Newport power makes Jones' case irresistible

As final trials go, this ended as a pretty one-sided victory for the Black and Ambers. The Blue and Whites tried hard, and even led at half-time, but there won't be too many candidates from their ranks for next season's regional team.

But before the players are put in place for the new Newport/Ebbw Vale combined team to represent Gwent, the even more emotive issues of who will coach the side, what they will be called and what colours they will wear will have to be decided.

At least the Newport coach, Leigh Jones, will be able to go into his interview with the Welsh Rugby Union on Thursday knowing that his side were good enough to progress to the semi-finals of the Principality Cup. His vanquished counterpart, Mike Ruddock, leaked the selection panel on the same day.

Victory for Newport will mean that Shane Howarth, one of the departing hordes from Newport at the end of the season, will be able to sign off in some style by returning to the Millennium Stadium. He doesn't want to stop at the semi-final and hopes to pick up a second cup-winners' medal to round off his controversial stay in Wales.

He got a huge round of applause from the home crowd when the announcer congratulated him for his contribution to Welsh rugby, and judging by the mood of a sunny afternoon at Eugene Cross Park there is little animosity from the terraces at the prospect of these two great rivals coming together next season. Ebbw Vale worked their socks off in the first half to try to cause a major upset and their Irish duo, Mark Meenan and Bryan Shelbourne, combined to give their side a 7-0 lead early on.

Newport failed to get on top up front in the early proceedings and had to wait until 21-minutes had elapsed before finally breaking the home ranks when the left wing Luke Nabaro raced clear for the first of his three tries.

Nabaro struck again before the break for a try which Percy Montgomery converted to give the visitors a 12-10 lead, but Meenan hit the mark with a dropped goal just before the break to leave the game hanging on a thread moving into the second half.

After that, though, it was a different story as the Newport pack powered away and the visitors ran in four tries to earn their trip to the Millennium Stadium for the semi-final.

The back-row man Jason Forster grabbed two of them, Nabaro completed his hat- trick and Rod Snow rounded off the rout.

After this it is back to the drawing board for all and sundry, as new life needs to be breathed into the new Gwent side.

Ebbw Vale: M Meenan; G Betts (A Takarangi, 20, M Ridley, 70), N Wakley, P Matthews (E Binham 13), A Bevan; S Mitchell, B Shelbourne; A Black (P Jones, 78), L Phillips (capt), M Jones (P Jones 15-23), O Booyse (C Billen, 60), P Sidoli, R Williams (W Thomas, 60), T Morris, K Tuipulopu.

Newport: P Montgomery; A Cadwallader (N Brew, 70), J Jones-Hughes, J Pritchard, L Nabaro; S Howarth (J Strange, 70), D Llewellyn (L Lane, 57); R Snow, P Young (J Richards, 57), C Anthony (A Garvey, 57), S Railwalui (capt), I Gough, M Veater, J Forster (R Jones, 69, S Ojomoh (A Powell, 20).

Referee: N Williams (Bryncoch).