Depleted Cardiff cheer up Joubert

Cardiff 20 Newport 14

The Newport owner, Tony Brown, will be hoping Joost van der Westhuizen did not pick up this black-and-amber horror show on the eve of his meeting with South African rugby officials.

If he did then he is unlikely to be convinced that Rodney Parade is the place for him to further his rugby career over the next two years. Quite simply his prospective new team-mates were shocking.

Against a Cardiff side ravaged by injury, missing at least 11 regulars and patched up with a handful of youngsters, they were outfought and out-thought by a spirited home effort in complete contrast to the one which opened the season.

On opening night in the Celtic League, Cardiff slumped to an improbable 6-3 home defeat to the Irish whipping boys Connacht. After that, the Arms Park club's new South African coach, Rudy Joubert, must have felt like packing his bags and going home.

That defeat was followed by another one at Neath, but after this turnaround in both performance and fortune Joubert was the Springbok wearing a smile. By contrast, the former South African coach Ian McIntosh was dismayed by his Newport side's abject performance.

Having missed the opening weekend, Newport finally got their Celtic League and Welsh/Scottish League season in to full swing with a comfortable win over Caerphilly last weekend. That should have put them in the mood to avenge a double defeat by Cardiff last season.

But with the home side supposedly there for the taking, Newport's experienced and highly priced side just could not deliver the goods.

Worse still, this Newport side must travel to Toulouse and Leinster in the Heineken Cup this season. On this showing neither game will be pretty.

As for Cardiff, their season has finally got off the mark and there will no doubt be relief all round that their credibility is once again intact. For that they should thank their dog-eared forwards, the former Wales prop Peter Rogers in particular.

Despite being sent to the sin-bin for some illegal use of the boot, Rogers was responsible for putting the Newport pack under tremendous pressure at the scrums. He also foraged well in the loose and obviously relished the opportunity of starting a big game in front of the Wales coach, Graham Henry.

More of the same from Rogers could lead to a long awaited renaissance from the loose head prop, although there is still a long way for him to go before he can recapture his former glories.

Rogers departed for his 10-minute touchline sojourn shortly after teenage home outside half Nick Robinson had kicked the first of his two penalties his second came at the end of the half after opposing centres Andy Marinos and Matt Allen had swapped tries.

That gave Cardiff a 13-7 interval lead which Robinson extended after 54 minutes with a super solo try of his own which he also converted. Newport hit back with a Matt Pini try eight minutes from time, which the replacement Jason Strange converted, but it was much too little too late.

Cardiff: R Williams; C Hudson (P Jones, 57), M Allen, P Muller, A Henry; N Robinson, R Powell; P Rogers (S John, 71), G Woods (A Lewis, 61), K Fouries, J Tait (capt), C Quinnell, J Brownrigg (S John, 18-24), R Appleyard, G Kacala.

Newport: M Pini; M Mostyn, M Watkins (J Pritchard, 68), A Marinos, M Breeze; S Howarth (J Strange, 68), D Burn; R Snow, P Young (J Richards, 68), A Garvey (C Anthony, 73), S Raiwalui (capt), M Voyle (G Taylor, 68), P Buxton, A Popham (J Powell, 60), J Forster.

Referee: Steve Lander (RFU).