"NEWPORT V BARBARIANS - At Newport, in dull weather, and before 7,000 spectators. Newport were without England, Phillips and Hannan. The Barbarians included ten internationals. In the first half play was very even, both sides attacking in turn. The visitors passed splendidly, and looked like scoring just after the start. Newport then played better, and after a round of passing W. L. Thomas scored, no goal resulting. Half-time score: Newport 1 try, Barbarians 0. After the restart the game was very open. W. L. Thomas again scored for Newport, but Gould failed at the goal. Watts was next to score under the posts, Gould converting. Newport continued to have the best of the game, and Arthur Gould next got in, but failed at goal. Nothing further was scored, and Newport thus won by 2 goals and 3 tries to 0."
A much more full report was carried by the Western Mail of the same date:
"NEWPORT v. BARBARIANS"
"This match was played at the Newport ground on Wednesday. The attendance was not, of course, so large as on the previous day when Newport played Rockcliff. Nevertheless, the stands were well filled. Both teams were obliged to make alterations in their composition. Owing to the injury sustained on Tuesday, England was unable to take to the field, and C. J. Thomas officiated in his place. The Usksiders were, however, fortunate in securing the services of W. L. Thomas, the Oxford three-quarter, while Pook took the place of Hannan amongst the forwards. The Barbarians' team was completely changed. At three-quarter, Thompson, of Rockcliff, was away, and S. M. J. Woods (Somerset) took his old position in the forwards, the vacancies being filled by T. W. Pearson (Cardiff) and T. P. Alexander, of Rockcliff, W. P. Carpnael, Rogers, and Lohden were unable to appear, the latter having been injured in the Cardiff match, and their places were taken by Woods, Cookson, of Oxford, and Tucker of Cambridge. The representation, therefore, of the team was weaker than that which played the Welsh Metropolitans. The teams that took the field at 2:40 as follow:-"
"Barbarians; Back, H. B. T. Boucher (Somerset); three-quarter backs, F. R. Alderson (Hartlepool Rovers), T. P. Alexander (Rockcliff), P. R. Clanes (Oxford), and T. W. Pearson (Cardiff); half backs, R. H. Cattell (Oxford) and C. M. Wells (Cambridge); forwards, P. F. Hancock (Somerset), P. Maud (Blackheath), F. Soan (Somerset), F. O. Stokes (Ireland), W. Cope (Blackheath), Cookson (Oxford), S. M. J. Woods (Somerset), and Tucker (Cambridge). Newport:- Back, C. J. Thomas; three-quarter backs, W. G. James, A. J. Gould (Captain), F. H. Dauncey and W. L. Thomas; half backs, F. C. Parfitt and Mat Hannen; forwards, T. C. Graham, A. W. Boucher, H Packer, H. T. Day, T. Pook, W. Groves, W.H. Watts and T. Newcombe."
"Boucher kicked off for Newport, and Pearson returned into touch at the centre. A forward game was played, and both sides in turn showed some good passing out. Wells, the English International, was exceedingly smart in throwing out. The visiting three-quarters gave their transfers with neatness and great effect, their passing being low and easy. The home tackling was severely tested for a time with fast rushes on the part of the Barbarians. Boucher, their back, several times failed to do what was wanted when the ball came to him. At length, by a few punts to touch, Newport got in to the visitors' territory, and a big punt up by Pearson sent the ball to Charlie Thomas, whose return was taken by Woods with a free, but no advantage was gained. Both backs and forwards were playing a very hot and dangerous game. Newport got the ball oftener from the line-out than the visitors, and after one such bout, started by Packer, then to Pook and Boucher, the Barbarians' 25 was reached. At the heel of a scrum, Parfitt threw to Gould, who made a grand opening, and then transferred to Thomas, the Oxford man, who was playing on the right wing. He put on a rare turn of speed, and dashed in with a corner try, which Graham failed to convert. From the drop out a fast centre game waged. Thomas after getting possession, kicked up to the Barbarians' line, and Pook dashing after it collared the visitors' back a yard from the goal mark. The great danger was averted by a strong dribble out by the visitors' front contingent, and after a few bursts on either side Maud got a flying kick to touch in the home half. Groves, Newcombe, and Graham, however, relieved with a grand dribble, Newcombe, more than once being very conspicuous with foot work. A few exchange kicks left play in the visitors' half, where Woods made a mark and relieved to touch at the centre. In mid-field a very hot forward battle was again waged, tackling and rushing on both sides being very quick. The game altogether was a thunderingly hot one. Packer and Day got away from a scrum in the home half, and between them gave the other side a lot to go on with, the visitors' full back being upset several times before he grounded the ball. Gould at length got a side opening but it was found that the ball had been knocked on, and the chance was thrown away. Half time was called. Score:-"
