UCD J1 v Greystones J1 4th March 2011
Belfield Bowl, (yes that’s correct, see photographic evidence below)
After the last outing against Terenure and several backlashes from enraged fans on twitter, the UCD J1 team were primed and ready to fire for their penultimate league outing in the Metro J1 League.
With the carrot of a trophy presentation and a keen crowd of eventually vocal supporters, the stage was set for a performance befitting their position in the league.
Speaking with Lar McKenna shortly before kick off where he added a second inspiration, on a personal level. “dey’re goin to be pickin’ that Team of the Century ‘dis weekend an’ all an’ anyways, so I wanna be givin’ the lads a selection headache, I doubt ‘der is any good prop’s that have played ‘ere, I ain’t heard of any anyway. Who is Brian Hall?”
The match started at a frantic pace, with UCD keen to run on every blade of grass to make use of the unusually wide pitch. The Greystones midfield started off much like Flanagan’s house, with Eoghan Conron breaking through at every available opportunity. This, however, seemed to spark life into the Greystones team who upped a couple of gears through an immense forwards display. Two late call-up’s Wes Carter and Phil Sharpe acquitted themselves brilliantly throughout, although I would imagine neither would have been delighted to have had their first game back on the bowl!
(Textbook Cliché paragraph)
Greystones finally managed to turn the pressure into points, after upping a gear. Their rolling maul off a lineout created go-forward ball for them and from the ensuing ruck managed to sneak over the line. The front row were panting hard at this stage, so they had to dig deep and try to get themselves back in the game.
Gareth Crotty, wrapped in an unusual full length cotton-wool body suit had somehow managed to avoid an obvious injury, to date, was rumoured to be considering going into a ruck by the half hour mark, but these musings proved, thankfully, to be fruitless.
Sean Conway coming on in the unfamiliar back-row position for the unlucky Phil Sharpe on the 30minute made an immediate impact making a try-saving tackle from a well worked Greystones move off a scrum, and once again in short succession highlighted the strength and depth this collidge squad have throughout the team. Captain Rory Allwright led brilliantly in midfield ably supported by Robbie Ensor and Cailbhe Doherty who were pesky minxes all day, trying to ferret their way through the defence.
UCD managed to get themselves back into the game, initially from a wide move off the top of the line-out where Andreas Evita-Hernandez made excellent yards down the wing, and sensibly held onto the ball. Mark Jennings worked the runners well to test the ‘stones fringes, and eventually swept the ball out to James Murray, who for the umpteenth time this year jinks and breaks through the gap, steps the full back, and brings UCD right back into the match. He converts his own try to leave the scores 7-7 at half time.
Coach Daragh Geraghty was absolutely lived at half time, seething with anger, foaming at the mouth – he had just got off the phone to Krystal who said his favourite cocktail, the WooWoo was off the menu and no amount of kicking, screaming and crying would bring it back. This emotion was then brought to the forefront of his half-time speech where he hoped the WooWoo might try to bring about a Woohoo after the match. /chuckles/
Greystones had most of the ball again in the second half, but this UCD team have more spirit than a haunted house and the most they let up was a penalty on the 22 which ‘Stone duly converted. The scores were now 7-10 and UCD were in serious danger of giving this game up, and undoing their unbeaten season.
Then… well where do you start? It is a bit like JFK being shot, or Diana’s car crash or Maradona’s goal against England in the 1986 world cup, or indeed ANY goal against England, everyone will remember the day they seen this.
Forget about taking your kids down to watch Brian O’Driscoll before he retires, if you want to see how to take on a defence or to smash a back row in a tackle or to perfect the previously-thought-impossible “statue of liberty” play then look no further than Belfield park of a Monday or Friday evening where James Murray plays.
Many said the try was similar to a certain Dudley cup hero’s try a few moons ago on the Astro, but whilst they were definitely from similar distances, the sheer cheek of Murray to attempt and then complete successfully this try was something more beautiful than the original Mona Lisa, being held up by twelve Swedish models under a rainbow, with a unicorn in the background.
The only unfortunate part of the try was that Wysie was the person who started the standing ovation, which probably would have been more effective if he stood on the seat, but it was certainly a fitting way for UCD to crystalise the league win as Murray has been the best player by far throughout the whole campaign.
A nice fillip for the club was the reintroduction of Eddie Conlon, Club safety officer, who made his competitive return to J1 rugby after a period of absense, to see two great Stalwart of the club, McKenna and Conlon in tandem brought manys a nostalgic tear to the eye.
Notices:
- Mike O’Sullivan will be taking names from anyone who is interesting in a raffle with a first prize flights to India! The only caveat is that you have to play a bit of amateur cricket with the English team in a competition out there.
- Conail Cremin is appealing for witnesses who may have seen him on Friday night, as he struggles to recollect his evening.
- We wish Andres Villar all the best in next months “Argentina’s got Talent” who will be singing his favourite song the “Macarena”.
Team: Laurence McKenna, Mike O’Sullivan, Gareth Crotty, Stephen O’Dwyer, William Hutch, Wes Carter, Luke Hickey, Phil Sharpe, Mark Jennings, James Murray, Eoghan Conron, Rory Allwright, Calibhe Doherty, Robbie Ensor, Andres Maradona Villar.
Replacements: Cormac Kavanagh, Sean Conway, Dan Clifford, Simon Gillespie, Eddie Conlon.