"club notes"

"We are most pleased to welcome NEWPORT to Old Deer Park this afternoon. So far this season the "Black and Ambers" have played 18 games of which 11 have been won, 1 drawn and 6 lost; in the process they have scored 364 points to 172. They come to us fresh from a 20 points to 6 win over the Cambridge University side which has had some good wins this season. They have also beaten, among others, Bristol, Swansea, and Cardiff and go into the second round of the W.R.U. Cup by virtue of a win over Beddau by 34 points to 3; they reached the 4th round of the Competition last season before going down to Bridgend 18-7. Leading points scorer this season is full back Glyn Bram with 53 points, closely followed by leading try scorer, wing Ken Davies on 52 points. Scrum half Alan Evans is a Wales "B" International and both he snd lock forward Jeff Watkins have made over 200 1st XV appearances for Newport. Clive Jenkins and David Burcher (an Eastern Counties player) are former Welsh Secondary Schools' players while the Evans boys Alan and Geoff played for the Welsh Youth side. This season's captain in succession to Geoff Evans is prop forward Colin Smart. Born in London, Colin played for Kent Schools and later senior Rugby for Kent before going to college. He is in his third season with Newport and is the third Englishman to captain the side. Colin turned down a Welsh trial last season and later became a member of the England squad. He played for London Counties against Australia at Twickenham a fortnight ago and is hoping to lead Newport to victory over the Wallabies on 7th January next, thus repeating the Club's 1957 win over the tourists."

"The London Welsh side for today's game shows only one change from that narrowly defeated 7-6 by Bristol last Saturday, Andy Robinson coming in at outside half in place of Haydn Stockham. The loss against Bristol brought our total of consecutive defeats to six; the last time this occurred was in the middle of season 1973/74, this sequence being followed by a 21-9 win, and we are naturally hoping that something of the sort will happen again today. We have to avenge not only our defeat here last season, when we were on the losing side by 31 points to 20 despite scoring three tries, but an 18-9 defeat at Rodney Parade last Easter. Our leading points scorer to date is Haydn Stockham with 79 and he has the distinction of having scored in every game in which he has played this season. All his points have come from successful kicks at goal and in fact the only other successful kicker this season has been Andy Robinson, who takes over the kicking role again today."

"On the junior front the Extra "A" XV still continue their winning ways having now won all their seven games with a points average of 32-6. Both the "A"s and the Extra "A.l"s have scored more points averaging 33 and 47 a game respectively, but each has lost one match."