WRU East One

Monmouth 20 Dowlais 26

THE home game against visitors Dowlais began with an exciting and attacking first quarter by Monmouth as Dowlais seemingly struggled to get going, reports PETE WALTERS.

This followed a minute’s silence out of respect for Mark Roberts, a former Raglan RFC Player who had recently passed away and Father of Adam.

Initially Dowlais seemed lethargic following up their response to the kick off with wing Mobbs Morgan leading the return charge with an eventual run down the left wing by centre Jeffs which fly half Johnson converted to obtain an early seven point lead.

Dowlais responded but full back Tabb safely returned the ball from his own 22 to touch. Johnson was soon to put in the first of several sky high punts, this time from a free kick, testing the visitors’ catching abilities when hampered by a distracting Sun.

The line-out was not going to be a Monmouth forte as one of their own early ones was lost to a crooked throw prefacing their not contesting their opponents’ put-in as a distinct tactic presumably to be better placed in defending any subsequent mauls by the burlier opposing forwards. This was not to work as later matters confirmed.

The scrums were different though for despite an early scare when they conceded ground, by and large they were to hold their own in this respect.

In the early period of superiority the home team was able to extend their lead to 10-0 with a penalty for going off feet at a ruck, although the start of a comeback by the visitors was beginning to show, not helped by a rather casual response to clearing their own line from deep kicks into their 22. And, more worryingly, repeated attempts to confront strong carries by attempted tackles of torsos rather than legs which gave the attackers more momentum, confidence and territory.

It took Dowlais just over the half hour to break through such questionable tackling so at 10-7 Monmouth from the kick off won the ensuing ruck, spread the ball left putting scrum half White over only to be recalled for a forward pass in the move.

Dowlais cleared their line with a deep probing penalty kick to the right corner. From the touch they drove over but the ball was held up allowing Monmouth to take a 10-7 lead into the break after a brief fracas as tempers became a little frayed.

The second half began at some pace with left wing Royall and Johnson prominent but Dowlais took good advantage of a long touch 15 metres out which they converted to a maul driven over to take a 10-14 lead. Johnson responded with another high kick off and from a ruck turned over by illegally handling clawed back three points from his trusty boot.

With play having gone to and fro for a further ten minutes or so Dowlais kicked into the left corner to to add an unconverted try to their tally.

White with his trademark quick penalty made enough ground for flanker Edwards to regain the lead 20-19 with 13 minutes of normal time to play but Dowlais were not to be outdone and within five minutes responded with a further corner touch leading to another converted try and the eventual 6 point winning difference.

The more seasoned Dowlais now milked the generosity of the referee with times out for injury and more cynical tricks of the dark arts and spectators were mortified to see a near potentially winning score for Monmouth thwarted by a pass ‘knock down’ somehow being awarded with a scrum to the visitors in the final minutes. But then the referee can only police things as he sees them.

But Dowlais deserved their win and try bonus point whilst Monmouth again had to settle for a losing bonus point in what had been an enthralling and tough game.

Time now to heal any injuries before the next game on Wednesday 26 April at home to Blaenavon k.o. 7p.m. followed quickly by Pontypool United at home on the 29th.

Tonight though (Wed, Apil 19), the Druids face Crickhowell in an Ivor Jones Cup semi final, kick-off 6.30m.