The season is almost over for Monmouth but they are certainly going to see it out with a bang if last Saturday’s vital win over Chepstow is anything to go by.. In heavy drizzle which was to make the Sports Ground a skating rink by the end of the game against Chepstow, Monmouth gave their all for 65 minutes with only a slight relapse in the second half when Chepstow threatened a brief recovery. But this comprehensive win will have to be repeated in the remaining two games to give Monmouth the slightest chance of a reprieve from relegation. Chepstow started the more determined and after a sloppy first five minutes and a quick maul followed by a speedy ruck the visiting fly-half nipped through a stretched defence to open the score for an unconverted try. Monmouth realised the error of their ways and following two rampaging runs by Tom Baker on the left wing, Leighton Phillips scythed through to equal the scores which remained the case for the best part of the first half despite the fact that Monmouth had the best of the territorial advantage and missed a penalty kick during that time. Another score was a must before half-time and following two rucks in quick succession near the Chepstow line, scrum half Morgan spun the ball out through one pair of hands and then to the unstoppable prop Hoggins at his charging best who scored within range for Matt King, returning at full-back to add the extra points and a deserved 12-5 half-time lead. Whilst the rain now eased, the surface had deteriorated, but Monmouth set off in the second half as if their very lives depended upon it, and soon they were battering the Chepstow line with such determination that a Chepstow substitute fouled and received a yellow card for his (brief) trouble. However it was another five minutes of continued pressure before Chepstow cracked. When Hoggins drove hard towards their line.From the ruck, Monmouth swung the ball left along the line and Baker almost walked the ball in through the beleagured ranks. Underfoot slippery conditions made for poor kicking but the lift to 17-5 encouraged Monmouth some more and next it was right wing Dave Brace who powered through at pace an attempted tackle to take the score further ahead to 22-5. Spirits were high now and despite the return of the sin-binned player to stiffen Chepstow’s resolve, a drive deep into their half and three successive rucks brought yet another bout of fluid play and another try by Tom Baler which Brace was to convert. 29-5 inside a quarter of an hour obviously made Monmouth think they had the game won and this mood and some substitutions suddenly gave Chepstow the encouragement they needed to attempt a recovery.through their forwards. When in the next quarter of an hour Chepstow, resorting to driving maul tactics, assisted by some sloppy tackling around the fringes, Chepstow had crept back to 29-17, some spectators feared the worst because Monmouth have excelled this season in letting winning positions slip away But the result was too important this time, and helped by a penalty by substitute fly-half Rob Frost, with six minutes of ordinary time left, a move down the right wing saw Dave Brace tackled into touch right in the corner. Chepstow were now struggling to keep their line intact and relying on desperate kicks into touch, but it was perhaps rather bad luck when they were to drop-kick out only for John Powell to clearly call for the ball. No-one argues when Johnny is in that mood even though on this occasion he was a good three yards short of where it landed only for it to bounce into his arms with everyone watching. A smart pass to the ever sharp Morgan saw the scrum-half run in untouched from 25 yards much to Chepstow’s dismay. Frost’s conversion rubbed it in and made the final score 37-17. For such greasy conditions the rugby was of a high standard and if Monmouth do get relegated it will be interesting to reflect on the fact that the points difference so far is only minus three. Can any team facing relegation have lost so many games so closely? Next Saturday brings the return game against Crumlin who are now achieving some form of their own so the game at 2.30pm should be a humdinger. Are you coming to support the your home team?
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