History of Newport RFC :: 1874

"Today's match with Cardiff is Newport's last Heineken League fixture at Rodney Parade until the New Year. On December 5 they will be away to their close neighbours and keen rivals, Newbridge, and the following Saturday they will travel to Maesteg. Both these clubs are in the lower half of the first division, but Newport cannot expect to have an easy passage, particularly at Newbridge where Pontypool recently became one of the Western Valley club's victims."

"Newport supporters will also have to put their feet up during Christmas, for Newport's only yuletide game will be against Bristol at the Memorial Ground on Boxing Day. The clubs have agreed to reserve this day for their Christmas festivities, and on the 1993 Boxing Day Bristol will visit Rodney Parade, where they have always been popular opponents."

"January, however, will see Newport playing three matches at home - South Wales Police and Neath in league encounters, and Penarth in a club match. Incidentally, it was with great regret that Newport supporters heard of the death not long before the approach of Christmas of Bernard Temple-man at the age of 57. "Slogger" Templeman, as he was affectionately called, was one of Penarth's greatest players. A wily scrum half he was an amazing dropped goal expert, as Newport often found to their cost!"

"Although Newport did not have a representative in the Wales team who played the Australians last week, Newport can gain some satisfaction from the fact that many of their players were originally selected for the Welsh and Monmouthshire squads. Roger Bidgood would undoubtedly have kept his place in the Wales team had he not been injured playing for his country against the Italians."

"As many as a dozen Newport players were provisionally chosen for the Monmouthshire squad, and Glenn George, Jonathan Westwood, Keith Orrell, David Llewellyn, Andrew Peacock and Mike Voyle were eventually selected to play for the county against the Wallabies at Ebbw Vale. Another Newport forward, Mark Davis, was one of the Monmouthshire replacements, and another, Kevin Withey, was on standby duty."

"Justin Redrup, Newport's young centre, also gained selection for the Wales under-21 team who played against Ireland, and Gavin Pugh was called upon by Crawshays. I wonder what the New Year will bring for these players - and perhaps other wearers of the black and amber jersey!"

"One player who is hoping it will be lucky for him is Nigel Callard, the club's long-serving scrum half. He is due to go into hospital for an operation on his knee a few days before Christmas. He has been troubled by the injury for some time, but after the operation he expects to resume his rugby activities."

"WELCOME AGAIN, CARDIFF!"

"Last season Cardiff struck one of those lean patches which more often than not confronts all great rugby clubs. Indeed, they were always struggling unsuccessfully to move away from the lower reaches of the first division of the Heineken League. Fortunately for them, relegation was not operating in that division, otherwise they would have found themselves in the second division this season, for only Maesteg were below them when the league campaign ended."

"But what a difference this season! Cardiff are rightly back where they belong, almost on the very top of the first division ladder, with victories over Neath, Pontypool, Bridgend, Newbridge (two), Aberavon, Maesteg, Pontypridd and South Wales Police to their credit. Their only league defeat was sustained at Stradey Park, where they lost by the slender margin of 20-16 to Llanelli, and in other matches only Bath, the England club champions, defeated them."

"Throughout the century Cardiff have supplied Wales with a constant flow of outstanding players for their senior and B teams, and already this season prop forward Mike Griffiths, holder of 24 caps, Mike Hall, their captain, and full back Mike Rayer have played against Australia. Hall, who has made 22 international appearances, and Griffiths also played against Italy, and Hall, Rayer and Stuart Roy played for Wales B against the Australians. Cardiff, of course, have other senior internationals in their squad, among them Mark Ring, Adrian Davies and Steve Ford, and one player who is waiting to find favour with the Welsh selectors is Cardiff's new "discovery", Nigel Walker, the Olympic Games hurdler. He has certainly made a big impact in his first season of first-class rugby and is becoming quite a box office attraction at Arms Park. Fleet-footed Walker is proving a quick learner, which his try scoring record emphasises."

"Another newcomer is Colin Laity, the Cornwall county centre, who joined Cardiff from Neath. Although a pure-blooded Englishman, he has been capped by Wales at B international level, and not so vey long ago was in their senior international squad."

"The arrival at Arms Park of the Australian Alec Evans as their coaching organiser has certainly had a beneficial effect on Cardiff. He was the Wallabies' assistant coach for four years, and has a string of successes to his credit, including helping the Australians to international victories in Britain."