Newport's first ever game against Rockcliffe was reported in the Western Mail on 27th December 1893:-
"ROCKCLIFFE v. NEWPORT"
"The Northumbrian champions, continuing their tour, played Newport on the Usksiders' ground on Boxing Day before a holiday crowd, which must have numbered 10,000 to 12,000. The ground was rather heavy after the rains, but the afternoon itself was fine. A large amount of interest was centred in the game, especially after the licking which the Northeners gave Bradford on Saturday. At 2.50 the teams fielded as follow:- Rockcliffe: Back, W. Jackson; three-quarter backs, W. Taylor, S. Brutton, S. Anderson, A. Jackson; half backs, B. W. Taylor and T. P. Alexander; forwards, H. Greenwell, W. A. Greenwell, A. P. Shiach, T. P. Stephenson, John Taylor, J. Bulan, and G. W. Lee. Newport: Back. T. England; three-quarter backs, A. J. Gould, C. J. Thomas, W. G. James, and F. H. Dauncey; half backs, Percy Phillips and Mat Hannen; forwards, T. C. Graham, A. W. Boucher, T. Pook, H. Packer, T. Newcombe, J. Hannen, W. Groves, and H. T. Day. - Referee, Mr. H. J. Taylor, Cardiff."
"Within half a minute of E. W. Taylor's kick-off Boucher got possession, and, going at a great pace, passed to Pook, who grounded a corner try. England's place kick sent the ball against one of the uprights. Following the drop-out from the home 25, the visiting forwards struggled up with great energy, and E. W. Taylor, the International half, made several useful openings for the three-quarters, amongst whom passing was very smart. The Newport tackling, however, was to keen to allow of scoring, although Rockcliffe did a lot of pressing. Billee Taylor was given one good chance for a penalty goal from a free, but the effort just failed. The venue was then changed by Day and Hannen getting away and setting the Newport three-quarters in motion, James only being thrown in touch a few yards from the visitors' line. The game was kept up with great spirit, being very keen and fast all over the ground. The passing out from E. W. Taylor to Jackson was occasionally very smart. Stephenson at length dribbled away to the home 25, where a couple of hard scrums were fought. Mat Hannen got to the rescue with a fine rush out. In fact, Mat was constantly getting the little international down as he gathered the ball at the heels of the scrum and once got away with a beautiful dribble, which he centred to Gould, with the result that the Rockcliffe 25 was invaded. John Taylor (forward) splendidly relieved, but a lot of pressure was still kept up on the visitors' line. "Billee" got away well from a line-out, and punted to the home half, where England, however, saved splendidly by knocking into touch. At length from the centre Gould was given possession, and, having made an opening, handed to Jameson the wing, who, with rare speed, ran in a marvellous try, with half-a-dozen men in pursuit. Arthur Gould missed an easy chance for converting. Half-time was then called. Newport leading by two tries to nil. Soon after the opening of the second half England, the Newport full back, was charged heavily, and had to retire for the rest of the game. Charlie Thomas went to full back, and Boucher three-quarter, the home forwards being weakened by the loss of one man. They still held up well, however. Mat Hannen gathered the ball, passed to Percy Phillips, who went clean through and chucked to Dauncey, who, close to the line, sent back to Gould, and the skipper went over with a try behind the posts, which was converted by himself. A big battle amongst the forwards was still waged, loose scrums being principally the order on the wet ground. At length a round of passing sent the ball to Taylor on the wing, but instead of making a big rush to the line punted in touch a few yards away, and Newport splendidly relieving at half the chance was lost. The ball was very greasy and could scarcely be held in transfer. Still, there were a few really good passes, James showing most ability to gather well. From the heels of the scrum Mat Hannen gave to Gould, who made a grand opening , and then chucked to Boucher, who pulled up and passed to Dauncey, who slipped over with a grand try. Gould's place kick sent the ball against the post, and no goal resulted. The seven Newport forwards pegged away, and, with the halves beating the Northern pair, the homesters continued to keep up the advantage. Boucher ran up after a very tricky pass by Mat Hannen, but in giving the last pass to Dauncey the ball was knocked on, and only a minor ensued from a dribble over. Pook was next to score from a pass started by Graham to Percy Phillips, and then to Pook, who showed great speed. This time Gould landed an easy goal. The Newport forwards, though numerically less, still gave the Rockcliffe pack more than enough to go on with their brilliant rushes, in which Graham and Pook were prominent, being very fine. Nothing Further was obtained, and the game ended with the score:-"
"Newport.............................2 goals, 3 tries, 1 minor"
"Rockcliffe............................nil"
"REMARKS"
"The game was a grand one in all respects. It was for the most part open, and was fast all the way through. Rockcliffe, after the victory over Bradford on Saturday, struck something like terror into the breasts of Newport partisans, but the way in which the Usksiders disposed of them on Tuesday has sent the fidelity of the faithful up to the highest pitch again. The keenest interest was centred in the play of the English International half, E. W. Taylor, against the home pair. "Billee" in this encounter, was pitted against Mat Hannen, and it is not too much to say that the Newport half quite beat the Northumbrian. At first Mat was content to mark his man closely, and overturn him when he gathered the ball at the heels of the scrum, and either passed out or essayed to dodge round, but in several of these attempts the Newportonian was down on him like any number of bricks one likes to mention. When he had fairly taken his measure Mat beat his man out and out. Taylor no doubt played a sharp, stylish game, but Hannen was, towards the close, a good deal more tricky and covered himself with glory. Percy Phillips, too, did wonderfully well - in fact, the pair of home halves completely outdid the other two. The forwards at the start looked as though they were about even, notwithstanding the early try, which fell to Pook from a clever run and pass brought off by Boucher. But in the second half, when the homesters were a man short, in consequence of the shiftings necessitated by the injury to England, condition was all in favour of Newport, who either wheeled the scrums or brought off rushes in grand style. The Rockcliffe three-quarters were sharp and at times clever, but there was no such scientific combination as was shown by the home quartette, every man of whom did thoroughly well. It was a pretty friendly and spirited game right away through. The Northumbrians do not, to judge from the Rockcliffe style, go in for the bashing, bulldog sort of play which characterises some of the Yorkshire teams. Tommy England is unfortunate this season. He had a knock out playing against Gloucester, and now in this encounter sustained a concussion and cut on the head which rendered him hors de combat during pretty well the whole of the second half. It was almost a case of enforced idleness, too, on the part of Arthur Gould, who, whilst shaving on Tuesday morning, let his razor slip, and, in attempting to gather it before it fell to the ground, had one of his hands very badly cut."