Heineken Cup Rugby: Lights go out on Newport as Leinster go unbeaten

Newport 21 Leinster 26

The lights literally went out on Newport’s Heineken Cup campaign at Rodney Parade tonight as Leinster preserved their unbeaten pool six record in dramatic fashion.

Fly-half Nathan Spooner’s two late penalty strikes gave Leinster a fourth successive victory and put them in sight of the quarter finals.

Newport were leading a pulsating pool six encounter 21-20 when the lights went out on one side of the ground.

A bumper crowd of just over 10,000 were left high and dry as top English referee Chris White attempted to get to grips with the bizarre turn of events.

White had just awarded Newport a kickable penalty when part of the ground was plunged into semi-darkness.

Newport skipper Simon Raiwalui seemed prepared to continue, but Leinster were having none of it and their captain Reggie Corrigan took his players to the dressing room.

White, his touch judges and officials were involved in animated discussions, but with more than 15 minutes having elapsed, there was still no sign of the game restarting.

With the crowd waiting patiently, the match officials then returned from the dressing room almost like cricket umpires making an inspection for bad light.

Loud cheers suddenly reverberated around the ground, and Newport returned to the field after a 16 minute stoppage with every sign of the game getting underway once more.

Boos greeted Leinster’s return, but the match was back on just when it looked as if a postponement had become a distinct possibility.

However, the crowd were stunned as Newport out-half, Shane Howarth, missed a penalty chance and Leinster weathered a Newport storm to prevent a match-winning try in the last five minutes.

Leinster now top the table of Pool 6 and are virtually assured of a quarter-final place.