'A GAME of two halves' is a well worn cliche, but it could not be more appropriately applied than to Monmouth's National League Division Six encounter with Ynysddu at the Sports Ground last Saturday.
Ynysddu ended the first half 14-0 ahead and apparently in complete command. But Monmouth, seemingly down and out, manufactured a complete reversal of form and fortune right from the restart of the second period.
The half was barely one minute old when from good lineout possession, captain and centre Andrew Davies broke through the Ynysddu defence and handed on to Johnny Powell. The big second row was stopped just short of the line, but from the ensuing ruck, scrum-half Gareth Morgan picked up and burrowed his way over the line for a try which Rob Frost converted.
Frost missed a 35 yards penalty shot in the 45th minute, but soon had another chance which he put over and when he kicked a second penalty after 55 minutes, Monmouth trailed by a single point.
Ynysddu hit back with a strong attack and only a despairing dive and ankle tap by Matthew Churches stopped the full back going in for a try.
Under increasing pressure from Monmouth, the Ynysddu outside half was becoming more uncertain in his handling and defensive kicking and four minutes from the end of normal time, Gareth Morgan charged down the stand-off's defensive kick and regathered to score a try which Frost converted.
Monmouth were 20-14 ahead, a lead they hung onto until the final whistle after six minutes of injury time. In truth, although Ynysddu mounted some attacks, they never looked like rescuing the result.
It had been quite a different story in the first half after Monmouth were penalised from the initial kick-off and the Ynysddu full-back put the goalkick over from 30 yards.
Ynysddu, winning good quality possession, mounted some dangerous threequarter moves, which Monmouth were hard-pressed to stop. The visitors were playing a whole team game, whereas Monmouth's effort lacked conviction and cohesion.
There was only one attack of any note by Monmouth in this first period. It came from a scrum, when Davies in the centre made an excellent break and passed on to fellow centre Churches, only for him to be tackled deep in the Ynysddu 25.
Ynysddu increased their lead with a second penalty by the full back from a similar distance after half an hour and a minute later they scored a well worked try. Hooker Mark Jones was dispossessed as Monmouth tried to mount an attack just inside the Ynysddu half. The ball was moved quickly left and a break by the wing who had come inside, left his centre to take an outside pass and cross for the try which went unconverted.
They increased the lead to 14 points three minutes from half time when Monmouth got offside at a ruck infront of their posts and the Ynysddu full back kicked the goal.
One would have got short odds on an Ynysddu victory at that point. It is said that a week is a long time in politics. It would seem that five minutes is a long time in a rugby match, the five minutes in this case being the half time interval.
Team: R Long; B Smith, A Davies (capt), M Churches, M Morgan; R Frost, G Morgan; W Wadley, M Jones, Julian Powell, Johnny Powell, M Edwards, S Edwards (I Seymour), H Morgan, B Morgan.