Last weekend proved a great success for Monmouth Rugby Club.

On Friday Max Boyce rounded off a highly entertaining celebration of Monmouth’s 130th Anniversary of its existence as a Club. Fortunately a large number of players understood the importance of their respective games on the Saturday and stayed away. With hindsight the event perhaps should have been recorded.

The Druids in a very close match retained their winning form by beating Crickhowell 16-13 to gain a semi-final place in Monmouthshire’s Ivor Jones Cup.

And the 1st XV crowned the weekend by travelling to Cardiff, playing some excellent rugby, and beating St Joseph’s 63-10.

The first half was plain sailing and promised much. The Monmouth pack was near to destroying the opposing pack and the linkage and flair behind ensured a succession of invigorating tries, a fair proportion of which were converted by Kiwi Jason Forrest who reached the 100 point landmark after only a few months with the team.

A penalty goal started the scoring sequence after only five minutes and then despite the superior style and pressure apparent, it was another ten minutes before scrum-half Taylor was to score the first of a well deserved hat-trick of tries.

The forwards were not to be outdone by the showiness and opportunism of the backs because near veteran 2nd Row Scourfield scored with a flourish only three minutes later near the posts allowing an easy conversion.

Centre Layne, well served by Taylor, Forrest and particularly the captain Davies inside him, was next to cross the line in the 24th minute, only to see his scrum-half score an even better try when he dived quickly in the corner after a side-stepping run, to ensure he was not tackled into touch.

This raised the competition within the team and Layne next scythed his way through the middle, displaying both class and pace to leave virtually all the home team looking disconsolate and certainly flat-footed.

But there was more to come and Ventor dummied the ball at great pace, it seemed only with his eyes, causing the defence to wrongly anticipate a long pass to Morgan on the left wing, by which time he had scorched through the gap he had created to score untouched near the posts.

Half-time approached but the forwards were not to be outdone and Edwards back from injury at hooker, topped his a personal dogged performance with a well deserved try. The conversion made for a 44 point supremacy at the interval.

The way was set for a ‘ton’, given the good moves and the exciting patterns of play demonstrated in the first 40 minutes, but as ever, the comfortable cushion allowed resolve to weaken and when St Josephs came battling back, although at first they were resisted, Monmouth’s defence cracked and the opposing pack were able to force their way over the line for an unconverted try after only four minutes.

Monmouth did rally as a result and it was Ventor, looking inspiring in the full back position, who used his pace mixed with a dash of arrogance, to slice through the defence 12 minutes into the game.

Fragility still existed though and but for a foot in touch a St Joseph’s second row having showed a clear pair of heels, was called back for the line-out. But this spurred the home team again and a ten minute rest for a Monmouth forward imposed for a silly and unnecessary infringement near the game’s threequarter mark allowed them to creep back with yet another try to 51-10.

They were never going to win because generally Monmouth were superior in all positions with a back row which was almost everywhere and supported by long strategic kicking by their fly-half.

Layne having scored two tries rang up his hat-trick after 28 minutes to cap his stylish game, but Taylor was not to be beaten. His gutsy, if sometimes ill judged tactical play, was rewarded with only two minutes to go with yet another great personal try which he thoroughly deserved for all the battling and supporting he gets through in a game. Forrest predictably converted for the overall 63-10 which although more then convincing still left the players wondering why they let teams off when they have them on the rack.

Next week will be a good test because this is a team which is also not particularly good at repeating good performances week after week. More lowly placed Cardiff High School Old Boys visit the Sports Ground next Saturday with a desperate need to win, so can Monmouth sustain their performance or might they relax and roll over?

Kick off is at 2.30pm for those who want to see for themselves, but the serious bets this time are on their having a further level to reach and a point to prove seeing they were held to a draw when last they met.