"BRITISH & IRISH CUP"
"Welcome from Terry Burwell,"
"British & Irish Cup Tournament Director"
"WELCOME to the British & Irish Cup."
"This is an exciting new tournament that will provide quality cross-border competition for the clubs and is sure to be a winner with players, coaches and fans alike."
"There is a real appetite for this competition and it will give clubs an additional meaningful competition alongside their existing league structures."
"My thanks go to the four Home Unions, who have committed to this competition and to all 24 clubs for buying into the opportunity of a cross-border tournament that will generate new interest in the game, build on traditional rivalries and help improve the standard of play of all involved."
"Enjoy the match."
"Terry Burwell"
o - o - o - o - O - O - O - o - o - o - o
The Western Morning News of 21st November 2009 reported:-
"Chiefs lose the battle"
"IT was 97 years since Exeter Rugby Club last visited Newport's Rodney Parade. Let's just say the Devon club won't be in any rush to head back to the Principality in the near future."
"In what was a night to forget for Rob Baxter's side, not only did the Chiefs slip to their first defeat of the season, but the way in which they were dismantled by the robust Welshmen, who had four men sin-binned during a fractious contest, was also quite alarming."
"An end scoreline of 21-14 paints part of the picture for the visitors who, it has to be said, looked distinctly ring-rusty at times having made 12 changes to the side that beat the Cornish Pirates a week ago."
"With James Hanks, Paul McKenzie and Sean Marsden the only survivors from that fixture, it was no surprise the Chiefs started a little tentatively."
"Newport were quickly out of the traps and bossed the early exchanges. Scrum-half Alex Walker threatened with a rapid burst down the left, before half-back partner Chris Wannell fired a 35-metre penalty wide of the mark on four minutes after Exeter's Tom Bedford had been penalised for holding on in the tackle."
"It was an early let-off for the visitors, who were then forced into an untimely change following what appeared a serious injury to prop Ruaidhri Murphy. The Irishman was left stricken on the floor after the first scrum of the game collapsed in an untidy heap of bodies."
"Play was delayed for some ten minutes as Exeter's medical team tended to the 22-year-old forward. Eventually he did rise to his feet, although he left the field clearly in discomfort and his left arm looking in bits. His exit from proceedings meant an early first-team debut for Academy youngster Jack Andrew."
"The Cornishman, though, was soon into the thick of the action, much of which was centred around the battle for supremacy up front. Neither side was willing to give an inch - a point underlined with what can only be described as a 30-man brawl on the half-hour."
"As punches rained in from all angles, Scottish referee Graham Knox took a back seat view until relative peace was finally restored. Eventually, he summoned Newport's Dafydd Rosser and Exeter's Sean Tomes, both of whom were found guilty and dispatched to the cooler for ten minutes."
"Others - in particular home prop Gethin Robinson - could count themselves lucky not to walk a similar path."
"Newport, though, continued to offer the greater attacking threat and they finally broke the deadlock on the half-hour when Wannell atoned for his earlier miss with a penalty from the left touchline."
"Nine minutes later and they extended that lead further when full-back Gareth Wyatt joined the line at pace before powering his way through the Exeter rearguard to score under the sticks."
"Wannell not only added the extras to that score, but slotted a second penalty in stoppage time. He was, however, unable to convert from the right flank when Wyatt, a former Welsh international, claimed his second touchdown of the night, this time going over from a clever chip-and-chase."
"Exeter's best chance of a dismal first-half display was a Danny Gray penalty, but that sailed wide of the left post."
"The second half started no better for the Chiefs who, within 30 seconds of the restart, again fell foul of referee Knox. Hanks was singled out as the culprit on this occasion and - as was the case in the opening period - Wannell was on hand to hammer home the punishment."
"At 21-0 down, a response - of any sorts - was needed from the Chiefs. Throwing caution to the wind, they at last gained some much-needed possession and territory."
"With Newport reduced to 14 men for a second time - prop Dai Pattison was the latest addition to the yellow card club - the visitors finally made their pressure pay when No.8 Herbie Stupple, another young gun on debut, barged his way over the whitewash on 52 minutes. Gray landed the difficult conversion from wide out."
"Pattison duly returned to the fray, but it was then the turn of Newport's Alan Awcock to take his place in the sin-bin after the winger was penalised for a professional foul."
"Exeter, though, could not make their dominance pay and in the end were indebted to two excellent saving tackles from Rennie and McKenzie to keep the hosts at bay."
"Newport's card show continued aplenty on 67 minutes when flanker Sam Waldron became their fourth player to head for the sidelines. It was crude, bully-boy tactics from the Welshmen, but Exeter were seemingly unable to capitalise."
"That was until a minute from time when Frenchman Nic Sestaret was on hand to weave his way through the home defence and score just to the left of the posts. Again Gray converted, but it was all a little too late for the Chiefs."