A tense but purposeful Monmouth 1st XV took the field at Ynysddu last Saturday (31st March) to confront one of the larger of their remaining hurdles in this Swalec League Division 5 season and the first 10 minutes was all action by them but without a score.

Twice early potentially scoring attacks ran out of gas or into touch, first by right wing Matthew Tabb and secondly by No 8 Mike Griffiths, both of whom were to play prominent parts in the exciting game that transpired.

Defences were strong and penalties frequent although often seeming to be unbalanced to Monmouth's detriment, although the first points, kicked by fly half Rhys Ricketts, were just reward for a high tackle on Tabb as he took the ball on after a sharp break by scrum-half Gareth Morgan which could well have brought the first try of the game.

But 21 minutes passed in all before such a score when the ball flowed left, this time via Dewi Lane and once in the hands of the eel-like left wing Rob Farr, Ricketts was soon converting the try.

Ynysddu were rattled by this and their deep probing kicks downfield were gaining ground and exposing some indecision in the Monmouth ranks as well as a very uneven bounce on the bone-hard ground.

Following one such bounce, Ynysddu all but scored but their grubber kick fortunately ran dead to spare some defenders' blushes.

Instead, the home team took play towards the visitors' line and following several drives through their forwards brought the score back to eight-10 only to see Monmouth immediately rally and run the ball back through the hands of Farr, Morgan, linked by prop Paul Stockley, who was having his best game in the loose in addition to his usual strength in the tight, taken on by Farr (again) and rounded off by flanker Ed Wheeler.

For the full report on this game, see this week's Beacon (4th April)

The pressure remains and visitors Llanhilleth are the next challenge on the Sports Ground on 7th April.

First team pictures by James Ridley