WRU National League 3 East A - Monmouth RFC 59 RTB Ebbw Vale 13

WITH attention now having necessarily returned to the league following defeat in the WRU National Bowl quarter-final, Monmouth resumed their league season perhaps a little too keen to impress.

Within three minutes the home side had conceded three penalties due to their overeagerness not meeting with the way in which the referee wished to run the match. Fortunately for Monmouth none were within kickable distance, as the visiting outside-half was later to show his talent in this respect.

Play soon settled down though and from a re-set five metre scrum following a knock on, the ball was moved swiftly left to centre Dafydd Hellard who crashed over despite despairing tackles. The kick was pulled and it became RTB Ebbw Vale’s chance next with an excellent three points from a 45 metre penalty kick.

Full back Amosa Nove was coming to the fore with strong runs, but his tendency to take contact in his belief he can always break it can have the down-side of chances going begging. He was soon to confound such minor criticisms though, when on 20 minutes he broke such a tackle and fed his wing Dafydd Davies, who had an energetic game, going in at the corner and requiring an excellent conversion kick by fly half Davies to complete a seven point score.

The home pack was stronger in the tight, achieving several strikes against the head, although the visiting line-out jumpers seemed more slick, helped perhaps by tolerance of inaccurate throwing in.

The breakdown was well contested but not always to the referee’s liking but rarely resulting in kicks at goal. Kicking to full back Nove who lurked deep in defence proved dangerous more than once and he was soon to run an arcing 60 metres to score untouched for a further seven pointer on the half hour to increase the lead to 19-3.

RTB responded with a kick at goal only narrowly short from half way and Monmouth found relief through a good inter-passing move thwarted by a penalty against them near the line. They maintained the pressure and it took some doughty defence to keep them at bay until centre Morgan Paley, prominent as usual in the tackling stakes, looped around the defence for the final score of the half giving Monmouth a 24-3 lead.

From virtually the first move after receipt of the re-start, wing Dan Williams charged down the right and although he lined up to pass to the supporting Nove, its execution found hooker Ed White instead who was also well up in support and completed the score under the sticks. Davies completed the score and was again on the score-sheet when Nove off-loaded to him to stretch the lead to 38-3.

With around half an hour still to play and a bonus point for Monmouth in the bag, RTB were helped back into the game by a bad decision from the referee for a forward pass called for (wrongly) by a visiting spectator following a flat pass by Monmouth.

Questioning the decision resulted in a penalty for doing so, thus gaining territory for the visitors and when they crawled over the line for a try near the posts brought another questioning comment; a yellow card produced to a player who had not spoken; as well as a penalty at the re-start which RTB’s excellent goal-kicker converted from the centre spot. One man’s loud yet flawed exuberance in the crowd had gained his team a whole 10 points in as little as three minutes!

One thing this saga certainly brought besides a dramatic narrowing of the scores, was a sudden boost to the visitors’ confidence for a prolonged purple patch requiring some staunch defence by the home team in turn.

The tide turned again when changes in personnel brought fresh legs and ideas and an exciting final 10 minute spurt which delivered three converted tries, another for Nove and two for substitute scrum-half Davies.

The reasonably large crowd, considering the Druids were also playing on Chippenham, enjoyed the improved weather and seeing some long awaited open rugby in this 59-13 win, but there are many games to play in pursuit of league promotion with sterner competition to come, not least of all at fifth-placed Usk next Saturday.

Photos courtesy of Gareth Roberts