Newbridge Legends 26 Pontypool Legends 17

IT was nostalgia all the way as some of the stars of yesteryear turned out one more time at Newbridge yesterday - all in a good cause.

Old heads, bald heads, some sporting white hair, others grey got together to honour Steve Jones, the former Pontypool and Newport hooker and coach and more recently Newbridge coach, who died prematurely in September and also to raise funds for his daughter Molly.

Eddie Butler played the full 80 minutes, his first game for 17 years and showed he not only still possesses all his faculties but the skills to match.

David Bishop was as competitive as ever - he would be if he was involved in a caterpillar race - to the delight of his adoring fans while Mark Jones showed he still isn't averse to the odd bit of skullduggery.

And on the Newbridge side Newport Gwent Dragons coaches Paul Turner and Dai Rees returned to their former stamping ground and showed some of their trickery.

It was all played in a super spirit and there could hardly have been a more fitting tribute to Junna' than this, and how he must have loved it as he looked down on the superbly well organised event.

The game was played in four 20 minute periods, players trotting on and off frequently, Butler shaming the lot of them by staying the entire course while cameo appearances from a few like Bishop had the crowd roaring.

There was lots of running from a still youthful Jason Williams and Richard Lewis and a fair bit from the not quite so young Byron Hayward contributing to a memorable occasion in front of a packed crowd of around 3,000.

The first quarter was scoreless as players tried to come to terms with what they were doing, then Newbridge forged ahead through a try by Williams converted by Hayward. The third quarter witnessed a near riot of scoring as Pooler levelled through a Pat Hayes try converted by Mike Goldsworthy before Newbridge got a clinching double through Peter Thomas and Kenny Waters, both converted by Hayward.

Pontypool, to the familiar chants of Pooler, Pooler' even in a game like this, came back through tries by Darryl Rowles and Roger Bidgood, but Newbridge had the final say with a try and conversion by Hayward.

Former Pooler wing stalwart Goff Davies, long time headmaster of Hartridge Comprehsive School, summed it up at the end when he said breathlessly, "That is the last time I will ever put a rugby jersey on!" Shame!