NARBERTH 31 pts
NEWBRIDGE 19
Promoted as division two champions, Narberth showed that they are likely to relish life back in division one with a solid 31 points to 19 victory over Newbridge at the Lewis Lloyd ground on Saturday.
With their pack dominating up front, particularly prop Andrew Howell and hooker Craig Hawkins, Otters half-backs Chris Macdonald and Simon Daniel were able to control the course of the game throughout and, while the visitors came back strongly in the second half, they could do little to prevent the homesters opening the new league season with a comfortable win.
Daniel opened Narberth's account in the fifth minute with a penalty.
His opposite number, Jason Williams, had a chance to put Newbridge back on terms minutes later with a penalty, but he was off target.
One of the features of Narberth's success towards the end of last season was the centre partnership of Andrew Bowen and Elgan Vittle and the duo showed that the summer recess had done little to dull their edge when Bowen split the Newbridge defence and Vittle was on his shoulder to take the feed and zip over to touch down under the posts.
Daniel converted and added the extras when lock Jamie Bohata crowned another fine display with a touch down from the back of a lineout.
Seventeen points in front at the break, the Otters lost ground after the change around when Newbridge scrum-half Matthew Taylor created the space to work replacement wing David Venter over for an unconverted try.
The visitors were reduced to 14 men midway through the third quarter when flanker Martin Ackerman was shown his second yellow card of the game, but it only inspired the Newbridge men to raise their game.
They started to put Narberth under the cosh and, following a period of pressure, netted a penalty try which Jason Williams converted to reduce the arrears to just five points.
Ebullient Otters scrum-half Chris Macdonald helped restore the home advantage when he sent wing Andrew Jones over for a well worked try which went unconverted, before Daniel edged the homesters further in front with a well struck penalty.
Newbridge refused to throw in the towel and bounced back with a try from flanker Damian Cooper, which Williams converted, but a drop goal from Daniel followed by another penalty ended the match as a contest.
It was a confident start to the season for Narberth, with coach Robert Lewis being particularly impressed with the way the stalwarts combined with the new faces to form a cohesive attacking unit.
In addition to Bohata, Jason Jennings also impressed in the boilerhouse, as did the back row, while wing Nick Jones and Adrian Killa - playing at fullback instead of his preferred inside-half berth - made confident debuts for the club.
Narberth are at home again tomorrow (Saturday) when they welcome Blackwood to the Lewis Lloyd.