SOUTH AFRICANS."

"The South Africans gained a notable triumph on Saturday at Newport, when they beat the Newport team by one goal and one try to nothing. It was a remarkable match in many ways. The South Africans found the Newport forwards the hardest and cleverest pack against which they had so far played; and remembering the forward strength of some of the English county teams, this in itself was a severe test for the colonial team. But, while often losing the ball in actual scrummage work, the South Africans were as quick as, if not quicker, than their opponents in the loose, and when it came to back play they outclassed Newport. Behind a strenuous lot of forwards, from whom they had no help in the way of heeling, the South African backs again demonstrated their quality alike in pace, kicking, passing and infinite resource. Nothing could have surpassed the choice play behind the scrummage, which produced the two tries in the first quarter of an hour. In each case, the half-backs initiated the movement; it was developed in one instance by J. D. Krige, in the other by J. D. Krige and H. A. de Villiers, and A. Stegmann delivered the final attack, sweeping through the remnants of the defence to secure the tries. Douglas Morkel placed the first goal; his kick from the second try failed. These two pieces of play were in every degree worthy of deciding the match. Afterwards it was a tremendous fight. The Newport men were terribly hard pressed in defence for the rest of the first half, but in the second half they had rather the better of the football, that is, they were more often the attacking side. The Newport forwards were the best scrummagers one has seen for a long time. They moved as one man when they had the ball at their feet in dribbling rushes; they did not overdo their heeling, and when they heeled it was quickly done, as heeling to be profitable must be. It was one of the best, if not the best, of the ten matches which have been played by the South Africans."

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BLACK & WHITE a British illustrated weekly periodical published between 1891 and 1912 reported the game on 3rd November 1906 with the two action photographs shown above:-

"Contrary to the expectations of even some of their warmest admirers, the "Springboks" won their first Welsh match on Saturday, this making their tenth successive victory of the tour. Up to the present their record is 240 points scored against 10. The game was a stubborn one on both sides. The Colonials commenced with an irresistible onslaught, scoring their 8 points in the first fifteen minutes. The New Zealanders against Newport last year scored 6 points to 3."

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The Penny Illustrated Paper & Illustrated Times of 3rd November 1906 reflected on the South Africans as follows:-

"Judging by the form that the South Africans have shown in recent matches they have none too rosy an outlook for the forthcoming international matches, the first of which is with Scotland on November 17. True, they beat Middlesex and Newport by superiority behind the scrummage, the margin in their favour in these matches being 9 points and 8 points respectively. But it is not a little curious that they should have met backs quite unable to press home the advantages that the British forwards obtained. It is almost incredible that such able exponents as Newport should not accept their opportunites, but such was the case last Saturday, and the famous 'border' club suffered defeat by one goal and one try to nil."

"Such a splendid judge of the game as A. J. Gould expressed his surprise at the tremendous speed of the South African three-quarters, and the old Welsh crack can be relied upon to give an unbiased opinion. Forward, the South Africans have been held in many of the recent matches, and it says much for the capabilities of their back division that they have done so well. Singularly enough, they have a reinforcement coming over in Joubert, who is a full-back, whereas it is undoubtedly in the forward section that they need strengthening. Joubert is spoken of as a remarkable back, but if he is better than Marsburg, he must, indeed, be a wonder."