NEWPORT are in the hat for the fifth round of the Konica Minolta Cup, but only after surviving a much bigger fright than the scoreline suggests at Rodney Parade on Saturday.
The Premier Division side were given the toughest of tests by their big, abrasive and often skilful First Division opponents, and had to call on all the reserves they could muster to pull through.
In a 15-minute first-half spell encamped in the home 22 after the first of five Daniel Griffiths penalties had given Newport a seventh-minute lead, Merthyr were held up on or over the line four times.
They twice declined kickable penalties to go for tries to try to take the lead and put the pressure on, and it took a strong, determined and sometimes fortunate defence to keep them out.
And when big, fast 18-year-old centre Thomas James had the ball he created havoc in the Newport ranks with his powerful and elusive running.
So much did this Wales Under-21s 1500m runner impress on only his third or fourth outing since switching to rugby from athletics, that he looks set to be invited to train with the Dragons.
Other Merthyr players impressed too, and had they not at times been over-abrasive and indisciplined, which meant being reduced to 14 men for 30 minutes through three yellow cards, they might have caused a major upset.
But Newport's pack stuck to their task, with veteran lock Mark Workman and aggressive flanker Sam Waldron setting a superb example with their tackling and general workrate, as did second-half back-row replacements Chris Davies and Marc Popham.
Behind Newport were all at sea, and at times looked more likely to hand Merthyr tries with their slack handling and slow and wayward distribution than score tries themselves.
But at least in outside-half Griffiths they had a match-winning goalkicker who punished Merthyr's indiscretions, and in scoring 17 points became the club's sixth-highest points-scorer in history.
After repelling Merthyr's first-quarter onslaught, Newport took a 12-0 half-time lead through Griffiths, two of his penalties after Merthyr number eight Jason Price had been sin-binned after a fracas. But three minutes into the second half Merthyr's David Cambourne, who had moved from full back to scrum-half, kicked to the short side and wing Dale Keepin outpaced the cover for a try.
Griffiths' fifth penalty was cancelled by Neil Burnett's for Merthyr, and at 15-8, with Merthyr getting up a head of steam, it looked game on.
But the Newport eight upped the tempo and the backs responded with virtually their only concerted handling of the game, and eventually young centre Ashley Smith burst through.
The ball was recycled and fellow centre Richard Payne then broke the gain line to set up a ruck and when the ball was worked left, Smith was there again to score for Griffiths to convert.
Still Merthyr, despite two further yellow cards, would not lie down, and five minutes from time they spurned a 3-1 overlap which might have set up a nerve-racking finale and Newport were relieved to hear the final whistle.
"It was as tough as we'd imagined it would be and all credit to Merthyr," said Newport coach David Rees afterwards.
"We expected them to play a tough, tight, driving game and they didn't disappoint, though we gave them too many opportunities to exploit it.
"I thought if we could have scored a couple of tries in the first 20 minutes we might have got away, but they didn't allow us to.
"Our forward effort was outstanding, particularly our defence around the fringes, and I thanked the pack for securing the win.
"I thought we were way off the money behind and I've told the backs we must take a long look at ourselves. "Merthyr were uncompromising but also played a bit of rugby and split us a few times, and you can see why they are doing well.
"But we have come through a tricky fixture, and another home draw in the next round would be nice."
Newport: J Rowles (R Williams 43min), R Shorney, R Payne, A Smith, W Kershaw-Naylor, D Griffiths, M Thomas (G Crothers 70min), I Evans (D Pattison 61min), R James (A Brown 67min), P Osbourne, M Workman, N Watkins, S Waldron, P Williams (C Davies 55min), R Jones (M Popham 43min).
Scorers: try - A Smith; conversion - Griffiths; penalties - Griffiths (5).
Merthyr: D Cambourne (D King 70min), D Keepin, R Downes, T James, G Thomas (O Davies 70min), N Burnett, R Harries (A Richards 40min), J Difford, L Wood (R Evans 61min), M Wilson (R James 61min), R Mordecai (G Williams 48min), D Lynch, R Coombs, R Miles, J Price (G Davies 55min).
Scorers: try - Keepin; penalty - Burnett.
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