Rodney Parade

My first trip on Friday night to watch the Newport Gwent Dragons means it's three of the four regions visited and only one to go. I will complete the Welsh tour when I stumble across the Liberty Stadium in Swansea to see the Ospreys at the end of January.

The European Challenge Cup is a competition which is considered on the same level as the UEFA Cup in football. It's a cup filled with also rans but is a fantastic opportunity for teams such as Newport, a club attempting to make forward steps, offering its young players the chance to pit their wits against foreign opposition in intimating venues backed by partisan supporters but most importantly, laying down a foundation to build on in years to come.

A cross-border match against Bristol attracted great rivalry, not only on the pitch and the terraces, but also in the heaving press box. Surrounded by Bristol hacks, I took my sheltered position on the halfway line. I was glad to be undercover as playing conditions were severely hampered by swirling winds and driving rain meaning possession of the ball by the forwards and handling by the backs became vital leaving ball skills to a minimum.

Newport scrapped their way to a hard-fought 17-11 win over the current English Guinness Premiership leaders to leave them top of the Pool with one game remaining. Let's hope it's the first, tentative step on the way to sustained future success for the Dragons.