From the match programme:-
" ‘Hook’ or ‘Hooker’? "
"On December 27th, 1904, ‘Peter Pan’ opened for the first time at London’s Duke of York Theatre. Which isn’t really very relevant to today’s festivities, unless you count the fact that today’s visitors include, among their more famous players, Mike Watkins who is just about the best-known ‘Captain Hooker’ in the business."
"Not that Gloucester - Newport games are ever any sort of Never-never Land; it’s all too forthright and down-to-earth for that."
"There isn’t any doubt that our long-standing fixtures against the Black-and-Ambers provide some of the toughest challenges the lads get. But there rarely seems to be that much between the two clubs in the final analysis. Certainly, they gave us a 34-21 beating at Newport last October, but results since 1983 read (Gloucester scores first), 3-7, and 10-12 with the rest being lost to the weather."
"I suppose that if a Welsh club can ever be said to be ‘neighbours’ of an English club, then Gloucester and Newport must be the leading example of that. Accordingly, although any game against a leading Welsh side must be a daunting proposition, perhaps Newport has a special place in our local mythology - one which goes back to epic battles against the ‘Invincible’ sides of the 1920’s and 30’s."
"Of course, the Christmas season does produce some diluted sides - after all, even rugby players have families, contrary to some remarks one has heard made on the terraces - but we have no reason at all to doubt that today’s game will be anything other than the usual high-standard affair."
"Just one word to the Welsh Selectors. The old cricket proverb about ‘no England team being any good without a Yorkshireman in it’, could well be modified to refer to Wales sides without Newport men."
"That’s not our business, however. All we have to do is bid Newport a sincere welcome, and make sure they have a cracking good day at Kingsholm."