"Newport................1 try"
"Barbarians..............nil"
"Woods re-started after the interval and after a few exchanges Clauss got a mark, but only found touch near the centre. Loose scrums took play to the visitors' half. From a line-out, however, Clauss broke away, but Mat Hannen was soon in evidence at the heels of the home forwards, and Arthur Gould, putting in a flying kick, Pearson was run to touch in his return. Dauncey took a shot for goal, which went wide, and the Barbarians touched down. The drop out by Alderson was charged down, and Newport began to press again by strong forward play. Gould missed a dribble, but James saved a rush by Woods and Hancock, and Dauncey found touch again in the centre. Graham and Newcombe swept away from a loose scrum with the ball at their feet, and from the scrum which followed in the visitors' half, Mat Hannen passed out to Thomas, who raced in beautifully, with Alderson in strong pursuit. Gould's place sent the ball against the post, and it fell inside afterwards, rolling over the line. Newport still pressed, but Cattell got away from the scrum, and gave a pass which was badly transferred along the visiting three-quarters, and an exciting race soon after took place between Dauncey and Pearson, in which the former held the advantage in a big dribble, but he kicked a bit too hard and the ball rolled out of bounds, only a minor resulting. The drop out, however, found the home forwards dashing away, and at the end of a big bout Watts fell on the ball and got a grand try, which Arthur Gould converted. A third minor to Newport afterwards resulted from a drop over. Newport continued to press, but Pearson was too fast for Dauncey when on one occasion he was rushing along the wing. A great rush of the forwards, however, occurred soon after and Watts, taking a fine pass, dashed in with a try under the bar, which Gould converted. The Newport forwards wheeled with grand effect, and dribbled with great power, testing all the defence of the Barbarians. Once, a pass went out to Alderson, and he was getting away straight to the line when Charlie Thomas brought him down like a house. Play was still fast and stubborn, mostly in the visitors' half. A bout of passing by the Barbarians' three-quarters looked like letting them in, but Charlie Thomas brought down Woods, who received the last transfer, in excellent form. Newport continued to press right away, and Gould getting a pass from Parfitt, who had received from Hannen, skipped in with a beautiful try, which he failed to convert. The final score was:-"
"Newport................2 goals, 3 tries and 3 minors"
"Barbarians.....................nil."
"REMARKS."
"Newport effectively licked the Barbarians at all points. Whether the feasting that the Cardiff Club hospitably gave the visitors on Tuesday evening after the match there had anything to do with their somewhat weakened form in the latter half of the game is a proposition that they themselves can only respond to adequately. Certain it was that after the interval condition told most wonderfully, and the forwards especially, though perhaps notable absolutely to hold the other pack quite cheap, effectively put the kibosh on them. The home wheeling and the fast open work bothered the Barbarians up. In the first portion it was anybody's game. Thomas, the Oxonian, was given a neat pass and slipped over with a try, but Newport had not by any means got out of the wood when the sides crossed over. For nearly all the second half, however, the homesters had the attack all in the Barbarians' ground and pegged away at them in something like their old form of last and the former season. But for a bit of bad luck with Arthur Gould's place kicking (some of the tries having been secured in the very best position for goalling) the finish would have left Newport with a much bigger score than nineteen points to nil. The essentially weak point in the visiting team all the way through was their full back, Boucher, who many times made a dreadful mull of his work. Forward too, especially towards the close, the visitors were completely done. The Newport pack, without a single exception, played a grand game. At half Wells, the selected England international, did some good work, but when Parfitt had got warm to the game he quite extinguished the Cantab. The Barbarians had very little combination at three-quarters, whereas Newport did wonderfully well there. Thomas, the right wing man, was a vast acquisition. Two of the tries resulted from his keen ability to take passes and from his fine pace. To judge by his play in this and the Rockcliff match (second half) Charlie Thomas's proper place as full back. He found touch well, and tackled big men, such as S. M. J. Woods, Hancock, and Alderson, like a Briton. It is regrettable to hear that Jim Hannen has hurt one of his heels. During the Rockcliff match the lining of his boot went down and rubbed a very sore place; but it is to be hoped, with rest and attention, the matter will be right before the England v. Wales encounter."