From the match programme:-
"CLUB NOTES"
"Today we welcome Ihe mighty Newport team, fresh from their splendid victory last week by 11 points to 6 points over Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park, a game which attracted over 32.000 spectators. Newport always have a fine team and though they are without full back Garfield Owen and the evergreen right wing Ken Jones today, both on international duty for Wales, they will have a very strong and powerful side out."
"We shall have to watch John Lane on the left wing, who is Newport's leading scorer this season with 16 tries to his credit, and that elusive and often brilliant pair of half-backs, Burnett and Brace. Earlier in the season Newport trounced us on their own ground 25-0. our heaviest defeat for a long time. On that occasion we had a weakened team and also, for the third season running at Newport, finished with 14 men. Today we have an unchanged side out and if they play as well as they have done in the last three games, it should be a rare tussle. (Yarranton, of course, is required by the R.A.F. today, and another interesting fact is that Hosen will be playing at full-back against St. Luke's College at Exeter. Many people will watch his performance in that position closely)."
"The win against Birkenhead Park last week was well-earned, and it was good to see Woodward in such keen form, and Stalder handling so well and scoring a good and intelligent try. The forwards played well, and Cutter had a good day in the line-out."
"Welcome news tor us is that Michael Hughes, our first choice hooker, plays his first game of the season today here at Sudbury, on the adjoining pitch tor one of our " A " teams. By the end of last season Hughes was going strong with many fine performances for Eastern Counties to his credit, and he had been carded as reserve for the Final England Trial, no mean feat for a 20-year-old hooker. Then came his National Service in the summer and with it a most unfortunate motor-cycle accident in |uly. It was thought he might not be able to play Rugby again. But Hughes is made of tough stuff and he has returned to the game even quicker than anticipated. He is playing regularly for the R.A.F. Yatesbury side in Wiltshire, and with luck should be back in our First XV before the season ends. We all congratulate him on the personal effort it must have needed to overcome such a blow. He has youth and all the time in the world on his side, and will go far in the game."