The Western Mail of 27th March 1894 reported the game as follows:-
"NEWPORT V RUNCORN"
"A holiday crowd which numbered about 6,000 assembled at Newport on Easter Monday morning to witness this match, which, so that it might be clear of the athletics sports in the afternoon, was fixed to begin at eleven o'clock. The day was beautifully fine and summer-like. Shortly after eleven a.m. The teams fielded as follows:- Runcorn: Back, S. Houghton; three-quarter backs, H. Myers, G. Robinson, J. Butterworth and Gregory; half-backs, S. Abrams and J. Faulkner; forwards, R. Lightfoot, J. Langley, J. Davies, H. Williams, J. Autrobus, J. J. Stubbs, A. Taylor and G. Moores. Newport: Back, C. J. Thomas; three quarter-backs, A. J. Gould, W. G. James, W. L. Thomas, and A. W. Boucher; forwards, T. C. Graham, J. Hannan, A. Henshaw, W. H. Watts, H. Packer, T. Pook, J. Bowley, and T. Newcombe. Referee Mr. W. H. Carpmael, Blackheath Football Club. Graham kicked off from the gymnasium and, and the return went to touch near the visitors' 25. The Cheshire forwards wheeled the scrum beautifully, and went off with a big rush to the centre. Newport quickly responded, and Bowley rushed up to the visitors' line, where, however, for off-side play, a free was allowed. After open centre work, W. L. Thomas made a grand sprint, but the ball only rolled over the line and Runcorn touched down. A very hot forward game ensued, with fast, loose scrums, both packs getting in plenty of sharp work. Newport did most of the attack, and if W. L. Thomas had been properly followed up in his splendid sprints scores must have fallen to the home side. As it was he was allowed to make his own way unattended, and was brought down by Houghton, who played a magnificent game at full back. The Runcorn pack was a hard working, vigorous lot, with heaps of scrimmaging ability and tackling, which was sound to a degree. A couple of minors, however, were exacted from kicks over by Ll. Thomas. A splendid attack was at length put in by the home three-quarters, and, after fine passing by James, Gould, and Boucher, the last-named ran over, but it was found that Gould had gone in touch in one of his rushes. The advantage thus lost was soon taken up by Runcorn, who, by a good forward rush, got into the home half, and, taking it on, forced a minor. Boucher dropped out, and Sammy Houghton replying in touch, a lot of hot scrimmaging took place at mid-field. It was a hard ding-dong game, the forwards for the most part getting the brunt of the work. Newport's passing was a good deal off, and the visitors tackled with great effect, but there were no very conspicuous incidents. Charlie Thomas pluckily saved one or two rushes of the Cheshire forwards. The first try fell to Runcorn from one of a lot of loose work. Butterworth gathered and threw to Gregory, who rushed over, but Houghton failed at the place. Close forward work was the order after the drop out. By a series of useful kicks Runcorn got up to the home line, but a few short sharp passes between Jim Hannan, Bowley, and Packer brought relief, and at mid-field Runcorn was penalised for off-side play, but Boucher's kick was of little advantage. The home passing was too slow and flurried to be of much effect against the keen tackling which it was opposed to, and up to half-time Newport had nothing to boast of. At length Matt Hannan got away clean from a scrum and passed out beautifully to Wallace Watts, who rushed passed Houghton and landed a grand try, which Gould failed to goal. Half-time was then called, the score standing:-"
"Newport....................................1 try, 2 minors."
"Runcorn.....................................1 try."
"After the interval Davies re-started and Gould returned to centre touch. Newport started a forward rush, led by Graham and Bowley, which was soon responded to by a flying kick back to touch. A round of passing was then mulled by Ll. Thomas knocking on. Gould dropped over the line and Hoghton touched down.Play settled near the visitors' 25, but another unsuccessful round of passing started by Parfitt lost ground, and Charlie Thomas had to rush in to save a forward advance on the part of Runcorn, who got along to the Newport 25, where, however, Carpmael gave a penalty in favour of the home side, and Boucher dropped to the centre. Another rush by the visitors' pack took things on, and Stubbs kicking over Charlie Thomas touched down. A lot of open centre work and exchange kicking followed. Gregory got clear way for Runcorn, and but for the smart sprinting of Boucher he would have ran in with a try. Play settled at the Newport 25, and was still kept up with the hottest vigour, Newport having to do a lot of defence work against the hot rushes of the Runcorn forwards. Henshaw and Packer got off with a relieving dribble, but kicking too hard, the ball was smartly gathered by Houghton, who found touch again at the home 25, and the attacks of the visiting forwards were repeated. Davies was winded by a heavy fall in one of the strong scrums, but on play being resumed Faulkner gathered and looked all over a scorer. He was, however, hauled down before he could pass out to Gregory. A scrum was forced within two yards of the Newport line, but from the tight struggle Harry Packer got off with a nice relieving dribble to the open. Still the Runcorn forwards, by smart wheeling, stuck to the task of forcing the home men back. Wallace Watts struck out with a dribble, which Houghton again gathered, and found touch near mid-field. Robinson started passing and threw to Butterworth, who was thrown in touch near the home 25, where the forwards had a series of hard tussles. Pook and Gould rushed the ball out to the centre with good dribbles, and a round of passing between Packer and Boucher looked like letting the homesters in. Houghton at full-back, however, was equal to the pressure for a time, but after a lot of loose, fast work, a round of long passes ended in Bowley rushing over at the end of the line with a big try. Gould's place hardly raised the ball from the ground. After the drop out Newport again attacked, but a slovenly pass from Gould was missed by James, and a good chance was lost. Just before the call of time a big rush was made by the home forwards, and a try fell to Henshaw close to the uprights, where Gould had little difficulty in converting. This closed the affair, and the ?no-side? was at once whistled, leaving the final score -"
"Newport...................................1 goal, 2 tries, 2 minors."
"Runcorn....................................1 try, 1 minor."
"REMARKS"
"It was one of the hardest matches which Newport has had for the season. There was nothing but hard pegging all the way through, and the disparity in the score hardly does credit to the great game which Runcorn played. The Cheshire men, especially forward, are fit for any company. They showed Newport some tricks in wheeling the scrums. There was one manoeuvre in the scrums which was certainly novel and effective. The two men packing last in the scrum as they felt the pressure ease, and the pack giving way one way or another, would turn round, and instead of facing the scrum do whatever pushing was necessary with their haunches, so that they could see how the ball came out, and in case it was dribbled against them they could fall on and secure it. Taking things through and through on the day's show the Newport forwards were second best. They were slow and wanting in dash and devil until within the last quarter of an hour, and then had some lucky openings to snatch the game away from being any but a satisfactory draw. Newport's forwards either seem to have given up the art of heeling out or studiously neglect it. Against a pack of the calibre of Runcorn it did not pay to try the pushing through game. Houghton, the full back, made a brilliant display, and thoroughly impressed the Newport people with his capacity for the county and international honours which he has borne. It is a pity that Gould either does not himself practice to do effective place kicking or encourage someone else in the team to do so. Since England has been hors de combat and Cooper has cleared out there is no one who can be counted to do anything like good place kicking. With moderately well directed shots the defeat by Blackheath might have been averted and the win against Runcorn been made much more secure."