Monmouth RFC - Success at Last

Cheers reverberated around Monmouth's Sports Ground last Saturday after Monmouth RFC had at long last won and with such conviction that they also won a bonus point, against their visitors Nantyglo, which they very much needed in their quest to remain in Swalec League Division 4 East.

But earlier in the week one would not have bet on such an outcome because they had been put to the sword against a rampaging Risca, losing by 11 tries to Nil in a resounding mid-week defeat (o-69) also at home despite having run them very close just a few weeks earlier.

True they were back almost to full strength and with the older of their players having been rested from the trials two games per week has meant to catch up on the fixture congestion many teams have suffered this year, but what a game it was.

Monmouth for once started as if they knew how important the game was and in no time at all had ten points on the board without reply with right wing Dave Brace kicking a penalty and then from a high kick upfield which Nantyglo failed to dispose of centre Andrew Davies hacked ahead and his fellow centre Andrew Layne took up the chase to score under the posts resulting in an easy conversion.

The dry pitch helped to keep up the pace of the game and Nantyglo narrowed the gap with a penalty of their own whilst missing others. Monmouth had pressed several times but annoyed the good crowd by kicking away possession from time to time, but then Monmouth again took the ball left to wing Dewi Lane who used his side-step and increasing belief in himself to take three defenders over the line for an unconverted try.

Nantyglo responded but suffered a set back when in the heat of the moment one of their players in trying to hand off a Minmouth tackler ‘forgot' to open his clenched fist first earning himself a yellow card from the N Wales referee who had a good game in a keenly fought climate.

Fly-half Dave Croudace found his kicking boots in time to kick a penalty to stretch the score at the interval to 18-3 when plenty of water all around was needed given the hot day.

Greater discipline and support for one another and particularly the ball-carrier was called for by the Coach Ian Seymour and after ten minutes he was rewarded when Captain and 2^nd Row John Powell led the way in a driving maul from a line-out to add a further 7 points with the help of a good kick from far out by Dave Croudace.

Nantyglo were not yet beaten though and they instantly responded by eventually outflanking Monmouth on the right after crossing the line twice but being held up by stout defence each time.

Monmouth's heads briefly lowered as if their confidence was dented and Nantyglo took advantage of some weak defensive kicks to pressurise again and breach the first defensive line to score again.

At 25-13 the pressure was now really on but an excellent drive by the home scrum saw flanker Wheeler pop up and when tackled popped the ball to supporting scrum-half Gareth Morgan to score near the posts. Croudace readily added the extra points to stretch the score to 32-13.

A yellow card for a questionable technical offence by Monmouth briefly raised the prospect of a Nantyglo come-back but Croudace steadied the ship with another penalty score which proved the final nail in Nantyglo's coffin with some of their forwards heard urging the referee to blow up as their resolve was finally broken.

Crumlin at Home today (Wednesday k.o.6.30p.m.) will prove a sterner test with their allegedly strengthened side and then it is Nantyglo again next Saturday k.o. 2.30p.m. but this time on their own patch where they will undoubtedly be trying to make amends.