In a humdinger of a game at the Sports Ground last Saturday, Monmouth came so near, yet failed again to register their first league points of the season. Centre Dave Brace set the tone when, in the first minute, following his shuddering tackle, the spilled ball was fly-hacked the length of the field. A perfect bounce completed a sharp opportunist try for scrum-half Morgan, and hopes were well and truly raised. Visitors, Talywain rallied, but were well adrift with a relatively easy penalty kick within the next ten minutes and Monmouth responded with a prolonged period of pressure in their opponent’s half. The line-out was working well, helped by better throwing and lifting than usual, and the scrum was giving as good as it got against a substantially heavier eight. And it was from such a dominant scrummage that the ball popped out from behind the prop’s foot and the ever alert Morgan nipped over untouched for his second score. Although both these tries went unconverted, one might have expected Monmouth to build on this early dominance, but at the very next drop-out, the ball was knocked forward and Talywain but several quick rucks together for a converted try under the post which turned out to be a double-whammy, when hooker Ricketts was shown a yellow card for tackling the scorer marginally late. But Monmouth were not to be outdone and they fought hard for the next ten minutes whilst a man down, even managing to gain a further three points courtesy of a Brace penalty. To turn around at 13-7 with a slight wind advantage and the slope to come, the home spectators remained hopeful, but this was not to allow for the determination of the visitors, who inside the first nine minutes of the second half had turned the tables with two tries, one converted, for a 13-19 lead, with Monmouth still trying to grasp what was happening. They in turn rallied, and tempers flared before long, as Talywain threw everything into their game to stay ahead. But it was Monmouth who were penalised, which perhaps says something about the ability of some to avoid incurring the referee’s wrath. At last Monmouth pressure paid and Talywain’s Number 8 was sin-binned for killing the ball at a ruck yet again. No wonder tensions had flared a little earlier. Monmouth threw everything they had but Talywain defended brilliantly as often happens when a team is a man down. Eventually they cracked after a succession of rucks, when right wing Harding sneaked inside the corner flag under extreme pressure for a further five points. Monmouth became more frantic as the many injury time minutes ticked away and a cooler head amongst them might have played for territory by accurate kicking in the hope of a winning penalty, but too often advantage was conceded through loose kicks to defenders or scrappy passes which put their own colleagues under pressure. It was not to be and Monmouth left the field so near to their first victory, but still with many lessons to learn before they become the eager and winning side they have the potential to be. Cardiff HSOB are the challenge again at home next Saturday, whist in the Committee Rooms tickets for the Autumn Internationals are being allocated to those who have paid up their dues for the coming year, although opportunities of ensuring your seats at the Millennium Stadium still exist if you are quick. If you are interested, you need to make your call quickly to Peter Walters at the Club on 01600 712309, or if you are happy to watch the matches on television, but are enthused by Wales Grand Slam achievements, you can view at first hand the 6 Nations Trophy at the Club-house between 7 and 9p.m. on Tuesday 18 October.
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