The annual Ian ‘Sedge’ Seymour memorial match at Berry Hill survived the threats of showers on Saturday but not the desire of players to holiday rather than engage in pre-season ‘friendlies’, reports PETE WALTERS.

As a result, the planned 2nd/Veterans combined XV game had to be aborted, not helped by those who were heard to say they had deliberately (sensibly?) left their boots at home to preclude any possibility of their having to play.

The near 1st XV game, however, kicked off as planned although with Berry Hill, in fairness, not at their strongest.

Upon receiving the kick-off, Monmouth immediately spread the ball wide, showing from the outset the tactic they intended to employ. The 45 metre move, however, led to a touch and a well taken set piece move marred by an eventual knock on.

Monmouth scrummaged well, if down the slope, and soon spread wide to their right wing Harvey Thomas who ran in a try to the corner for the first score of the afternoon.

Next Monmouth were penalised for not pushing straight in a scrum which allowed Berry Hill to gain a touch upfield near the line and from an eventual maul their scrum-half was over in a flash around the side to take a 7-5 lead.

The visitors responded virtually by return when burly 2nd Row Shaun Hobbs showed his pace in running in virtually untouched from 30 metres, making the conversion by fly-half Dan White relatively easy.

The game was punctuated by penalties as the referee tried to police the new height of tackle law without the benefit of a TMO.

But that and his correct keenness on failures of tacklers to ‘roll away’ brought some extra yards for both sides by questioning his decisions, but all were happy by the end in both respects.

Oliver Scriven (Snr) playing well at scrum-half was next to score, converted again by White who was largely accurate throughout, barring one seemingly easy kick in the second half which he pulled left across the face of the posts.

Nearing half-time the home team lost their fly-half to a shoulder injury and then worse, a yellow card for their No 8 for a ‘no arms’ tackle, further weakening their challenge.

Pride kicked in as their support proved vocal and although not scoring they ended the first half in Monmouth’s 22.

The second half commenced with new vigour and in no time William Scriven (Jnr) was in and around near the posts to extend the lead to 24-7.

Both sides rejuvenated by the break were now playing with much greater enthusiasm, even if this almost frantic phase was leading to error upon error with their handling.

Within another five minutes White had thrown yet another long pass to his left which centre Morgan Jeffs latched on to and whose pace took him around the drift defence for another converted try.

Monmouth team manager Luke Hunter then generously offered his physique to help bolster the home resources as they struggled for numbers and which helped them stabilise.

But Monmouth were still able to run relatively free in the backs, helped twice with cruel bounces from long high kicks ahead, one of which centre Joe Impey gladly embraced to score a maiden 1st XV try.

The home team responded with a good spell in which the visitors had to defend numerous ‘pick and gos’.

Hunter burrowed well, testing Monmouth’s defensive strengths and Mike Griffiths enjoyed repeated strong carries into the arms of his former club mates but to no avail.

It was Monmouth’s Jeffs who had the final word when the ball was worked to him on the left and he was able to beat a tiring defence for a final score of 48-7.

A good run out for both clubs before the season starts for real next Saturday, with Monmouth travelling away to Senghenydd, which no doubt will be a useful test of both sides’ prospects.