With Matt O’Brien unavailable, Newport head coach Craig Warlow pinned his faith in O’Driscoll and he came up trumps with 17 points to take the wind out of the sails of a resurgent Neath side.
The Welsh All Blacks had run in a hatful of tries against Bridgend and Cross Keys to work their way into the final, but they found the Newport defence a lot together to break down. They started well with a penalty from Ed Howley after only two minutes and were still well in contention at the break with only a point splitting the two sides.
Two more Howley penalties briefly gave the home side the lead again at 9-7, but it only lasted three minutes before O’Driscoll added a penalty to the conversion he had kicked earlier to improve a seventh minute try from teenage back row man Len Greggains.
Neath hit the front again early in the second half when wing Geraint Llewellyn sped over. Howley couldn’t convert that one and neither could O’Driscoll when lock Dan Partirdge crossed a few minutes later to make it 15-14 to the visitors.
But the Black & Ambers No 10 came good 14 minutes from tie when he stepped his way over for a try that he also converted. He then added the extras to a penalty try to complete the victory and give Newport something to shout about at the end of an otherwise difficult season.
