Monmouth RFC match report

Having beaten Bettws and Cardiff High School Old Boys in prior trial games hopes were high for the trip last Wednesday to Drybrook and on the face of it the 13-3 reversal for Monmouth might seem a setback.

But when one takes into account the long periods during which Monmouth dominated, the many fine individual performances, the one lucky try difference and the early curtailment of the game when Monmouth were in the ascendancy, the signs were positive indeed.

On a fine night with a well grassed pitch play was evenly matched and end to end for the first half resulting in a penalty kick apiece and then a misdirected kick during an attack when possession needed to be retained, allowed Drybrook to run and then kick deep out of defence.

A riposte by Monmouth put the ball high but back into Drybrook's hands and from their counter-attack disjointed marking and some loose tackling saw them slip 7 points behind and just before half-time.

The second half brought more vigour and a more organised Monmouth, saving the lines-out where they succumbed too often to clever stealing in the line and in the loose where the referee made spoiling easy.

Holding onto the ball at a ruck proved an expensive mistake which took Drybrook a further three points ahead earlyon in the second half but then it was all Monmouth who began to put phase upon phase together threatening the home team's line again and again but hey were thwarted frequently by what seemed to be premature whistling by the referee.

Several times they crossed the line only to be called back for what seemed to be something where advantage could have been played but with 7 minutes to go when a try seemed inevitable a foul on scrum-half Kyle Price which could have seriously damaged his back brought  a flurry of ‘handbags'  support from some team-mates. Whilst the referee was sorting things out, with the clouds now darkening the sky, because the bickering was continuing the referee decided he had enough and called the game to an end.

Lessons with benefit to be learned about discipline by the team, but many positives too, to take into their first league game away against Crumlin on Saturday 5 September.  With everyone psyched up for another season and healthy competition for places, a further incentive has appeared.

A very economically priced end of season tour to Ibiza has apparently been booked for the first 52 members willing to pay their £50 deposits before 20 September and then there are the Autumn Internationals to see for which tickets are already going fast.