Monmouth 19 RTB Ebbw Vale 12

RUGBY returned to the Sports Ground last Saturday after a long interlude due to weather and holidays. Training sessions in the meantime had minimised any potential ring rustiness, but the scrum was not as dominant as it had been in the away game in the autumn.

The rapidly growing grass did little to mask the greasiness underfoot, but several lengthy three-quarter moves were to make deep inroads uphill in the early stages, only for some late handling errors or wrong options to prevent a potential score.

Eagerness to defend by both sides brought penalties for offside, holding on, failing to roll away or going off one’s feet in the tackle and, despite a few mis-kicks, the score gradually edged upwards despite missed opportunities to score through the hands.

Monmouth led 6-0 inside ten minutes, with RTB clawing their way back to tie the scores not long before half-time as the home side began to ease off a little. An extra surge by Monmouth got them near the visitor’s line when fly half Parsons edged Monmouth 9-6 ahead with a snap dropped goal which crawled over the bar from 22 metres just before half-time.

Monmouth began the second half well, finding themselves in the first few minutes near the RTB left hand corner but a couple of weak tackles in succession helped the visitors escape to a scrum 55 metres upfield.

At this stage RTB seemed keener and more focused and, when Monmouth were forced backwards, a defender stepped offside at a ruck, allowing the visiting fly-half to level the scores 9-9.

From the re-start Monmouth advanced to 15 metres from the RTB line but the concession of a penalty saw them driven back through a long kick to touch and then a driven maul, the deliberate collapsing of which brought a further chance for goal which this time failed, much to the relief of the good crowd.

RTB continued to pressurise and, as Monmouth appeared to slide back both mentally and literally, the referee reversed a penalty for back-chat and the pressure on the home team increased as a relatively easy kick gave RTB a 9-12 lead.

Increasingly Monmouth were kicking deep for the right corner and following a good attacking move through many pairs of hands, scrum-half Dan White got very close. The RTB defence was resolute as Monmouth drove hard again and again for the line, until number eight Nick Phillips could be deprived no longer, crashing over with five minutes of normal time to play. Parsons was not to be outdone with the easy conversion and the 16-12 lead brought the breathing space the Monmouth players had been striving for.

Soon after, RTB saw their chances reduced when one of their number was sent from the field for illegal use of the boot. Monmouth again kicked deep as the game went into overtime and good following up caught RTB in possession as they tried to run out of trouble. Parsons calmly converted the penalty conceded for the last act of the game to result in a 19-12 victory.

The only game currently arranged at home this coming Saturday is the youth playing RTB Ebbw Vale, while the Druids are away at Chepstow. To check if the first XV are able to rearrange one of their postponed games, call 01600 712309 or visit the club website at www.monmouthrfc.com