Monmouth Druids entertained Cwmbran in a league game on Chippenham Mead. After a draw last week against Caldicot, they were looking to go one better against Cwmbran, who were higher in the table than the home side.

Cwmbran could not field a prop forward at the start of the match and unopposed scrums were the order of the day for both sides. The early exchanges saw the Druids put the ball through the hand more to gain ground while the visitors preferred the individual charging runs trying to breach the home defence.

Territorially the Druids had the better of the play and captain Dave Brace, who kicked superbly all afternoon, slotted two penalty goals to give a 6-0 lead.

Outside half Greg Wilding kicked well out of hand to keep the Druids going forward before the first try of the game. It began with a maul in the Druids 22-metre area.

The home side No 8 Nick Phillips broke on the blind side and made 10 metres up to their 10 metre line.

He fed left wing Gareth Jones, who put his ears back and sprinted down the touchline and over the Cwmbran line for a fine try. Brace converted to increase the Druids lead to 13-0.

Brace was prominent again when he put in a fine tackle to stop a Cwmbran centre in full flight for the Druids line. Scrum half Tom Cratchley tried hard to break the gain line without success and the referee blew the half-time whistle.

Cwmbran must have had a stern talking to at the break because the restart saw them reduce the arrears. Some concerted pressure saw the visitors score a try which was converted to make the score 13-7.

Suddenly Cwmbran were within a converted try of the Druids and they built up a period of pressure which tested the home defence. The Druids' first up tackling was excellent and they drove Cwmbran attackers backwards.

A yellow card awarded to each side was a sign of tenseness in a game that was hard fought but never overstepped the mark.

Then a fine try started by Druids full back Huw Adams. He fielded a Cwmbran defensive kick on the half way line and surged into the visitors 22-metre area. Dave Brace was up in support and he raced behind the posts for a cracking try which he duly converted.

Aaran Mills came on as a substitute in his first game for the Druids and a memorable debt it was.

After Druids passing on the left hand side Mills was on the end of a move to touch down over the Cwmbran line. Dave Brace converted to give him a 100 per cent kicking record in the game and a 27-7 victory.

Scot Macgowan, Andy Howells and Adam Churchill put in good displays in a spirited team effort.

After a somewhat disappointing start to the season the team performance in the last two games has greatly improved and offers promise for the rest of the season.