Having been hit with 18 points in a brilliant opening from last season’s runners-up there seemed lite hope for boys in blue. But they steadied the ship with a try before half-time and they added two more after the break to take the title 22-21 in another thrilling final at #RTP24.
When the two sides met in the earlier rounds it was 24-20 to the Mid District and it looked as though the victory was going to go the same way after Wattstown centre Matthew Lewis powered over for two tries.
The boot of Tonyrefail outside half Jordan Jones provided one conversion and two penalties in that initial opening blast as the scoreboard rattled very rapidly to 18-0. Was there any way back for Monmouthshire?
While many in the crowd thought not, Kirk Lewis and his side had other ideas. With the skipper, who will be back at the stadium next week with his club Newport Saracens in the Division 4 Cup Final, leading the charge, the Monmouthshire pack slowly, but surely, took control.
Jones gave the Mid District the perfect start with a penalty in the opening couple of minutes and then converted the first of Lewis’ two tries. He made the break that led to the second after adding a second penalty.
Monmouthshire needed a reaction and it came when Kirk Lewis drove-over from close range to grab a try than full back Aneurin Williams converted superbly. That made it 18-7 at the break.
After missing his two previous kicks, Jones added his second penalty to extend the lead to 14 points early in the second half. Then Monmouthshire powered up their scrum off the bench and began to take control up front.
Second row Dan Greenway brought Monmouthshire back into the game with his side’s second try as he powered through the last defender to score. Williams converted and then added a penalty to cut the deficit to six points.
Now the game was back in the melting pot and there for either team to win. The Mid District had a chance to seal it with a third try but an offload from second row David Smith failed to find a green player.
That meant Monmouthshire had the chance to complete a remarkable comeback with their third try of a great night. From a penalty, they opted for a scrum which gave replacement Dex Lewis the chance to tap and go.
Eventually, replacement Stephen Osborne crashed over from short range, with Williams’ conversion giving his side the lead for the first time in the game. It was only by a point, but in the end it was enough, despite Jones having one last chance to win it with a penalty following the restart.
His kick drifted wide and it was Monmouthshire who followed the West Wales RU as champions of the resurrected Districts Cup Final.
Mid District XV: Daniel Lewis (Wattstown); Kieron Richards (Tylorstown), Matthew Lewis (Wattstown), Jordan Williams (Wattstown), Craig Jones (Penygraig); Jordan Jones (Tonyrefail), Taine Davies (Penygraig); Ryan Shewell (Tylorstown), Jac Williams (Cefn Coed), Aiden O’Donaghue (Tylorstown), David Thomas (Penygraig), David Smith (Wattstown), Lee Morris (Tonyrefail), Adam Phillips (Tylorstown), Dewi Morris (Treherbert)
Reps: Jarrad Bowen (Penygraig), Shane Williams (Penygraig), Darryl Jones (Wattstown), David Hefford (Tylorstown), Kierran Hill (Tonyrefail)Monmouthshire XV: Aneurin Williams (Abercarn); Mason Parfitt (Abercarn), Jon Daniels (Blaina), Lewys Bassett (Abertysswg), Casey Roomus (Nantyglo); Richard Powell (Nantyglo), Jamie Payne (Abercarn); Owain Dumelow (Abercarn), Ewan Burrows (Newport Saracens), Matthew Jones (Abercarn), Llewellyn Edwards (Nantyglo), Dan Greenway (Abercarn), Corrie Thomas (Blaina), Kirk Lewis (Newport Saracens, captain), Corey Burton (Rhymney)
Reps: Macauley Dimmick (Fleur de Lys), Michael Bush (Whiteheads), Paddy Higgins (Abercarn), Stephen Osbourne (Abertysswg), Freddie Isaac (Nantyglo), Dex Lewis (Newport Saracens), Tom Edwards (Nantyglo), Pat James (Newport Saracens)Go.Compare Player of the Match: Kirk Lewis (Monmouthshire)
