Green & Gold Extend Unbeaten Run But Miss Out On Bonus Point

With the injury list growing ever longer coaches Ben Daniels and Ross Johnston will be very pleased that hands are being put up in all positions. A rebuilt midfield with Joe Casella at 12 and the speedy Adam Ashford outside him with Callum Wheeler pulling the strings took a while to impose any attacking authority. As the game wore on, though, there were promising signs that some cohesion was arriving. Certainly the work-rate and concentration when defence was called for could not be doubted.

It was an unfamiliar Newbridge as Beddau are accustomed to a battle with one of the strongest sides in the league when the Gwent men call but results have not gone the way of Newbridge this season and they currently sit at the foot of the league.

This was not evident early on as the hungrier looking visitors claimed most of the territory. They had the first opportunity when Simon Veall lined up a penalty. That effort was short of the target but the clearing kick was fielded by the impressive Newbridge full back Craig Duncan whose brilliant, angled kick found touch in the corner.

Beddau`s defence held but when a penalty was conceded at the breakdown Simon Veall nudged the visitors into a lead they had fully deserved. Beddau had been limited to a couple of individual runs with Joe Casella making inroads early on and Cody Baker looking to stretch the defence but the kick and chase game wasn`t functioning. Gradually the pack began to edge a mighty battle up front and some game time was spent in the Newbridge half.

There was a marked change in the game`s momentum with Newbridge conceding successive penalties for slowing Beddau possession. From the second of these Callum Wheeler attempted a long range effort. It looked on course but fell just beneath the bar and it remained 3-0 to Newbridge at the interval.

Some of the second half exchanges had begun to become heated and when Newbridge were pinged for not releasing the penalty was advanced due to some afters. Callum Wheeler kicked that to level the scores and when Mr Evans halted play to attend to a skirmish both Leon Rogers of Beddau and Newbridge`s Luke Knight were given 10 minutes to cool off. From a scrum David Francis lanced through the Newbridge midfield. He was tackled but Newbridge had offended. The penalty went to touch and from a great take by Lloyd Evans the drive took the ball to the line for Jack Dando to score a try that Callum Wheeler converted.

Beddau were now in complete command but a long and unlikely kick from defence by veteran prop Jamie Edwards saw the ball hop and roll and find touch in the Beddau 22. Newbridge disrupted at the lineout and set up a few pick and goes that briefly threatened to deliver. Some notable tackling, in particular one from Callum Wheeler, kept the try line secure and Cody Baker was able to launch a counter attack. His well-judged kick bisected two Newbridge defenders and the swift approaching Tyler Wells pounced and was just able to propel himself to the line. Callum Wheeler converted.

The door to a bonus point was now ajar but Newbridge weren`t allowing anything through. A close range penalty became a scrum and with Glenn Slater now adding his experience to the task it took just a few mighty shunts to bring about a penalty try which Callum Wheeler converted. Beddau were not able to wring anything further from the game but will be very happy to have overcome another testing hurdle as they hold on to fourth place in the table.

Report by Lynne West