"TIGER TOPICS"
"After the keenly contested game last week at Neath we welcome as our visitors to-day the famous side of Newport. So far this season they have had fluctuating fortunes. They are the only team to have defeated Swansea and they did so by 33 points; they have also beaten Blackheath and Penarth; they have been defeated by Newbridge, Cross Keys, Cardiff, Bristol and Pontypool. On Thursday next, October 23rd, they meet the Australian Touring XV at Newport."
"I wish to remind all members that tickets for the visit of the Australian XV to Leicester on November 15th are going rapidly. Prices of tickets are as follows. Members Stand (Centre) 7/6d., Members Stand (Ends) 6/-, Crumble Stand 6/- and may be obtained from myself at Northampton Street or from Messrs. Marshall & Snelgrove (Adderleys) of Gallowtree Gate."
"Members are also reminded that tickets for the International match England v. Australia at Twickenham on January 3rd should be applied for on or before October 21st. The price is 10/6d. each including booking fee."
"On Saturday next the "A" team meet Northampton "A" on this Ground. The "A" team matches are becoming most interesting as regular attenders are finding."
"The next visitors to Leicester are the two Universities. On Thursday, October 30th, Oxford University are the visitors and on Saturday November 8th, Cambridge University."
"Newport have brought with them a very strong side including K. J. Jones, the Welsh International flyer. A. H. Rowland, the left centre, is at present at Loughborough College."
"J. E. Thorneloe, (Hon. Sec.)."
"PUZZLE CORNER NO. 5"
"What is the highest score for a rugby union game ever reorded?"
"Radfrod School, Exeter, beat Hills Court by 100pts. to nil in November 1886."
o - o - o - o - O - O - O - o - o - o - o
The local evening paper of 18th October 1947 reported the match as follows:-
"TIGERS OUTPLAYED"
"LEICESTER 10pts. NEWPORT 21pts."
"BY KEN LINES"
"THE strong Newport XV were all too good for the Tigers in the game at Welford-road, and merited their victory. Though there may have been desultory moments in the early play, there were compensating factors in Newport's opportunism against a hard-worked Leicester defence which, without wilting, often found speed the decisive factor."
"The Tigers made two changes in the team, retaining Eric Lacey in the second row with H. P. Hughes, following an injury to Bill Brown, and bringing in Ellis as wing threequarter in place of Freer."
"A crowd of 5,000 saw varying fortunes with little excitement in the first ten minutes. Misjudgment by Gaunt, at fly-half, in taking a pass from Moore allowed the Newport forwards to burst through, but very keen tackling stopped any scoring."
"Sibson relieved the pressure when he came round the scrum smartly to take the ball off the Newport scrum-half and lead a long rush down the field. Here both Moore and Jerwood tried to get through on their own, but were held up. Watkin had a penalty from 35 yards, but although his direction was accurate he could not make the length."
"LUCKY DROP GOAL"
"Willie Jenkins, in optimistic mood, tried a couple of penalties from outside the Tigers' half, but did not have any luck with either of them. Then Newport, by touch kicking, went into the Tigers' 25 and there ROWLAND dropped a rather lucky goal, the ball striking the upright and bouncing off over the crossbar."
"A few minutes later un-even defensive play by the Tigers gave J. Evans a chance to break through, and it was ROWLAND who scored, again, a try wide out."
"The Tigers began to liven up a little. Rees and Thomas, in the centre, tried a cross-passing movement which did not quite come off, and Rowland booted the ball down the field, and led the race to the goal. Fortunately, both Ryley and Thomas were able to get in front before he reached the line."
"Nick Hughes did some valiant solo dribbling and then, with play in the Newport 25, the Tigers were almost through when they were awarded a penalty for a Newport offside. WATKIN made an easy kick."
"The Tigers were not getting the ball and when, from a scrum 20 yards out from their line, T. Rees got the ball he was allowed to come round the scrum and pass out on the blind side to R. T. EVANS, who scored an unconverted try wide out. Half-time:-"
"Leicester (1 pen.) 3 pts., Newport (1 gl., 1 dp. gl., 1 try) 12pts."
"Ryley had to do some very fast tackling on the left wing, when Welsh aprint champion, Ken Jones, came haring along on two successive occasions. Then, with the Tigers plugging away in the centre of the field, came another blow."
"ROWLAND, intercepted at the start of a passing movement from a loose scrum, and got clean away. His speed was too much for any would-be tacklers, and he scored under the posts for JENKINS to add the extras."
"Newport, up in the Tigers' half most of the time, were awarded an easy penalty, with which Jenkins hit the upright. Shortly afterwards ROWLAND, only just sited, dropped a very opportune goal."
"After this the Tigers tried every threequarter movement they knew for a brief period until GAUNT, in front of the post, dropped a third goal of the match, just reward for some hard work."
"HARD PRESSED"
"The Tigers were particularly hard pressed after this, and only by pushing their opponents back into touch when they were on their own line were they able to save the situation."
"Brightest piece of three-quarter play for the Tigers came from Dan Rees, who, working well with Thomas, went down the centre only to be pulled up for a forward pass."
"He was in another good movement with Ellis on the right wing but the ball went loose, and Newport were able to clear into touch."
"Five minutes before the end, the Tigers had a penalty 30 yards out and in front of the posts. WATKIN made no mistake."
"Result:-
"LEICESTER.......10 pts."
"(1 d.g., 2 penalties)"
"NEWPORT.........21 pts."
"(2 gls., 2 d.gls. 1 try)"
"TIGERS VERDICT"
"There was no real excuse for the Tigers' defeat. They were beaten in the scrums for three-quarters of the game, and the patchiness of the backs in handling was shown up even more by the versatile and very fast Newport men. For sheer defensive hard work the laurels go to Sibson, who was right up on to the Newport halves and was responsible for some breakaways."
"Thomas and Rees showed flashes of understanding in the centre, but they tended to mis-time matters. In the last ten minutes the team showed their greatest fight, and if there had been more of this they might have evened the game up."