MONMOUTH elected to play into a fiercely gusting wind and their hosts, New Tredegar, immediately used it to their advantage.

The hosts first kicked deep into the left corner and then forced their way over the line, only for the try to be disallowed as it was grounded on a defender's boot.

The pressure, compounded by several penalty kicks against the visiting front row for not scrummaging straight, was rebuffed with interest by some fine clearing kicks from fly-half

Howell.

The visiting defence held firm until the 16th minute when a high cross-field kick was followed up at speed. Although full back Connors took it well, his failure to release the ball when tackled resulted in a quick penalty, which caught Monmouth dreaming and five points behind.

The game settled into a pattern of attacking kicks on the wind, followed by deep relieving responses which led to further kicks or counter-attacks in return. It was a flash of inspiration almost against the run of play that took Monmouth into the lead when Howell, with a succession of dummies and changes of direction, ran for a full 45m to score near the posts, making the conversion easy for centre Roberts.

Captain Nick Phillips claimed the high ball from the kick off in the very next action and flanker Griffiths took the ball on in his usual robust way in a move that involved Howell again.

When play was halted at an attacking ruck for a head injury, the unobservant felt cheated until they realised the referee was playing advantage for a kickable penalty, again by Roberts.

Monmouth maintained the pressure and, following a concerted attack, were thwarted by a foot that had just slipped into touch, spotted by the eagle-eyed touch-judge.

A charged-down kick near the home line flew into another pair of grateful New Tredegar hands and play was forced to the other end, but Monmouth dug in and play petered out mid-way as the whistle blew for the break.

5-10 should have been a good score with a semi-gale still blowing. As the sun dropped though, so did the wind, and with it an advantage.

Unexpectedly Monmouth were having to run the ball out of defence, but when they did it was clear they intended to maintain a wall whenever they could on the half way line to prevent incursions.

New Tredegar became more frustrated and Monmouth's scrum-half felt the weight of several late-ish tackles.

The occasionally overeager right wing ran away from support and into trouble, but he managed to redeem

himself completely when, at pace, he ran a full solo 40 metres through the centre of the home defence to take Monmouth into a 5-17 lead with Roberts' added conversion.

New Tredegar rallied causing White to drop bravely on the ball in his 22m as play moved up-field. Wing Tabb played scrum-half at the ensuing ruck putting a fine relieving kick into touch some 65m away.

The game was breaking up and the home pack, particularly a rampaging second row, drove often and hard into the Monmouth half, still with 20 minutes to play.

Monmouth were equally keen to attack and when New Tredegar were forced to kick a ball towards touch near their goal-line, the mis-kick went sideways into the dead ball area and the chasing wing Lane was adjudged to have been held back in the act of scoring.

The penalty try brought the score to 5-24 and fired up New Tredegar all the more. In a succession of attacks for not allowing a quick penalty to be run 10 metres, Monmouth lost a player to the sin-bin for his early tackle.

Frustrations showed through and because New Tredegar players were trying to tell the referee his job, Monmouth luckily had the penalty reversed and their line was again cleared.

The final six minutes were hectic but the visiting pack with their re-jigged front row dug in. Howell was caught behind his goal-line but the final scrum was defended stoutly and the large band of travelling supporters gave a rousing cheer as the final whistle sounded.