From the match programme:-
"AFTER HAWICK - THE " ALL BLACKS " "
Eight days after playing Hawick, Newport will take on Ian Kirkpatrick's Seventh " All Blacks." That bald statement of fact gives some indication of the power and eminence of our guests at Mansfield Park this afternoon and of the challenge they present to our own Hawick side. And those same " All Blacks" will have uppermost in their minds the sobering thought (if that is not too inappropriate at this time of year) that when Wilson Whineray's powerful " All Blacks " were here in 1963-64, the only side to beat them was Newport."
"What a proud record of achievement Newport can boast. For one thing, they have the unique distinction of being affiliated to both the Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union. They have always been a power in the land since their formation in 1874 and in one incredible spell, they enjoyed six invincible seasons during which they did not lose one of 124 matches. In the early years of international Rugby, Newport once supplied nine players to a Welsh side that won the Triple Crown for the first time. That record representation stood for fifty years. In 1921, Newport fielded a side composed entirely of international players from all the four home countries."
"Their international roll of honour contains a host of distinguished names. They actually produced a player who had more caps on the trot than our famous Hughie McLeod . . . Ken Jones, Olympic sprinter and outstanding wing, gained 43 of his 44 caps consecutively. Newport also gave Welsh Rugby three hookers who can claim to have out-hooked " All Blacks," " Springboks " and/or " Wallabies "... George Travers, his son, Bill, and the most capped of all Welsh hookers, Bryn Meredith. In more recent seasons, Malcolm Thomas, David Watkins, Brian Price, Stuart Watkins and Barry Llewelyn have been among those who have brought added lustre to Newport's international contribution."
"Last season, Newport scored a record 836 points in finishing fifth in the Welsh Club Championship and wing Laurie Daniel set a new individual record for the club of 305 points."
"The Hawick Club are delighted therefore to welcome our Welsh guests to Mansfield Park, not for the first time and, we sincerely hope, not for the last. They have had rotten luck this season with injuries to key players but no side with a record such as theirs will be anything but formidable. Only a few days ago, they sounded a warning with this result: Newport 32, Watsonians 9. And Watsonians are currently fifth in the Scottish Club Championship - just below Hawick !"