THE Black and Ambers rallied magnificently at Rodney Parade to turn the tables on a Llandovery side that caused them a lot of problems.

Trailing 18-3 at the break – and deservedly so after an ill-disciplined and lethargic display – Newport recovered so well that the Drovers ended up a well-beaten side at the final whistle.

Newport scored 24 unanswered points in a rousing second-half display to leave one huge smile on the face of coach Sven Cronk.

“We were as good in the second half as we were hesitant in the first,” said Cronk, “but full marks to the boys for a fine comeback.

“It showed we are slowly regaining form after beating a very useful Drovers side and this could be the turning-point for us to recover the dash and composure we showed last year.

“We should have scored two or three tries early in the first half but Llandovery showed us how to take chances by scoring very good tries, but to the side’s credit they shrugged off their hesitancy to take firm control.

“We gave away a lot of silly penalties in the first period but when we tightened up our discipline, we found a new tempo to our game and forced them into a lot of mistakes.”

The Drovers had scored two well-crafted tries through scrum-half Gareth James and flanker Johnathan Edwards, and with fly-half Cerith Rees kicking eight points, it was difficult to see any other result than an away win.

The revival was down to a barnstorming second-half display by the home pack in which lock Alex Jones and flanker Sam Waldron were outstanding.

The experience of two replacements in hooker Andrew Brown and prop Dai Pattison and the injection of new enthusiasm from lock Dafydd Rosser were also important factors in the home revival. Even the yellow-carding of skipper and No 8 Andrew Coombs soon after the break did not disturb Newport’s new-found concentration.

And when fly-half Chris Wannell added three penalties to the one in the first half to make it 18-12, Newport surged forward to get tries from centre Scott Williams and wing Alan Awcock after a run and pass from the impressive Rhodri Gomer Davies.

The stunned Drovers went back west pointless when replacement fly-half Dan Griffiths dashed their hopes with a very late penalty.

Newport: G Wyatt; R Owen (A Awcock 9-16 and h/t), R G Davies, S Williams, W Harries; C Wannell (D Griffiths 72), D Walsh (A Quick 33); I Evans (D Pattison 50), M Leaman (A Brown 50), L Hunter, A Frampton (D Rosser 50), A Jones, S Waldron (R Dale 69), A Coombs, P Williams.

Tries: S Williams, A Awcock; con: D Griffiths; pens: C Wannell (4), D Griffiths.

Llandovery: H Thomas; I Evans, G Maule, R Williams (L Rees 79), J Ajuwa; C Rees, G James; P Edwards, E Phillips, C Cross, R Gierat (S Martin 14-23 and 63), L Tonkin (capt) (M Harbut 68), N Aiono, J Turnbull, J Edwards.

Tries: G James, J Edwards; con: C Rees; pens: C Rees (2).

Referee: H Griffiths (Cwmavon).

Argus star man: Rhodri Gomer Davies.