The most crucial game of the season won in style 12-36 with the captain, loose-head prop Paul Stockley, steadying the ship, just as Trinant threatened to begin a comeback in the second half. What a time to score your first ever league game try! Play commenced on the rough surfaced pitch in fine Spring weather with mistakes galore from both sides due to the galloping start by Monmouth causing panic in the home ranks and a high degree of nerves on display from the visitors. Things soon settled for Monmouth though with the fine boot of fly-half Dave Croudace stretching out a lead progressively throughout the first half, which was just as well because despite Monmouth’s style and vigour, tries were not forthcoming due to desperate defence by Trinant and genuine misfortune as left wing Tom Baker who was on fire at first was deprived of two tries inside the first ten minutes from first a harsh forward pass decision and then allegedly for not grounding the ball when tackled over the line. Croudace however steadily increased the score with three penalties, twice for handling in the ruck and another for off-side, all offences born of desperate defence during the first 22 minutes, and these together with the vigorous play of the Monmouth forwards led by the example of No.8 Leighton Phillips closely supported by the rampaging flankers, Michael Griffiths and Dave Morgan, kept Trinant on the back foot with the visitors unlucky to score many more tries. And then that well known malaise set in, generated a little by the warm weather but also by a rush of blood to Baker’s head which earned him 10 minutes to ‘cool off’ just when Monmouth should have been capitalising on their ascendancy. Trinant at least were able to stem the tide until half-time during which the Coach predicted a resurgence by Trinant in the second-half but urged Monmouth not to reston their 9-0 lead but to keep playing the game they had been playing and to ensure strong discipline. The opening shot was for Monmouth to be stopped right on the Trinant line but the home team quickly turned the tables with first a missed penalty and then after a succession of winning mauls following a silly penalty, scoring an unconverted try far out on the right wing and to narrow the lead to 9-5. Oh dear, was this to be the start of a typical second-half decline Monmouth could not afford with the probability of demotion that a loss in this their final league game might presage? But 2 nd row John Powell had stretched his playing career to succumb to such a setback and began to play as if on fire, taking play to Trinant and almost getting over the line in the right hand corner but Captain Stockley known more for his strong scrimmaging than his mobility, led by example and was there in support to make an unstoppable dive over the line for a crucial try which Croudace converted and a 16-5 score-line. Trinant were now equally fired up but badly missed a penalty chance almost immediately, but Croudace stretched the lead further to 19-5 with another penalty as Trinant’s composure started to crack. Rallied though by their scrum-half and No 8, Trinant forced their way back up-field and would almost certainly have scored but for a fearsome tackle by full-back Ben Berry. Tensions built and play became more scrappy (literally) with Monmouth having yet another try disallowed by the increasingly harassed referee before Trinant conceded yet another penalty for Croudace to again convert. At 22-5 Trinant were trying every trick in the book and tempers as a result became frayed, with a player from both sides receiving yellow cards for seemingly little. Monmouth still had the upper hand though, and from an attacking scrum thirty yards out on the left, Leighton Phillips made ground from the base of the scrum with his strength taking him through an attempted tackle to feed the speedy scrum-half Gareth Morgan who quickly linked to the supporting Baker for a smart try which so upset a Trinant player that his comments to the referee earned a penalty from the kick off which fortunately for Trinant hit the post, but this did not help prevent a local red mist descending. The next incident was a red card for a Trinant player for stamping, but by the look of their prop forward who needed to be helped from the field, he picked on the wrong fellow and paid the penalty for it too. Monmouth were now growing in confidence and Bker crossed the line once again only to be called back for a forward pass that even the partisan home crowd in line with the move felt was harsh. Not to be outdone Monmouth kept on the pressure and Kiwi Kelly Lehemann was rewarded with a try for his close support right on normal time for a 36-5 lead. With four minutes of injury time to play Trinant realised their pride was dented and struck back right at the end of the game with a converted try from far out on the right following a quickly taken penalty which over-stretched the unsurprisingly tired Monmouth defence. An excellent performance which compensated somewhat for the one point defeat gifted to Trinant at home and one which was well recognised by local player and spectator congratulations afterwards. Chepstow lost one of their key games against Nantyglo on the same day, so now it is a matter of wait and see if Monmouth’s 21 points are overhauled by those below them in the league but still with games in hand. Should the worst happen, it must surely be the first time a side playing such entertaining rugby and with a 467 to 436 points advantage have suffered so adversely. Roll on the tour to Portugal so the players can take their minds off the mathematical possibilities !
|