There would be a lot more to report on Monmouth’s away game if one were a Chepstow fan, but the truth is that the day was as gloomy as Monmouth’s performance, when they were deservedly beaten 8-20 by a team which set about winning the game from the off, whilst Monmouth dreamt throughout the first half about how well they believed they had been against league leaders Bargoed the week before.

It s true they played well then and therefore all the more disappointing that they could not repeat the performance.

The elements were against them from the start and Chepstow took full advantage of a strong upfield wind with occasional driving rain, but whilst they kicked to good advantage at times, their strength was the driving maul to which Monmouth had no defence.

From the very first kick-off Monmouth displayed frailty when they failed to gather the ball only to see within minutes Chepstow capitalise and drive them over their own line . Luckily they had no kicker in the blustery wind, which was to spare the visitors’ blushes in the long run.

The body language showed that no one obviously had his heart in the battle and there were a succession of errors as Chepstow managed to score three unconverted tries to none against before half-time. Would they have been so compliant if the Powell brothers had been fit to play one wondered?

Individuals were seen to try, but the team-work was not there and it was not an unreasonable view that no-one in any of the positions had individually out-played his opposite number during the first forty minutes.

Such half-time exhortations did raise their game enough to get near the Chepstow line, near enough for fly half Forrest to kick a clever penalty. Soon after the visiting pack took Chepstow on at their own game for a short while and were unlucky to have the young and promising referee declare what seemed like a fair try, ‘held-up’. To have scored then might have proved the spur Monmouth needed but instead Chepstow were soon bouncing back, breaking through high tackles to score near the posts. Their kicker fortunately again failed to add the extra points.

Monmouth now necessarily threw caution to the wind and began to make more impact by varying their approach. Deep kicks at the full back were invariably gathered inadequately yet on many occasions he was given enough space to recover and run the ball back. The greatest prospects came by moving the ball through the backs but it was always a rear-guard action and from deep in their own half.

With only five minutes to go it worked and right wing Dawie Ventor rounded off such an attacking move in a very determined way, scoring Monmouth’s only try of the day.

In fairness though the 8-20 defeat probably deserved to be even more and it was sad to see all the good team building success of recent weeks be lost so easily. It never ceases to amaze how games can be won or lost in people’s heads.

Bad though this result was, a better performance is guaranteed when Max Boyce leads the evenings entertainment at the Anniversary Dinner on 23 January. Some tickets are still available on a first come, first served basis from Richard the Club Steward , but don’t delay as demand for the £35 tickets continues to be excellent.