League leaders Llandaff North planned to win all their home games as part of the season’s campaign, and last year’s near relegation side from Monmouth were not likely to represent a risk to that objective. But a match winning try by centre Huw Adams with only 50 seconds of play remaining coolly converted by fly-half Dave Croudace gave Monmouth a stirring victory in Cardiff last Saturday by 24-29. On a dry pitch fanned by a strong diagonal wind initially in Monmouth’s favour, the first quarter of an hour went the way of the home team. In fact within the first six minutes Llandaff crossed the line with a kick ahead which fortunately went dead, followed up with a clean break and a winger with the line begging knocking on the unnecessary final pass. Monmouth seemed quite ragged in trying to contain their bulky opponents and especially their mauling and they were relieved yet again when the referee disallowed a Llandaff forward try, only to fall 7-0 behind eleven minutes into the game from another uncontained forward thrust. Monmouth had already shown some flashes of pace and organisation of their own, led by the darts of scrum-half Gareth Morgan, and it was a burst from such a quick penalty that saw Llandaff penalised for tackling him inside ten yards which Croudace casually converted to narrow the score to 7-3 in response in the seventeenth minute. It was now game on, and even though Llandaff were dominating the lines-out and the mauling game, Monmouth’s scrum was putting them under pressure and individual back row charges were making good ground, although the inconsistent supporting play meant a lot of ball being turned over at this stage of the game. Monmouth were next to take the lead from yet another Morgan quick penalty following a penalty at a ruck although Croudace was off the mark with his kick on this occasion. 7-8 down and Llandaff N. fired again, breaking through in the centre almost as if there was no opposition for a 14-8 lead. Their backs were now beginning to click with slick passing and great pace on the wings but luckily the next score was disallowed for a knock on in the dive over the line. It was to be their true strength in the mauls that was to next raise the score when they pressed the Monmouth line and a forward popped out to dive over the line. The easy conversion made it 21-8 and brought with it half-time and an uphill struggle for Monmouth on the second half. A penalty miss after only one minute boded ill until a fine sequence of rucks by Monmouth, followed by a near touch-line dart and overhead pass by right wing Brace found centre Andrew Davies in support to wrong foot the Llandaff defence for a try converted by Croudace and a 21-15 score after only three minutes.. Llandaff saw the danger and fought back, and but for two try saving tackles by full-back Matt King they could have stretched away beyond reach. But Monmouth were having most of the territorial advantage and it was one of several ‘golden-oldies’ in the Monmouth side, Stuart Boylan who capped a typically strong armed game by taking a pass off a ruck to dive over untouched . The kick, again by Croudace, with ten minutes to go, put Monmouth 21-22 into the lead. It was now fast and fierce and in their desire not to concede ground, the tension was getting to Monmouth, kicking direct into touch three times in quick succession, and putting themselves under even more pressure. But their defensive team work and fitness was good and even though the spectators felt the game was over at the end of normal time when Llandaff North scored a penalty to take them to what should have been a 24-22 match-winning score, they had not allowed for a final riposte by Monmouth from 45 yards out to score with 50 seconds of injury time left. What elation and desolation for two sides that had given of their best in the warm weather on a hard pitch, and what excitement for the travelling supporters. The return game in late January at the Sports Ground should be another cracker, but first a home game is hoped for from the Pool next Saturday with several players hopefully returning from injury.
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