"NEWPORT RFC"
"The Cup holders may be regarded as lucky by some followers in other clubs to reach the final again this season but Newport state they are mentally tuned to the Cup tie approach which is all about resilience, the ability to take one's chances and not make mistakes. They have done just that and surprised clubs who were confident of beating them, especially Pontypridd and Aberavon, and now believe that can account for Swansea in today's seventh final of the modern series."
"Newport are Cup experts, as they were back in the last Century when they won five times in a possible ten years, and they also appeared in two other finals which is not a bad record. It created a tradition which Newport have attempted to follow in recent years and having won the trophy last season, when they beat Cardiff by a mere point, they intend to hold on to it. They like the look of it, in the spacious and attractive Rodney Parade trophy room, and the men on duty today are more determined than ever."
"Newport's Cup matches have a touch of El Alamein about them; magnificent defence and occasional attack until their opponents tire and then the coup-de-grace but today they will find Swansea similarly minded as they too have had a nerve racking journey to the final. Yet that is how it should be, since if cup matches were all one-sided affairs there would be no fun for spectators or "heart stoppers" for committee men, and several battle-scarred officials from Swansea and Newport have admitted in recent weeks that it has been a season for tranquillisers!"
"The Rev. F. Marshall's book states, "The football section of the Newport Athletic Club, took its origin in the autumn of the year 1874 and, like Swansea, so it is said, started as an association football section that soon changed to rugby with its first match against its great rivals, Cardiff, who have now met officially on 337 occasions!"
"Newport, as one of the oldest of Welsh clubs, has many claims to fame and was the inspiration of the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union; once fielded an all international side, and launched floodlights in modern rugby in Wales, besides providing more than one hundred international players for Wales and a few for the other home countries with even one for South Africa. You name it; Newport have done it!"
"Strictly an amateur club, it has figured in a couple of "incidents" when its unwavering approach was challenged, in the presentation of the deeds of a house to Arthur "Monkey" Gould, the last of the "single" centres and the first of the "pairs" for Wales in the last century, player, referee, selector and administrator, the first of rugby's personality "cult". Again with the awarding of watches to their invincible side of 1922-23, to which Scotland objected on behalf of Neil Macpherson. Yet these were but small upsets in over 100 years of devotion to the game in which present "veterans" Nick Carter, Alf Panting and company follow in the footsteps of Horace Lyne, Ruchard Mullock, Tommy Vile, Vincent Griffiths and Bill Everson."
"Newport have always been staid in administration and never really flashy on the field, preferring steady, effective play and the taking of chances. This season they had a rather "rough" match in the First Round against Llanharan with players from both sides ordered from the field. In Round Two, a suburb of Cardiff, Rhiwbina, travelled to Rodney Parade and made the welkyn ring before the chief of the giant killers, Abercynon, worried them in the Third Round."
"Newport still appeared a little uncertain and when Pontypridd put them on the defensive for long periods in the Fourth Round, even staunch Newportonians felt it was "all over", yet the side defended superbly and won 9-7 to meet Aberavon in the semi-final. This is known now as the "monsoon match" and while Aberavon had more of the ball, Newport scored more points. That is what Cup football is all about, so they must have something!"
"J. B. G.Thomas."
The match itself:-
After narrow wins against Pontypridd and Aberavon few gave Newport much chance to win the final and so it was to be when Newport could win little possession in the final against a strong Swansea side. However, full credit to Newport who absorbed tremendous presssure and kept the score very respectable. Newport only conceded 3 tries in their 6 Cup games and the only try of the final came as a result of Swansea prop Phil Llewellyn deflecting a throw-in to hooker Jeff Herdman who dashed over from 10yds. David Richards dropped a goal from a pass that bounced twice and Gareth Jenkins dropped a goal from an indirect penalty tap. Roger Blythe put over Swansea?s other points with a penalty and Chris Webber scored all of Newport?s points with 3 penalties.
David Richards was awarded the Lloyd Lewis Memorial Trophy as MOM, beating Roger Blythe by 1 vote, in a disappointing match for the 37,500 people who had paid a record ?80,000. Alan Meredith commented ?I don?t think either team played at their best.?