With Wales having exited the World Cup early Monmouth were in need of a game and Taffs Well offered kindly to fill the breach with two visiting teams. In the end the draw of the remaining Internationals still proved great and just two less than full strength sides took up the challenge on Chippenham last Saturday. Whatever the strength of the respective sides the exchanges could be expected to be lively as some ten years ago when they last met each other Monmouth took the visitors’ long-standing ground record from them. And so it proved. Monmouth were to show their typical strength in the tight phases whilst Taffs Well’s back row aggression and more organised backs kept the pressure on. In fact had the visitors possessed a kicker of any standing they could have sewn the game up in the early stages as Monmouth struggled to come to grips with an almost mute referee who unlike those on TV gave them little direction. Taffs Well eventually crept ahead with some successful kicks making the score at the end of the first quarter 0-6 even though Monmouth had missed a penalty opportunity by then, too. When Monmouth’s defensive Adam Seymour left the field with a cut eye one feared the hastily reconstructed front row of Stuart Boylan, Mark Jones and Luke Hunter might struggle but the front five were giving better than they got and the solidity of John Powell and the athleticism of Harvey Morgan backed up by a lively back row ensured the visitors knew they were in a game. Captain Andrew Davies deputising at scrum half probed the gaps around the scrum well and Druids fly-half Greg Wilding fearlessly tackled throughout but the lengthy touch finding of Taffs Well pushed them back deep into their half any time they made much progress upfield. Half time brought predictable encouragement to make tackles count and to cut out aimless kicks out of defence but the opening score of the second half went the visitors way again albeit after a full 17 minutes when Monmouth were penalised again and the score became 0-9. At long last with the advantage of the slight slope, Monmouth were up near the line and pressurising Taffs Well repeatedly when Monmouth’s diminutive fly half ran into a narrowing gap and to everyone’s surprise forced his way through the tackle to run in what was to be the only try of the game. Sadly the conversion was missed but with another 20 minutes or so to go the spectators were to be entertained by a ding-dong battle as both sides sought to finalise matters. Monmouth backs now came alight both in attack and defence with some firm tackling from Brace and Lane and pacey surges from Roberts orchestrated by the prompting of Davies and Wilding but they were lucky to keep their full team on the pitch when right wing Jack Butler made a vital save by tackling his opposing wingman high but safely into touch. The penalty failed and made for an exciting injury time as Monmouth stretched Taffs Well first left then right but they wanted to win and managed to hold out for a 5-9 result which pleased them a lot. This slight stumble by Monmouth should do them no harm as those deputising gave of their best and the more important thing was that they played and with vigour and will now be up for their league game against Llandaff k.o. 2.30p.m. on the Sports Ground.
|