National League 3 East A - Monmouth 13 Chepstow 30

CHEPSTOW RFC continued their impressive start to the season, winning the bragging rights in a bonus point win away at near rivals Monmouth on Saturday.

The visitors topped the league table before kick off but, despite a tough start to their season, Monmouth would have been hopeful after the arrival of two new recruits from New Zealand.

But this hope soon looked misplaced when a failure to catch cleanly the kick off brought a charging run by a Chepstow forward which brushed aside some weak tackling for the first try of what was by the end to be four by the visitors.

Monmouth set about recovering and soon found some relief with a mammoth penalty goal from nearly 50 metres, but Chepstow were looking the more powerful and better drilled and from their next incursion into the home 22 they had the line at their mercy with a substantial overlap marred only by a knock on by a forward in the line. As a consolation they were called back for an earlier offence and kicked the goal for an 8-3 lead inside the first six minutes of the match.

The Monmouth line was spared again in the next attack by a further knock-on but the number of missed tackles on the strong running forwards looked quite worrying at this stage. They were less lucky defending a ruck soon after when another transgression cost them a further three points from a penalty which with the referee being assessed was to be one of many as he made sure he missed little.

Monmouth rallied and provoked a knock-on from the kick off as their chasing put Chepstow under pressure. From the scrum they mounted a prolonged attack but were getting nowhere despite considerable effort due to the sound defence. A drop at goal which missed, prefaced a penalty kick to touch and a further sustained attack ranging from one side of the field to another but eventually possession was turned over and Chepstow cleared to touch near the halfway line.

The Chepstow big guns came to the fore again and in the last ten minutes before half-time made the most of two driving mauls, one converted, for a 3-23 lead at the break.

Playing down the field is one of Monmouth’s preferences and from the kick off they picked up a penalty goal for the start of their fight back. Chepstow were still the better drilled but killed the ball whenever they could, allowing Monmouth to gain territory through penalty kicks and then when camped in the visitors’ left corner would have scored but for a knock on.

Chepstow’s star forward led the charge back upfield leading to them in turn pressurising the line where a penalty brought Monmouth much needed relief only for Chepstow to respond through their fast and hard running pack who stretched the defence but a pass direct to touch brought much needed relief to the home team once again.

Home fly half White was using his boot seeking territory but a tendency to go for greater distance was causing him to slice some of them but then one deep one saw the catcher caught in possession on his 22m line.

Chepstow worked the ball right and but for a scything tackle by Monmouth’s tight head prop they could well have scored. But Monmouth were now giving as good as they got and several prolonged attacks on Chepstow’s line saw their right wing score and their centre convert to narrow the gap to 13-23 still with a quarter of an hour to redeem themselves.

Try as they might they eventually succumbed to a superb eight man driving maul which was well structured and practised and virtually impossible to legally defend. Chepstow were elated as this secured their four try bonus point and the win and although Monmouth made one last surge for the line resulting in a knock on the visitors left on top.

Chepstow are next in action at home to Hartridge on Saturday (22nd October).