Another full house at home for Swansea

Swansea 78 Newport 6

The significance of scoring tries to amass bonus points certainly seems to have struck a chord with the Swansea players.

This was the third successive home game in which they had hit the seven- try mark to secure a full house of three bonus points. In fact they went over the top on this occasion, running in 11 tries.

There was little indication that such an avalanche of points was likely to materialise when the teams changed ends with the home side 14-6 ahead. The second half, however, turned into a procession as the All Whites helped themselves to more tries.

With the reigning champions, Cardiff, failing to secure any bonus points from their slender victory at Ebbw Vale, and former league leaders Llanelli securing only one from their win over Newbridge, this was a highly significant result for Swansea, booming them into fourth place just five points off the top.

But if they are to mount a realistic challenge for what would be a third Heineken title, they will have to address the problem of their form away from St Helens. It is one thing to massacre opposition on home turf, but the title is likely to be won away from home where points are always harder to come by.

What this victory will have done though is instill greater confidence into the Swansea side. Newport had only been beaten once in the league prior to this defeat, yet they never looked likely to end their 19-year run without a triumph at Swansea.

Their pack looked fragile, they lacked conviction and they made an enormous amount of unforced errors. Swansea punished them unmercilessly every time they dropped the ball and two of the 10 tries after the break were scored from 70 metres out.

One man who inflicted more pain on Newport than any other was Swansea's new back row recruit, Colin Charvis. He scored four tries in all and was ever ready in his support of wave after wave of home attacks.

Swansea: Tries Charvis 4, Harris 3, Simon Davies 2, Williams 2; Conversions Williams 7. Penalties Williams 3. Newport: Penalties Rees 2.

Swansea: A Clement (capt, L Davies, 10); A Harris, M Taylor (D Hawkins, 72), D Weatherley, Simon Davies; A Williams, Rhodri Jones; C Loader, G Jenkins, C Anthony, S Moore, A Moore (R Moriarty, 72), A Reynolds, Stuart Davies (R Appleyard, 32), C Charvis.

Newport: M Yendle; C Arnold, D Hughes, S Webley, A Arentsen; G Rees (capt), J Hewlett; S Duggan (D Thomas, 63), A Peacock, S Cronk, N Jones (T Richards, 53), M Boyle, A Wainwright, M Workman, D Gray.

Referee: A Rowlands (Treorchy).