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Clifton Rugby Football Club History |
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v Newport 10th January 1880 |
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played at Newport
Clifton 1Goal (Millar),4 Touches - Newport 0
An account of the match appeared in The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post on the 13th January 1880 and said
CLIFTON v. NEWPORT
Played at Newport on Saturday last. Great interest centred in the meeting of these two clubs, and both mustered their best available teams. In the previous one or two encounters Newport had proved victorius, but in the present instance Clifton turned the tables on their opponents, and defeated them by one goal and four touches to nothing. Phillips won the toss, Miller kicked off, and it was at once evident how hardly contested the game would be. Scrimmages ensued for some time in Newport territory, till the ball was secured by F.Phillips, who made a run across the ground, where he was collared. Gribble then, by two excellent runs , took the ball well into the Newport 'twenty-five', but Newman retaliated with some capital dribbling. Evans, by a long run, then threatened the Newport goal, but was pushed into touch, and Newport soon touched down, Pruen, Ward, and Cox, for Clifton, and Woods and Newman for Newport made repeated attempts to break away; but nothing decisive was gained by either side, and at 'half-time' found the ball near the centre of the ground. Goals having been changed, and the ball again set in motion, very fast play became the order of the day. Some time, however, elapsed before anything material happened to decide the fortunes of the game. Newport were compelled to touch-down twice, and then Ward, by a very good and clever run, obtained a try for the visitors, from which Miller kicked an easy goal. After the kick-off Newport were again pressed, and Evans crossed their goal-line with the ball but went into touch-in-goal. To the end of the game the ball was kept well in the Newport territory, when "no-side" ended a pleasant and hard-fought match. Both teams played with a great spirit and determination, and it is hard to mention many players for particular excellence; but Newman, Woods, Phillips, and Harding for Newport and Ward, Leonard, Strachan, and Warren for Clifton were perhaps the best. Clifton - J.D.Miller, back, (captain), H.W.R.Gribble, G.V.Cox, H.L.Evans (three-quarter-backs), G.G.Pruen, H.W.Ward (half-backs), J.E.Bush, J.P.Bush, M.Curtis, J.C.Gilmore, H.C.M.Hirst, E.Leonard, H.W.Peck, W.Strachan, E.P.Warren (forwards), Newport - W.Philips (captain), F.Philips, G.F.Harding, T.Harding, F.A.Goss, A.Goss, A.Golledge, H.S.Lyne, C.Jordan, forwards), J.M.Wood, W.Ponsford (backs), T.Spittle, C.H.Newman (three-quarter-backs), C.W.Knox, J.J.Woods (half-backs).