From the match programme:-
"J. P. Jordan writing in "The Daily Telegraph" considers this year's Barbarians "are represented by probably their strongest combination since the war." "It will be no easy task," he says, "to pick their best XV for the Newport match on Tuesday, particularly with J. V. Smith, M. Pomathios, Malcolm Thomas, Lewis Jones, D. M. Rose, D. M. Scott and others available at three-quarter, and such capital front-row forwards as J. D. Robins, T. Clifford, J. C. Dawson, W. J. Hefer and D. McKibbin among the party. Although the Harlequins have deprived Newport of their great unbeaten record, the Barbarians are sure to be keen on avenging their sound defeat of last year."
"At half-time to-day, a collection will be taken on the Grounds for the benefit of Newport Schools' Rugby, and immediately following the Barbarians' match, Newport Schoolboys will continue the afternoon's entertainment with a game against Aberavon Schoolboys."
"With Easter falling so early, Newport have still eight matches to play in the month remaining of the season. These will include the postponed Swansea game, which will be played at Rodney Parade on Thursday, April 12th, with an evening kick-off. The match at Neath next Saturday, is an "all-ticket" affair, and intending travellers to the Gnoll, not in the Supporters' Club party, must obtain their Tickets from The Secretary of the Neath Rugby Club."
"SUPPORTERS CLUB NEWS"
"On Saturday next we shall be visiting Neath in force, and have been sent an allocation of Tickets for this all-ticket match. A limited number only are available and will be on sale after this game, at the Bowls Pavilion. Remember, you are still following the best team in the country and they will be meeting their stiffest opposition. For those wishing to travel by coach, the return fare is 6/-, leaving the Club 1.0 p.m. sharp."
"For the Gloucester match we have been notified that British Railways are running a Football Special, leaving Newport 1.15 p.m., at a very special reduced fare of 5/9. To enable those people who want to spend the evening in Gloucester, this train will return at 10.30 p.m.- 11.0 p.m. as per Handbill. Further announcements will be made in the Press."
"On Tuesday, after the Barbarians' match we would draw Supporters' attention to the fact that Newport Schoolboys' team will play Aberavon Boys. These boys certainly give full entertainment value, and deserve your every support."
"One of their players, Johnny Hughes (Hatherleigh), who has represented the Town at both codes, has just been selected to represent Wales as full-back. He is a son of D. J. (Jack) Hughes, the old Newport forward, who himself was a Secondary Schools' Cap. Congratulations, Johnny."
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The Times of 28th March 1951 reported this game as follows:-
"NEWPORT BEAT THE BARBARIANS"
"FROM OUR RUGBY FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT"
"The Barbarians lost a match with a number of exciting passages in it at Newport yesterday by two goals and one try (13 points) to two tries (6 points).
"Newport had expected - with good reason, for who could have seen the Teddington failure? - to face the Barbarians as an unbeaten side. As it was, 24,000 excited people had obtained admission by ticket, and although rains had made the going soft beyond immediate recovery, the weather had relented to the extent of keeping fine. The Barbarians themselves had encountered defeat at Cardiff a few days previously, but yesterday's match remained one of the events of the season. Newport's loss of Burnett, nearly a month previously, had, no doubt, been a serious matter, but it must be said that his substitute, R. D. Owen, was a brilliant success yesterday. Incidentally, one saw K. Jones playing as a centre instead of as a wing. The Barbarians for the third time included Pomathios and, as at Penarth, they had the two young Irishmen, W. J. Hewit and H. McCracken, at half-back, and another uncapped Irish player in R. Roe as hooker."
"Newport started like the good team they undoubtedly are, record or no record, and inside five minutes they were five points up through a brilliant break-through by Owen closely backed up by K. Jones and R. T. Evans. Evans touched down near the post and the mountainous B. Edwards made no mistake with the kick at goal. The fact that the touring side were facing the north-east wind was next in evidence when D. McKibbin fell short with a penalty kick at goal from 40 yards, the same handicap defeating him a little later from a wide angle."
