Rugby Union: Rogers' honesty of no advantage to Newport

Cardiff 26 Newport

THE RULE in derby matches is ride your luck, take whatever comes your way and steal any inch of ground that is available. This pulsating encounter - the 382nd in the series, according to Cardiff, and the 389th in Newport's records - was no exception, although the Wales prop, Peter Rogers, did attempt to break the mould when he protested to the referee after being credited with Newport's opening try.

It was not that the loose head specialist had been the victim of any unseen skulduggery, or wanted to complain about illegal scrum tactics, he simply felt his try should not have been awarded. As the television replays showed, the ball bounced out of his grasp as he fell over the line, yet Nigel Whitehouse, whose view was impaired by players, still credited the score to the prop.

While he was walking back from the try line, Rogers told Whitehouse that he had knocked the ball on and the try should not have been given. Why should Rogers act this way? Perhaps it had something to do with the final try awarded to Australia against Wales in the World Cup quarter-final. "I knocked the ball on for the try and I tried to tell the referee that. By the time I had got my message across he simply said it was too late," Rogers said.

"I think it proves that we have to follow rugby league and have video referees. It doesn't take that long to judge, perhaps a couple of minutes at the most, but there have been some crucial moments in key matches of late and it's vital that we look at that option."

Rogers' injury-time try at the end of a half that had been dominated by a resurgent home side was the building block for a Newport revival. They had been hit for six by in the first half when tries by Rhys Williams and Gareth Thomas had given Cardiff a 23-point lead after only 32 minutes. The second half, however, was a complete reversal as Newport, with the wind at their backs, ran in two more tries and got to within four points of their greatest rivals. They all but made up the deficit, but time ran out and Cardiff hung on.

Cardiff: Tries R Williams, G Thomas; Conversions Burke 2; Penalty Burke 4. Newport: Tries Rogers, Cummins, Marinos; Conversions Howarth 2. Penalty Howarth.

Cardiff: R Williams; L Botham, G Thomas, L Davies, F Hill (M Rayer, 54); P Burke, R Powell; A Lewis, J Humphreys (capt), S John (L Mustoe, 78), S Moore, M Voyle, G Kacala, E Lewis, D Baugh.

Newport: S Howarth (capt); N McKim, J Jones-Hughes, A Marinos, B Breeze; F Smith (J Pritchard, 35), D Llewellyn; P Rogers (C Jones, 49), D Cummins, R Snow, G Taylor, S Raiwalui, J Powell, A Gibbs, J Forster.

Referee: N Whitehouse (Swansea).