Newport returned to the top of Super Rygbi Cymru with an impressive 57-19 home win over reigning champions Llandovery.
The Black and Ambers regained top spot with all six points after Cardiff’s defeat at Swansea.
Ebbw Vale kept up their impressive start to the season with a 33-26 win against Aberavon, while there were plenty of tries for young Dragons in Pontypool’s narrow defeat at Bridgend.
Newport included five Dragons within their 23 with starts for Nick Thomas, Will Ford, Joe Westwood and Sam Morgan, while Noah Morgan made his return to the 23 following injury, on the bench.
A hattrick from centre Chay Foster-Smith helped the Black and Ambers to a convincing win in a game where Hunter Ward and Henry Palmer both scored a brace, as well as tries for flanker Kyle Tayler-Woolston and Dragons’ Thomas.
Young Dragons fly-half Ford converted six of the scores to add 12 points to his haul so far this season.
Down the road in Ebbw Vale and an impressive first half had the Steelmen 21-7 at the break thanks to a brace of tries from Ieuan Morris, along with a score for fly-half Tom Howard on his first start.
Aberavon drew the scores level in the second half but two more Morris tries, taking his tally to four on the day, saw Ebbw home with five points.
In Bridgend, there were starts for Sam Scarfe, Morgan Lloyd and Rhys Cole in a Pontypool side which could call on an entire Dragons Academy front row from the bench in Tiaan Hall, George Tuckley and Scott Crewe.
Tries from Scarfe and centre Joel Mahoney meant Dragons trailed 17-14 at the break, with both players scoring in the second half as Pooler took the lead 24-28.
However, two Bridgend tries late on earnt the home side a 38-33 win, despite a first Pooler try for Dragons Academy player Hall. In other news, the Dragons want to wish hooker Joe Franchi the very best in retirement following a glittering career at the Steelmen.
A club-captain for seven seasons, Franchi made 222 appearances for his hometown club and became a regular feature on the scoring charts as the anchor to Ebbw’s dominant maul, grabbing 25 tries during the 24/25 campaign.
Newport: Carwyn Penny; Sam Morgan, Chay Foster-Smith, Joe Westwood, Fin Baker; Will Ford, Dafydd Buckland; Ed Thompson, Wade Langley, Ollie Drake, Nick Thomas, Ethan Phillips, Hunter Ward, Josh Reid, Ben Roach (c).
Replacements: Henry Palmer, Tom Devine, Garin Harris, Joe Peard, Kyle Tayler-Woolston, Lucus Welch, Joe Salter, Noah Morgan.
Ebbw Vale: Dylan Edwards; Devon Shorney, Ethan Phillips, Cam Davies, Ewan Bowden; Tom Howard, Gruff Tough; Luke Garrett, Ieuan Morris, Morgan Bosanko, Dylan Bartlett, Curtis Gregory, Ben Main, Sion Parry (c), Ryan Jenkins.
Pontypool: Carrick McDonough; Rhys Cole, Joel Mahoney, Kieran Meek, Marcus Jones; Evan Lloyd, Morgan Lloyd, Jake Wisniewski, Sam Scarfe, Harri Rock, Lance Randall, Liam Antrobus, Dan Hill, Ben Williams, Scott Matthews (c).
Replacements: Tiaan Hall, George Tuckley, Scott Crewe, Joe Davies, Morgan Allen, Ellis Lewis, Connor Edwards, Rakhat Clarkson.
