Brynmawr RFC - 51

Monmouth RFC - 20

DESPITE having high hopes of a result against near to top of-the-table Brynmawr, costly mistakes proved to be the undoing of Monmouth writes Pete Walters.

When the pair met earlier this season, the game had been a close result but this time was a different affair.

The opening kick-off immediately proved promising when the catcher dropped the ball in the corner and from the resulting scrum and following phases of play which highlighted the home team’s robust defending.

Play was called back for a penalty which Monmouth chose to take as a scrum from which second row Hobbs used his size and pace to burst through to open a five point lead after only five minutes. The relatively strong wind was to prove difficult for kickers of all sorts.

Brynmawr soon found their way back with a penalty kick for offside at the other end but then the visitors stretched play to young left wing Churches who sold a perfect dummy to score near the corner with full back Bates adding a difficult conversion.

With both sides using the wind to cause some chaos in defences, the restart was kicked high resulting in a knock on and an offside penalty decision. Brynmawr won the resulting line-out, an area in which Monmouth performed badly throughout and Brynmawr excelled, and eventually managed to drive over in the corner to narrow the score to 8-12.

Bates powerful boot was often to the fore but a long kick for touch went dead. Such inaccuracies and other errors by the team were to cost them dearly by the end.

The home team continued to pile on the pressure and after stretching the opposition first right, then left and then right again edged in front 13-12.

Scrum-half Scrivens was next to shine when he broke away from a scrum and won a penalty as a result. The home team did not like the decision with the result that they were marched back 10m for dissent which was not to be the first time that they showed such indiscipline although the referee seemed to be happy with repeating his previous decisions and lectures on the subject.

Centre Whelan who excelled throughout until injury forced his departure made a strong break only for a supporting forward to knock on.

Monmouth lost another of their own line-outs and 40m territory as a result and although play was fairly even at this stage helped by a strong performance from tight head Strachan who was welcomed back warmly to rugby after a lengthy lay-off.

Brynmawr, aware that half-time was approaching, took a relatively easy kick at goal to enter the break 16-12 having also crossed the line but having a try disallowed.

And then the tables noticeably turned. A knock-on from the kick-off took the home team near the line and within two minutes they had engineered a two man overlap to move to 23-12.

Despite a successful penalty by Bates, the pressure continued when a fracas resulted in a yellow card for Monmouth for dragging down an attacking maul. The line-out drive from the following penalty was joined by several backs and Monmouth were trundled back into a 30-15 deficit.

Ten hectic minutes followed ending in a yellow card for Brynmawr for tackling a man off the ball. But then a dropped ball by Monmouth was hacked through and a successful chase to the posts made it 37-15.

Home team tails were now up and a simple break in the centre brought 44-15 up but perversely another dismissal for retaliation by Brynmawr.

This motivated the visitors some more but then another setback when a Monmouth player was yellow carded for allegedly ‘eye gouging’

Centre Dunmore sparked things again with a 40m gain which, after further talkings to home defenders, ultimately led via several penalties to Monmouth’s other young winger substitute Scriven scoring on the right to make it of 51-20 at the end of play.

Dowlais visit the Sportsground for the final game of Monmouth’s season at 7pm on Wednesday, April 22.