NEWPORT scored a record-equalling sixth successive win over old enemy Cardiff on Saturday to send coach David Rees off to Hong Kong with the Wales Sevens squad a happy man.

In difficult Rodney Parade conditions, with driving rain almost throughout and a very slippery surface, both sides tried to play rugby in what was a highly entertaining encounter.

But a superbly drilled Newport turned the screw more and more as the game went on to deservedly run away with the spoils thanks to 19 unanswered points.

The only other period Newport beat Cardiff six times in a row was when they won the last three of four games in season 1881-82, both games of season 1882-83 and the first of season 1883-84.

"We won a critical toss, chose to play into the wind and rain and were unlucky to be losing at half-time," said Rees afterwards.

"It was a very mature performance, especially as we hadn't played for three weeks.

"Cardiff have been playing well, have recruited quality players and had a regional pair of half-backs, but we got our tactics right in the conditions and the pack were outstanding."

Outside-half Daniel Griffiths stole the honours with 20 points from six penalties and a conversion, failing only with his first attempt at the extra points.

His line-kicking and defensive play, too, were spot on - but then so was the whole Newport effort in the second half.

Cardiff may be bottom of the Welsh Premier Division, but they had won their previous three games, including league wins over Llanelli and Cross Keys, and fielded a decent starting line-up.

They turned around 14-11 up thanks to three Nick Macleod penalties and a try by centre Richard Jones, which owed much to a Newport player slipping on his 22 and the officials not spotting Jones had been in front of the kicker initially, but were never in it afterwards.

Newport crushed them in the scrum, stole several lineouts against the throw thanks mainly to outstanding Dragons lock Bryn Griffiths, kicked superbly for position so they could play rugby in the final third of the field, and forced turnovers.

Hardly a player made an error, a feat in itself given the conditions, and if their first-half try had come from prop David Pattison being driven over from a close-range lineout, their second was a cracker.

After three Griffiths penalties had put them 20-24 ahead, number eight Rhys Jones (won't he be missed when work takes him to Ireland next season!) picked up from a scrum and set up a ruck outside the Cardiff 22.

The ball was sent out to Griffiths, who cleverly switched direction to find full back Lee Hinton had timed his blindside run to perfection to burst through and send skipper and right wing Rhys Shorney over for the decisive 67th-minute score.

The display would have delighted former Newport giant Glyn Davidge, who gave his all in many a Newport/Cardiff battle and for whom a minute's silence on his untimely death last week was immaculately observed by fans of both sides.

Newport: L Hinton, R Shorney, J Rowles, R Payne, W Kershaw-Naylor (J Taylor 75min), D Griffiths, M Thomas (G Crothers 74min), D Pattison, L Jones, G Robinson (P Osbourne 74min), M Workman (W Jones 74min), B Griffiths (C Powell 76min), S Waldron (Richard Dale 74min), P Williams, R Jones. Scorers: tries - Pattison, Shorney; conversion - Griffiths; penalties - Griffiths (6).

Cardiff: L Andrews, E Jones, R Jones (D Hewitt 70min), R Davies, J Hill, N Macleod (C Anderson 78min), R Powell, G Morris (N Trevett 64min), K Jama, K Kinsey (G Gunter 75min), R Meredith (C Jones 78min), C Stamatakis, M Lewis (N Coles 69min), G Gravell (N Hampson 74min), J Malpas. Scorers: try - Jones; penalties - Macleod (3).

Attendance: 1,579