NEWPORT'S long-term policy of developing their own young Welsh players is starting to pay off -- big time.

Of the near 30 players who took the field at the Memorial Ground yesterday, those who made the biggest mark were the young guns.

And they combined with a few more senior players, though a number were also missing, to shock an almost full strength Zurich Premiership Bristol side 19 points to 10 which had returned from their Argentina tour with three wins out of three.

James Rowles, Hal Luscombe, Nathan Brew, Llyr Lane, Gareth Gravell and Andrew Powell were all with the under-21 side last season.

Openside flanker Gravell did make his senior debut and is going to be part of the senior squad this season.

He made his presence felt with a try, but the pick of the young breed , on whom Newport are banking on for their future was Brew.

New coach Ian McIntosh already believes this Welsh-speaking teenager has big potential, though he won't discuss individuals, and he showed it at Bristol. He could be converted from wing to centre, and he showed his paces with his lightning dashes, his eye for the gap and general awareness.

McIntosh was well pleased, though with certain reservations in his first sight of the Newport squad in a match situation, even if it was a practice.

"A lot of youngsters were given a run and you could see them working it out," said McIntosh before heading back to South Africa, returning full time in another fortnight.

"The thing I'm excited about is that though we scored three tries we left five or six on the park. But we've got to get the finishing right.

"The scrums were not good, we didn't control it so the half backs couldn't get going. "The line-outs didn't provide clean ball and we've got to do a lot of work there.

"But we had some lovely patches, though the monentum has got to tighten up. "Players were missing today, but they'd better not hang around or they'll find others in their place."

The line-outs were a problem with Gary Teichmann retired and Ian Gough injured, though that is a problem which could be solved quickly.

Of the senior players Shane Howarth and Andy Marinos looked sharp, Rod Snow, Simon Raiwalui and Peter Buxton going well up front.

Matthew Watkins got Newport's first try from an interception and they settled it with two tries in five minutes in the second half.

Gravell pounced from a scrum then Howarth dodged over, converting both tries. Bristol didn't get their only try until the closing minutes when Australian Shane Drahm dummied and dashed over.

Scorers: Bristol -- try: Shane Drahm; penalty and conversion: Drahm. Newport -- tries: Matthew Watkins, Gareth Gravell, Shane Howarth; conversions: Howarth (2).