On one of those rare, crisp and sunny winter days when conditions are ideal for rugby, Monmouth faced Chepstow in a league match last Saturday, and whilst not a classic the 28 points scored without reply, following their Christmas successes against Usk, show that things are starting to come together again for the team that promised much early season but then fell away.

The pack has always been a strength despite the age of some of the combatants, but as one front row stalwart ponders retirement, the three youngsters in the pack have developed in leaps and bounds. Certainly there is still technique to be developed, but the fitness and commitment is there now in plenty, promising a good second half to the season and an even better next year.

The first half showed signs of some old bad habits, because despite immense pressure and territorial advantage, Monmouth struggled to convert it into points, other than through the boot of fly-half Croudace who punished Chepstow transgressions regularly for a 9-0 lead by 25 minutes.

But on the stroke of half-time, pacey centre Morgan, having his best game for weeks, outflanked two desperate defending tacklers to score in the left hand corner at the river end. With the difficult conversion, Croudace brought the score to 16-0, but with opportunities missed the chance to see off Chepstow by this time had been missed.

The Chepstow players thought so too and came back with vigour, but the Monmouth defence held out sometimes under by the quite severe pressure from the Chepstow forwards. On the occasions when Chepstow counter-attacked they were regularly cut down by the three-quarters, who were supported ably by the back row and the mobile Taylor at scrum half.

Chepstow were sure to crack and the first try came courtesy of No. 8 Thomson who burst through the Chepstow line to score as the visitors tapped back casually from their own throw-in.

But the best was to come a few minutes before the end, when Monmouth won a scrum in the right hand side of the field and moved the ball left. In a flowing move straight from the text book, captain Davies handed on to S African Ventor who came in off his left wing to weave his way through to score under the posts making the conversion a formality for Croudace whose kicking barely failed the team all afternoon.

Crumlin, away this Saturday, provide the next potential impedance to Monmouth's progress up the table, when with typical valleys' determination, they will try to redress their September loss at Monmouth.