Chepstow 24 Monmouth 6

DESPITE going behind early, a spirited Chepstow side came out as comfortable winners against neighbouring foes Monmouth.

After kick off the initial pressure came from Chepstow as they overcooked a kick for territory which went dead. The home side continued, using their strength in a maul from which Monmouth were spared by the first penalty of the game. This allowed for a clearing kick to touch but it was to take them a full five minutes for the visitors to emerge from their own half.

The forceful and varied Chepstow attack was to be frustrated repeatedly by Monmouth’s defence in the early stages. Led by a strong set piece scrum, Chepstow were supported throughout by a sterling performance from their back row and the diminutive scrum half who was punching well above his weight.

Eventually Monmouth open side flanker Korb decisively broke out into the opposing half with the ball being taken on well by three-quarter King and when Chepstow resorted to illegal tactics in slowing the ball at the tackle site it was King who was first to score with a penalty kick in the 12th minute.

Chepstow were fired by this, making ground from a scrum mid-field and breaking the line to take the lead 5-3 mere minutes later. The home side struck again almost immediately, breaking the line again from a driving maul in the left corner with a try which again went unconverted to take the lead to 10-3 in the 28th minute.

Adam Roberts featured for Monmouth when he ran a ball back from deep, kicking through and regathering the bouncing ball to win a penalty from the panicking Chepstow defenders when he was eventually brought down. Another King penalty narrowed the gap to 10-6, with the visitors keeping themselves in the game.

With half time approaching, the visitors made the most of the downward slope largely through kicks ahead into the home 22, but Chepstow’s line was never seriously threatened by the time the whistle blew.

Chepstow needed to push on after the break to make their superiority show, and in no time Monmouth were defending in their right hand corner, initially holding up the potential scorer over the line. From the resultant scrum, Chepstow’s right wing scored untouched in the corner and a magnificent kick stretched Chepstow’s lead to 17-6.

The game really livened up as a consequence. Monmouth surged through a succession of rucks and maul but lost ground from a penalty kick to touch for rather foolishly entering a maul from the side and then losing ten metres for failing to give up the ball.

Chepstow employed their usual maul to gain the ground needed, spread the ball wide right and despite vigorous tackling went over near the posts for an easily kicked goal.

There were some hints of a retaliation from the visitors with several individual periods of sparkle, but for Monmouth trying to run the ball out of defence proved far less effective up the slope than kicks. The game rose to a sort of crescendo with both sides giving of their best in the final 15 minutes without further score, only for the match to end in an anti-climax as play was held up for lengthy treatment to a Chepstow player which brought the final whistle, presumably because everyone by now wanted instead to head for the nearest TV set to enjoy the first of the World Cup semi-finals.

Chepstow’s next game is in two weeks, away to Llanhilleth on Saturday 7th November.