WRU East One
Monmouth RFC 24 Abergavenny RFC 29
THE opening game of the WRU East One season resulted in Abergavenny travelling to near neighbours Monmouth and securing a bonus point win, reports COLIN EVANS.
The visitors fielded a much-changed team from last season with eight players making their first appearance for the club.
Max Wiltshire, Alfie Lewis, Eoin Shackleton, Josh Hathaway, Will Evans, Dan Beavan, Max Gregory and Rob Dudley-Jones lined up in the forwards.
And Dylan Edwards, Will Rees, Joe Brook, Harvey Barrier, Lewis Prendergast, Anthony Squire and Dayle Price made up the backs.
Abergavenny began the game playing at a fast tempo, forwards and backs linking together and showing a willingness to offload and spread the ball wide to great effect.
But the Monmouth defence stood firm and kept their line intact before having a period of possession and pressure.
And after several phases of play, Monmouth wing Harry Whelan broke through to score in the corner for a 5-0 lead.
The teams then exchanged penalties before Dan Beavan secured quality back-of-the-lineout ball, and the driving maul took Abergavenny close to the line where Alfie Lewis broke away, pinned his ears back and sprinted for the corner, making it 8-8.
From a penalty on halfway, Will Rees then took play into the Monmouth 22, where Josh Hathaway secured the lineout and a driving maul saw Max Wiltshire break away.
He was brought down close to the line, but Eoin Shackleton swallowed up the loose ball and went over for Abergavenny’s second try, converted by Harvey Barrier for a 15-8 lead.
Dan White replied with a penalty before half-time, to leave the visitors 15-11 up at the break.
Rhys Ferguson, Tom Foley and Seth Butler were introduced in the second half, where Monmouth started the stronger, playing the game deep in the Aber half.
And concerted pressure resulted in a converted try, Mattie Cotton stretching over at the posts and White converting for an 18-15 lead.
Abergavenny then put themselves under more pressure going down to 14 men after a deliberate knock-on.
Monmouth seized the opportunity, drove play down into the visitors' 22 and clean ball from the lineout gave second row Shaun Hobbs the opportunity to power over for their third try, also converting, for a comfortable 25-15 lead.
The Bailey Park faithful feared this was looking like a fruitless visit to the Monmouth Sportsground once again.
But Matt Charles and Callum Poole provided an important boost to the forwards as they set about turning the game around.
More tempo came into the Aber game and they began to get a foot hold once again.
Numerous phases of play took the visitors into the Monmouth 22, and Rob Dudley-Jones picked up at the back of a scrum and drove hard for the line before Max Gregory gathered the ball to go over for an important score for the visitors.
Lewis Prendergast stepped up to add the extras to make it 25-22.
Monmouth then went down to 14 men, and with tired legs all over the park, Abergavenny found the energy to exert pressure in the hosts' 22.
And when Dudley-Jones ran a great angle to break through the home tackling, he stretched for the try line for the all-important score, converted by Prendergast for a 29-25 lead with three minutes to go.
Monmouth gained a foothold in the Aber half and were awarded a penalty close to the line.
A three-pointer was no use, and the Monmouth ball carriers ran hard for the line.
But determined defence held them out, and Aber secured an important bonus point win to begin the season.
Other local weekend results included Brynmawr 20 Mountain Ash 20, Blaenavon 19 Abertillery BG 21, New Panteg 26 Nantyglo 7.
Abergavenny 1st XV are next in action at home to Pontypool United on Saturday, September 21, while the Quins host Chepstow druids this Saturday afternoon (September 14).
Other fixtures this Saturday include – Rumney v Brynmawr, Caldicot v Usk, Nantyglo v Abertysswg, Crickhowell v Gwernyfed, Forgeside v RTB Ebbw Vale.