"HARLEQUINS v. NEWPORT."
Newport beat the Harlequins, at Twickenham on Saturday, by a dropped goal (4 points) to nothing."
"It was a very keen game with little to choose between the two sides. If anything the Harlequins had the better of the attacking movements, although their opportunities were rather fewer than those offered by the Newport forwards to their back division."
"Both sides played up to their form forward and it was a very hard struggle as to which team got the better of it. Certainly the Harlequins forwards did more work in the scrummage than is their usual custom, and there was no winger nor a suspicion of one. The tackling was quite the feature of what in the end proved to be a distinctly disappointing game. There were too many free kicks, some of them the result of foul play, and several of the players seemed bent on spoiling their opponents' play rather than carrying out their own attacking movements."
"These methods led to considerable booing at the end of the game. It was a great pity that the crowd did not keep their feelings under control. Behaviour of this sort, unless rigidly checked by the officials, spreads with extraordinary rapidity."
"The game was very evenly fought out all through. Newport scored just before half-time. There was a scrummage near the touch-line in the Harlequins' twenty-five. A typical Welsh movement was in progress when F. W. Birt received the ball, and, feinting to pass, he steadied himself and dropped a neat goal, which proved to be the only score in the game."
"D. Lambert once had a fairly easy chance of converting a penalty but the kick just went wide. The Harlequins' outsides were too well marked to be dangerous. All through the game J. G. G. Birkett was very conspicuous. He did a tremendous lot of good defensive work and, with D. Lambert, made some glorious runs. The latter at times kicked splendidly and showed much resource in his attack."
"A. D. Stoop was hardly himself, as he was greatly handicapped by a badly bruised face. He played in a mask which seemed to prevent his usual keen sight of the ball, and consequently the game was not opened out quite as quickly as usual. There was a very large attendance, and, in spite of recent rains, the ground was in splendid condition."
"The sides were:-"
"HARLEQUINS. - G. N. Berney, back; D. Lambert, R. W. Poulto, J. G. Birkett, and F. M. Stoop, three-quarter backs; H. J. Sibree and A. D. Stoop, half-backs; R. O. C. Ward, J. E. Greenwood, T. G. Fowler, H. E. Ward, W. S. Stranach, H. S. Ellis, K. P. Smith, and D. F. Sanders, forwards."
"NEWPORT. - H. Wreford, back; R. Plummer, F. W. Birt, J. Wetter, and H. J. Rowlands, three-quarter backs; T. H. Vile and W. J. Martin, half-backs; G. Boots, Dr. L. Anderson, A. Bell, R. Summers, C. Bates, A. B. Williams, H. Wetter, and Percy Jones, forwards."
"Mr. A. Henman was the referee."