Abertillery Blaenau Gwent always presents a vigorous challenge and everyone was looking forward to this opportunity to get off to a winning start to the new season. The home team are obviously making their way back after recent financial and disciplinary issues and were well supported by very vocal supporters. For the first 20 minutes Monmouth’s pressure caused Abertillery discomfort until a long touch-finder down the slope on the left brought an attacking line-out which they rounded the tail for the Home team to run in the first converted try. Monmouth rallied themselves giving as good as they got and clawed their way back to a 7-6 deficit courtesy of two penalties well taken by fly-half Dave Croudace. With a yellow card award to an Abertillery flanker for stamping on the stroke of half-time, prospects looked good if they continued the technical aspects well and became a little more street-wise. But the start was not to be a good one with colossus prop Sam Haille mowed down with a torn hamstring inside the first two minutes. Help was at hand with an equally strong scrummaging replacement in Julian Powell and in virtually no time at all, after a move down the right and then across the field, captain Andrew Davies cut a good angle and danced his way over for a try which Croudace converted for a 7-13 lead. The tight play had been Monmouth’s strength and Adam Seymour ruggedly outstanding but to lose as they did hooker Stacey Edwards to a yellow card and a three point penalty was a turning point. Abertillery began to believe in themselves again and soon scored to once again take the lead 17-10. But Monmouth were not downtrodden and pressed hard taking play twice deep into Home territory only to miss two clear chances to go ahead again. Abertillery in turn pressed and Monmouth began to crack as they felt pressurised into foolhardy moves on both an individual and team basis and in the space of ten minutes they had allowed their line to be breached three times to go down 32-13. And things had looked so good at half-time. Lessons will be learned from this game but it needs to be soon as they have another away game against Abercarn next week which will present a similar tough challenge.
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