Boxing Day traditions in these parts include a game home and away between Usk and Monmouth, but for the second year running Usk have called off the morning game and this year, without notice, causing a wasted journey for 26 would be players.

The home fixture between the first teams did, however, take place on the Sports Ground in the afternoon, and Usk were left regretting a 6 try losing margin which Monmouth will have seen as the icing on their Christmas derby cake. The large crowd were equally split as to their enjoyment by the end but all had achieved their other objective and blown their personal cob-webs away.

The game kicked off at a furious pace with the Monmouth pack dominating the scrums from the start, and only eight minutes had elapsed when Andrew, captain again for the day, Davies ran to the Usk line only to be driven over it by fellow three-quarter, Morgan. Croudace failed with the first of his conversions.

The next try was not until the 20th minute, but was well worth waiting for given its quality. With the Usk full- back otherwise committed, fly-half Croudace chipped the ball over the advancing defence. The synergy in the move saw Davies cut the defence in two with his speedy follow-up to dive on the ball under the posts providing an easy conversion, too, for Croudace.

When Davies completed his hat-trick five minutes before half-time, the way the Monmouth forwards were rampaging about and the Usk body language said it all - a Monmouth victory was on the cards.

Usk, to be fair, had struggled in the pack and a substitution of their hooker at half-time resulted in passive scrums for the second half which for a while brought Usk back into the game for the third quarter, although Monmouth rarely looked like conceding any scores.

First, after a full half hour and from an Usk fumble, Gareth Morgan darted over near enough for Croudace to convert this time. Then Morgan scored again froma simple blind-side move at the end of normal time but too far out in the slippery conditions for a conversion.

But Croudace deserved to improve the score sheet and in the second minute of injury time he caught his own kick ahead to score followed by the conversion for a 36-0 whitewash.

The referee had an excellent game and the Monmouth crowd retired to the warmth of their club-house to continue their festive celebrations with the reassurance that they had no league game on the 28th for which to save themselves, but Chepstow at home next Saturday will be far more difficult.