WRU National League 3 East A - Monmouth 17 Tredegar Ironsides 0

MONMOUTH RFC’s 17-0 home victory left a sense of disappointment among supporters after the home side failed to score a bonus point after a promising start.

On a bitterly cold but clear day on Saturday (6th January), Monmouth entertained Tredegar Ironsides who they had defeated comfortably away in late September.

Despite recent inclement weather the pitch, which drains very well, seemed all but perfect for another contest with the pack dominating in the scrums and the backs playing the free flowing game supporters have become used to seeing.

The very first scrum of the game suggested there were little problems to fear in that respect as Monmouth put the visitors under immediate pressure, but the Irons were defending well enough to ensure play was pretty even for the first 10 minutes or so with both sides probing deeply into each other territories.

Eventually the pressure told on the visitors after a series of rucks near their line which were desperately rebuffed, when flanker Scott Giles nipped over for the first score after quarter of an hour. The surface was perhaps more greasy than earlier suggested because the relatively easy conversion was missed.

The referee was not pleasing the crowd because of a series of apparently strange decisions and in particular for ignoring the current requirement that the ball should be put in straight into the scrum so that it can be ’hooked’ for. This, as far as Monmouth were concerned, was clearly not a requirement in occasions where their scrummaging could have been decisive.

Monmouth lived dangerously in contact and suffered two yellow card suspensions in the space of two minutes for questionable tackling but fortunately for the hosts the visiting goal kicker missed the penalties both times.

With full playing numbers restored, home dominance grew and openside flanker Joel Grant made a scything break downfield to be supported by wing Matt Tabb, but overlooking a substantial overlap saw an opportunity go begging. Monmouth soon redeemed themselves when having been stopped short of the line a few times, a further infringement resulted in a Tredegar defender receiving a yellow card. The pressure from a resulting scrum saw the Irons trundled back over the line for a touchdown by number eight Tom Hawkins and a conversion to secure a 12-0 half-time lead.

Tredegar kicked off after the break and soon won themselves an attacking lineout on the left downfield which they won with a quick front ball and nearly scored. Luckily in defending the threat, Monmouth won a penalty and cleared their lines.

Play picked up now for the home team and eventually a move from halfway upfield to the left brought some speedy and exciting play, resulting in an assist by newly returned flanker Tom Rees, complete with new hair style and striking beard, to centre Will Smith who did not need the further players outside him as he scored. The attempted conversion hit the post.

With a full 32 minutes to play, hopes of more scores and a winning bonus point were now high but amazingly the game then went flat.

Tredegar defended well, but the most significant change seemed to be the almost complete lack of playing advantage with the whistle predominating matters. On a number of occasions play was called back when advantage in Monmouth’s favour would have been more appropriate, and apart from a further yellow card for a repeat high tackle by the Irons to frustrate a promising move at last by the home backs in which prop Rawlings popped up with a trade-mark strong burst, little worth reporting occurred.

That is until near the very end, when Tredegar came near the line and no matter how well they were legitimately defended it seemed the referee was determined to help them score which Monmouth’s tenacity ensured they did not.

All in all, it was a very frustrating day at the office when Monmouth’s inability to capitalise on their strengths may just cost them dear by the end of the season. Still, it needs to be ’heads up’ again by next week, as Monmouth travel to take on Hafodyrynys in a WRU National Bowl match, prefacing a long series thereafter of away league matches before several games which are still waiting to be re-arranged.

Photos courtesy of Gareth Roberts