It is jokingly being said that Monmouth may be the first team to reach a rugby final despite not winning a game.

Having lost (again) in the Cup recently, this time to Tumble, in a game with enforced uncontested scrums, the Welsh Rugby Union HQ overturned the result for apparent irregularities on their team-sheet, and now Monmouth are scheduled to challenge 1st Division Rumney (Cardiff) instead of them, away on 20th December.

But if their performance when being well beaten by league leaders Nantyglo last Saturday is anything to go by they will need more than another lightning strike to assist them if they are to progress further in the competition.

Playing up the slope into a bright low sun, omens were bad when the returning full back Matt King aggravated a hamstring injury in a matter of minutes, but already Monmouth had suffered a successful penalty score against them followed by a try scored in the right corner.

Centre Dave Brace responded with a well taken penalty for off-side, only to see No. 8 and captain Adam Seymour limp off with a repeat injury to his ankle and all this within the first quarter of the game!

Nantyglo, playing with an intensity seemingly beyond Monmouth's grasp, next rampaged down the left to win yet another line-out and drive the ensuing maul over in the left hand corner. Despite having missed a penalty and then having a try disallowed, their dominance in the set pieces throughout and greater vigour about the park had them 3-15 leaders in under half an hour.

But they were not finished and when Monmouth again lost their line-out Nantyglo broke through almost untouched in the middle of the field to score near the posts for a 3-22 lead which Brace reduced to 6-22 with a further penalty kick just before half-time.

The referee laid the law down that he would punish attempts to slow down the game and he was true to his word much to the eventual frustration of the home supporters.

First Monmouth were awarded a penalty for 'handling in the ruck' followed by another for Nantyglo, but just when Monmouth looked like building some response as Nantyglo rested on their laurels a little, prop Paul Stocker was sent to the bin for the same offence.

Despite such adversity Monmouth defended well against considerable pressure but when they lost a further front row player for the same offence, any hope of a losing bonus point was all but lost.

Legs were now tiring under the strain of keeping out the visitors with two men short as they tried hard to gain a bonus point but they displayed considerable pride and courage in doing so with the referee intervening for a second time to rule against a badly grounded Nantyglo try.

But then near the very end the referee felt that a twice tackled visiting player had not been held and the coffin was well and truly nailed down, leaving Monmouth with a big recovery exercise in training prior to their visit to Risca next week followed by their big Cup match the next.

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