Nicholas saw his side secure a 21-11 win over Newport High School with Reuben Tooze and Edd Howley both scoring first half tries.
Barney Nightingale had been Newport’s scorer but in a tight second half, Rhodri Davies booted Bridgend to victory with two late penalties.
“Every time we have played a game on TV we’ve lost so it’s nice to break that jinx,” said Nicholas.
“I think both teams could think they did enough to win the game. It was very closely fought but it was vital to get off to a winning start – I’m really, really pleased.
“We have Pembroke next week and they’re a much improved side then we face Coleg Sir Gar so it’s a tough start. But hopefully this victory will help to spur us on.”
On a perfect day for running rugby at the Brewery Field, competition newcomers Newport had started impressively. Second row Blain Meek looked to have given them a dream start but his try was ruled out for a forward pass. Despite the setback, Dai Flanagan’s side were playing some free-flowing stuff, their backs impressing without the final pass going to hand.
Nonetheless, the points Newport’s dominance deserved soon arrived. Josh Malson’s penalty gave them a 3-0 lead before Nightingale sold the Bridgend defence a dummy to cross for the first try of the day. The conversion from Malson went wide but the visitors’ lead was a fair representation of how the game had gone.
The first 20 minutes had seen Bridgend offer little in attack but their 8-0 deficit seemed to spark them into life. Tooze crashed over to get things moving with fly half Davies converting and then exchanging penalties with Malson. It all meant that with half an hour played, just a point separated the two sides.
Newport’s narrow advantage was just about deserved but in the final minutes of the first half, Howley’s score for Bridgend meant they went into the break 15-11 in arrears.
An entertaining first 40 minutes was followed by a second half where both sides continued to try and throw the ball around. Mistakes crept into the game though, individual errors minimising scoring chances.
Davies put a penalty effort wide for Bridgend before a superb individual break from full back Ben Davies gave Newport field position. After camping themselves inside the Bridgend 22, the visitors went close on a number of occasions though they failed to make the most of their numerical advantage out wide.
And when Bridgend cleared their lines, it left Newport chasing the game from inside their own half.
In the end it proved too much with Rhodri Davies kicking a pair of late penalties to secure the win.
It left Newport thinking what might have been though their debut in the tournament offered plenty of hope for the future.
