Newark was excited to host Paviors for their first official match of the season, with high hopes for the year ahead. In typical late-summer fashion, the day began wet and slippery, making the game feel like it was being played with a bar of soap. Both teams were slightly short-handed due to school commitments.
Newark kicked off and immediately applied pressure on Paviors' try line, executing strong lineouts and attacking plays. However, a solid defence from Paviors and some missed final passes kept Newark from scoring early.
In the scrums, both packs were evenly matched, each battling for early control. The opening 20 minutes were marked by handling errors due to the slippery ball, though Newark kept Paviors pinned in their half. Despite this, it was Paviors who struck first, breaking from their 22 and spreading the ball wide to the wings. A combination of missed tackles and speed allowed their winger to score a well-earned try, followed by a successful conversion, leaving Newark stunned and down 0-7.
Paviors, now confident, looked to extend their lead. Newark's situation worsened after receiving a yellow card, reducing them to 14 players. Paviors capitalised on this by converting a penalty to push the score to 0-10.
Undeterred, Newark quickly responded with some well-constructed phased play, leading to Conner Cnockaert forcing through for Newark’s first try, converted by Robbie Scoular to close the gap to 7-10. As the rain stopped and the half ended, the stage was set for a competitive second half.

The second half kicked off energetically, with both teams seeking to gain control. Newark took the lead for the first time following sustained pressure on Paviors’ line, with Daniel Woodward scoring and Scoular converting, bringing the score to 14-10.
Shortly after, Newark extended their lead with a driving maul finished by Monty Mullins, making it 19-10. A well-executed play by the Newark backs found Daniel Woodward at the halfway line, who dodged tackles and outpaced the defence to score another impressive try, converted by Scoular to stretch the lead to 26-10 as Paviors began to tire.
The final points came from a penalty near the Paviors’ 5-meter line, finished by James Jenner, sealing Newark’s 31-10 victory.