In a game that was being replayed because the referee in the earlier fixture was injured and had to be replaced mid way through the match, Chepstow had a point to prove but went home very unhappy as Monmouth took them apart last Saturday in a very convincing 49-10 win.

One small rain shower apart, the only possible impediment weather-wise was a strong wind that was an advantage in cross field kicking to both team’s kickers in turn, often turning defence into attack, and no-one used it better than Monmouth’s Kiwi half-back Jason Forrest, who on occasions gained advantages of 70 metres or so.

Chepstow had come to play the mauling game they knew best and the one which had demolished Monmouth a mere 6 weeks ago away at Chepstow. Their old stalwarts started well and one wondered if Monmouth were again going to fall to the tactic, but they had alternative plans of their own and as the game progressed they moved the ball wide so many times that they wore down their opponents and eventually were breaking through their defences at will in a second half rout which added six tries to the one they had scored before the interval.

This did not mean that Monmouth had it all their own way, because despite having the wind playing up the slope and scoring first with number one of Forrest’s six successful kicks after 21 minutes, it was Chepstow who ground their way forward to score from a maul in the 24th minute. It was then the whole of the remainder of a first half spent defending vigorously against such drives complemented by throwing the ball about at every opportunity, before they were to score a further penalty on forty minutes. And then in injury time the Gods smiled on Gareth Morgan when he split the Chepstow defence wide apart with an interception try of well over fifty yards to score untouched under the posts. Forrest slotted the conversion for a reassuring 13-5 lead at the interval.

Monmouth were now playing towards their favourite end and despite the wind were expecting great things given the experience of the latter stages of the first half, but the break had allowed Chepstow a much needed breather and they still threatened strongly trough their forwards, until, that is. Monmouth took play to the visitors after 15 minutes, stretching them on their left for Brace to cleverly squeeze into the corner. Forrest added the difficult conversion proving that when on song he is an excellent addition to the team.

Ten minutes further on, Matt Morgan was next to show a clean pair of heels and again score under the posts for an easy conversion

Despite the 27-6 lead, Chepstow with substitutions were periodically battling back and it took a continuing doughty performance by Matt Taylor and the whole pack of Monmouth forwards and especially its hard tackling back row, to keep them in hand.

Forwards rarely see backs as players with a different role to play: more usually seeing them as players who do less of the hard work whilst taking the glory, but where this leaves substitute prop forward Julian Powell who popped up in the centre to complete such a three-quarter move with a fine try of his own, we shall leave the club-house jury to determine.

Chepstow are nothing if not proud and they then rallied and took play the length of the field via a deep relieving kick, a successful line-out on the left and then several rucks, a scrum and finally a maul out of which their blind-side flanker almost fell from for their second try. The kick failed but it dragged them back to32-10 and sent out a warning to Monmouth that they were still alive and kicking.

But Monmouth pack-leader Morgan is not a man to concede easily and when his backs took play back into the Chepstow 22 metre area it was Harvey who was to make himself available as the attack was rebuffed and literally gallop over near the posts for yet another easy conversion.

Chepstow heads were now lowering noticeably but they finally fell when Brace added to his earlier score, but this time managing to cross in the corner and achieve a partial run around to make the kick easier but to no avail.

Fly-half Forrest must have felt guilty about this because only a minute later he completed the day’s scoring on the stroke of full-time, with a rare try for him that Taylor had selflessly set in train some 60 yards out for a 49-10 final score.

This was an excellent result with some fine rugby on display marred only by the disappointment shown by the visitors that a replay had been necessary. With the result going the way it did perhaps that was what they had feared all along.

Monmouth’s sight turns now to an away game this Saturday against Crumlin and then a week’s rest thereafter for a big screen showing at the Club-house of the England v Wales highlight of the season. You are welcome to join us there!