Cardiff secured their place in round two on the Indigo Premiership Cup at the Arms Park on Saturday.
In a frantic opening ten minutes it was the home side that opened the scoring. A breakdown just past halfway saw the ball come back on the Cardiff side. Luke Pollock was first to react, gathered the ball and sped into the Newport half. As the cover came across the centre placed a lovely kick through that he was able to regather and score. Harrison James converted from wide out.
The Black and Ambers responded almost immediately. Following the kick off Newport regained the ball near the halfway line. The visitors went through several phases before Carwyn Perry broke the defence, he found Oli Andrew who scored in the corner. Matt O’Brien added the extras.
James pushed Cardiff back ahead with a penalty, and when Newport had the chance to level the scores they instead went for the corner. Cardiff though defended the lineout and turned the ball over. Cardiff nearly extended the lead when Pollock got in on the ball again, only a desperate cover tackle stopped the centre scoring again.
Newport were reduced to fourteen when scrum half Buckland was carded for a deliberate knock on. Harrison James extended the lead shortly after with another penalty. And it got better for the home side when James sent a cross-field kick towards the Newport twenty-two. Dewi Cross caught the bouncing ball and tiptoed down the touchline and over the line. James added the extras.
The Black and Ambers were struggling to break down a resilient Cardiff defence and when Cross ran the ball out of defence they looked likely to score again. Only a knock on stopped the movement. Newport had a few chances but were not able to take then due to Cardiff’s organisation in defence. They did manage three points from O’Brien to close the gap. But Cardiff went further ahead when the stole a lineout in the Newport half. The Blue & Blacks drove up the middle several times before moving the ball back and fourth looking for a gap. Eventually the visitors ran out of defenders allowing Morgan Allen to stroll over for a 25-10 half time lead.
James added to that with a huge penalty before Carwyn Penny grabbed an unconverted try for the Black and Ambers. Cardiff though were in the ascendancy and James added his fourth penalty and when Alun Rees crashed over from a lineout the Blue & Blacks had secured their place in the next roiund.