From the match programme:-
"CLUB NOTES"
"Newport have always Ranked high on the list of Bristol's "star" opponents, and we are glad to see them today. Newport had a hard game at Llanelli last Saturday, winning 8 - 0, but were victims of London Welsh's brilliancy the week before. We had the pleasure of winning at Newport in September by 21 - 13. After our disappointment of last Saturday when we were due to play Abertillery, and cancelled owing to bad weather conditions, we hope the ground has now recovered sufficiently to make an open and entertaining game possible today."
"Members and, Associate Members are reminded that a Discotheque Dance will be held in the Social Club tonight at 8.30 p.m."
"Congratulations to Cornwall on becoming winners of the South-Western Group, and to our players Ken Plummer and Vernon Parkin in particular, and we send best wishes for their future County Championship games. From Bristol's point of view, we shall now have our Gloucestershire and Somerset representatives available with greater regularity. Congratulations to Bruce Thompson on his County debut this season - he is "following in father's footsteps" very successfully."
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The Times of 9th December 1968 reported the game as follows:-
"Poole seizes chance for Newport"
"By MICHAEL HARDY"
"Bristol 8pts., Newport 11"
"A game of rugby, which began at the Memorial Ground on Saturday with a minute's silence in memory of Martin Webber, the Newport prop forward, who was killed in a car crash during the week, ended with little sympathy being shown to Bristol. Victory, for which their forwards, in particular, had striven so hard in the second half, was snatched from them by a hard, uncompromising Newport side, who won by a goal, a penalty goal, and a try, to a goal and a try."
"Not that the spectators, many of whom came from over the border anyway, could complain. It was a stirring game, contested with every nerve and sinew to the point of exhaustion, and marred only by the number of penalties ? 25 by my count ? that a strict interpretation of the rules, and the smouldering heat of the second half, brought about."
"Bristol, lacking their captain and vice-captain, Redwood and Rollitt, both injured, took a long time to get going. But when they did, there was much to admire in the feinting of Gabitass and the running of Tyler and Plummer."
"Combined well"
"It was their back row forwards, however, who really set Bristol alight, and did so much to throttle Newport's backs. Six points down, from a Jarrett penalty goal in the second minute and a try by Skirving made by Taylor and Jarrett, they combined splendidly to put Bristol back in the game just before half time."
"Miller began it by stalking and trapping Britton behind his own line. From the five-yard scrummage Miller was there again to help Patterson bash two yards into the Newport wall and the flying Munden the rest. Ainge converted."
"In the second half, Bristol went ahead with the best try of the match ? one that would probably not have been attempted but for the new kicking law. Fielding the ball on his own 10-yard line, Ainge rightly decided to run. He veered across the field to the right, found Tyler up for the pass, and Plummer was left to force himself over at the corner."
"Had Ainge been in form with his kicking, Bristol would have won. He missed five penalty attempts, the last, to his great anguish, hitting a post. As it was, a mix-up after the Bristol pack had heeled from a scrummage near their own line, gave Poole a present of a try. Jarrett converted, and Newport were able to avenge a home defeat by Bristol in September."
"BRISTOL. - D. B. Ainge; K. Plummer, D. G. Tyler, V. Parkin, M. R. Collins; J. Gabitass, R. Williams; B. A. Dovey, J. White, B. G. Nelmes, D. E. J. Watt, D. Woodward, A. C. Munden, G. Patterson, K. Miller."
"NEWPORT. - G. Britton; S. J. Watkins, K. S. Jarrett, D. Cornwall, A. Skirving; I. Taylor, G. Treharne; C. Prescott, V. Perrins, T. Davies, W. Morris, B. V. Price, D. Haines, G. Jones, K. Poole."