From the match programme:-
"Club Notes and News"
"TODAY we welcome the team of the season, our very old friends NEWPORT, who achieved immortal fame in the world of Rugby football by their great victory over the All-Blacks, the only defeat of their 34-match tour, including five International games. There is no club we look forward to playing more than Newport, nor do we enjoy any game more than our two annual battles for the special Wasp trophy, which once again is in Newport's hands. They beat us 11-nil at Rodney Parade last October."
"The defeat of New Zealand was by the narrow margin of a dropped goal by the centre John Uzzell, who is at St. Luke's College, Exeter and not available today. Perhaps the most notable feature of that game was the fact that Newport conceded no penalties, thus giving Don Clarke no opportunity of winning the game by kicking penalty goals."
"Newport have won 22 and drawn 3 out of 35 games and their match average is 11-6, which is better than our 10-8, but not all that much better. On our form at Birkenhead Park last week we could do very well; Richard Sharp made all three tries scored by Hurst, Keith and Ashby, and he converted them. Today we are still without that excellent player, Fred Hawkins, who pulled a muscle against Leicester; this is quite a blow, foe the All-Blacks rated him as the best stand-off they met on their tour. We often play him at full-back or centre."
"After an absence of more than two years "Sam" Simmonds returns to the "big-time" on the left wing and we recall some of his grand games against Newport in the past. Welcome back, "Sam"! Another stalwart recalled to the 1st XV is Laurie Western-Kaye, the tight head prop. Make sure you stay there, Laurie. Peter Mettler, who played the game of his life at full-back at Newport four seasons ago, is there again today."
"Welcome, also, to NEWPORT SUPPORTERS CLUB, who are coming here for their Annual Outing today - many coach loads of them. What an inspiration it would be to our team if we had something like this at away matches! Our own Associate Members are entertaining the Newport supporters today."