"The Barbarians recovered well from their early setback and one had a glimpse or two of Pomathios as a strong runner with an effective hand-off, the occasionally reckless enterprise of the young halves, and the lively pack work of the forwards led by R. Stephens, who also captained the side. J. M. Williams, though his handling was sometimes uncertain, also showed plenty of enterprise and it was he who scored the try which came after 23 minutes of terrifically hard and vigorous Rugby. The scoring situation was created by an excellent piece of dribbling by the two Scottish three-quarters, F. O. Turnbull and D. M. Rose. The Newport defence was rushed, in spite of a gallant pick-up by Owen, and Williams got the touch down of a try which produced an unusual situation when McKibbin was about to take the kick at goal. First, the charge down was disallowed, next the kick itself was disallowed because the placer touched the ball after putting it on the ground."
"NEWPORT'S SECOND TRY"
"Newport about this time were being pressed very hard, especially by the Barbarians forwards, but they were quick to seize on the slightest chance to break loose, and one came when a kick by Rose was charged down. The Newport pack tore en masse for the goal-line, and all but reached it. From the ensuing scrum Owen snaked his way through a crowded defence for a truly remarkable try. Fortunately for the Barbarians, Edwards this time hooked his kick at goal badly. The intervalquickly followed, with the score standing at 8 - 3 in favour of the home side, rather against the run of play so far."
"Early in the second half J. M. Williams had to leave the field for a while through a leg injury, and Taylor was taken out of the pack. Newport were quick to force the pace at this stage, but could not press home their advantage. Williams returned after an absence of 10 minutes as an apparently uncertain wing., and the game entered upon its final critical stage with two fine packs still well matched in the tight but with Newport holding an advantage at half-back - and advantage, however, which proved illusory. With about a quarter of an hour to go each side lost a chance to score. For Newport, Owen made another of his sudden breaks-through, but unaccountably failed to give K. Jones, at his left elbow, a pass which almost certainly would have carried him over for a try near the posts. For the Barbarians, Pomathios just failed to hold a pass from Turnbull which, though near the half-way line, would have offered him a splendid chance in the open."
"Suddenly, however, the Barbarians scored a second try in the most unexpected manner. The Newport full-back had knocked on a penalty kick at goal by Inglis from long range. The kick had gone well wide. An attack by the Barbarians backs quickly followed, and a limping Williams, rousing himself to a supreme effort, joined in so well that he got over in the left-hand corner. McKibbin could not kick the goal which would have equalized matters, and, in the closing minutes, Newport themselves attacked so hard that in a scramble near the line Ross, the right wing, picked up and scored. This try, coming when it did, probably would have settled matters even if Edwards had not landed a magnificent goal from the touch line."
"Two good sides were well matched on the whole, but the superior teamwork and opportunism of the club team just gave them the victory, helped, of course, by Edwards' kicking."
"NEWPORT.- R. Hughes; G. Ross, K. Jones (captain), B. Williams, J. Lane; R. D. Owen, W. A. Williams; R. T. Evans, D. G. Ackerman, P. Davies, B. Edwards, L. E. T. Jones, G. Hirst, L. Davies, T. Sterry."
"BARBARIANS.- G. Williams (Llanelly); M. Pomathios (Lyon Olympique), J. M. Williams (Penzance and Newlyn), F. O. Turnbull (Kelso), D. M. Rose (Jedforest); W. J. Hewitt (Instonians), H. McCracken (North of Ireland), J. McG. Kendall-Carpenter (Oxford University), J. R. G. Stephens (Neath) (captain), R. C. Taylor (Kelvinside-West), H. M. Inglis (Edinburgh Academicals), E. R. John (Neath), J. C. Dawson (Glasgow Academicals), R. Roe (Dublin university), D. McKibbin (Instonians)."
"REFEREE.- I. David (Neath)."