The 'City Slickers' (Cardiff HSOB) came to Monmouth last Saturday with a prior win to their advantage and a superior league position to boot, but they were distinctly glad to settle for a draw after 80 minutes of keenly contested play.

And this despite the fact that Monmouth had several replacements due to injury as well as an inability to win virtually any line-out ball throughout the game. But the pack gave as good as they got in all other respects, regularly rattling the Cardiff side who obviously expected something more genteel from their rural cousins. The forwards, to a man, put themselves about as if they really wanted to win giving the home crowd plenty to shout about.

In terms of scores, there is little to report, but the intensity of the play culminating in the 10-10 draw was the most inspiring seen at the Sports Ground for much of the season. The Monmouth players stuck to their task even when injury threatened to take over and it was the home team which lasted the better leaving four Cardiff players lying down gasping for air in various parts of the field as the final whistle went.

On a dry sunny afternoon Monmouth chose to play against the sun and wind so that they could play into their favourite corner in the second half. From the kick-off, the first of many stirring runs by Leighton Phillips took play back into the visitors' half and Cardiff knew they had a game on.

Twenty minutes of ding-dong action suddenly found Monmouth penalised five yards from their line and when Cardiff tried to take it quickly, the over eager defenders did not retreat and the referee, who had a good game overall albeit in his usual tolerant but unbiased way, and were taken aback to see a penalty try awarded against them.

So Cardiff were seven points up in fortunate circumstances, but this had the effect of stirring Monmouth even more and after prolonged drives by the forwards, which would have led to several scores but for indecisive moments by the three-quarters, scrum-half Taylor spotted a half gap and threw himself over the line near the posts in the last minute of ordinary time in the first half to draw things even again. But it was not to be as a Monmouth forward crossed the referee who awarded an easy penalty in injury time for Monmouth to turn around three points down.

Monmouth needed no reminding that the game was there to be taken and they tore into their opponents from the start. But Cardiff had much to lose in their pursuit of the top spot in the league and so the intensity continued until justice was done with the award of a penalty to Monmouth, which Croudace stroked between the uprights to bring his side level at 10-10.

Fiercer and fiercer became the play leading to regular substitution by both sides and the odd injury which made it clear that rolling away from the ball on the floor was advisable.

Despite playing their hearts out, the deciding score would not come, and then Cardiff in their eagerness to defend their line, rose early from the rear of a defensive scrum which the referee could not fail to notice given the spectator howls of excitement.
Two minutes to go and a kick to win the match was all that was needed from Croudace but despite striking the ball sweetly, the wind that had helped Monmouth in the second half took it off line and little more than 18 inches the wrong side of the right post.

So near but with no score the remaining two minutes were soon gone and Monmouth were left appreciating what people have been telling them all season - that at their best they can beat anyone in this league - and don't Cardiff HSOB now know that?

The 6 Nations International Series starts next week at widely varying times but the clubhouse big screen will be showing all the games in the series when the Club looks forward to welcoming you.