J1 0 – 34 Trinity
In what is normally a fiery encounter when these two sides meet, a strong crowd came out to witness what they hoped would be a hotly contested fixture.
UCD began the game with 14 players, due to some logistical difficulties, and suffered as a consequence conceding early on after some strong and skilful rugby from their opponents. After several phases of driving rucks, Trinity swept the ball wide and crashed down to produce the match’s first score.
Paradoxically, this seemed to motivate the UCD team more so than the visitor’s and the game became a much better spectacle as a result. Tackling was fierce on both sides, with wave after wave steaming into the defences and strong running on both sides.
Connor Mitchell and Barry Lynch worked very well in the tight doing their best to slow down ball and pull UCD forward. Good yardage was made in the loose by Paddy Conlon, Ger Moran and Will “Hutch”, but the final pass so often didn’t go their way.
Credit must go to a determined and clinical Trinity side who took their chances whenever they arose, a team which featured a number of former and present colours winners.
Trinity closed out the half with some fine back’s running from their own 22, eventually making their way over the line to leave the half-time scores 12-0.
UCD, for all their grit and determination, were guilty of too many missed tackles and lacked firepower at the breakdowns. The were duly punished in the second half as the game began to break up, with Trinity showing excellent skills to constantly keep the ball alive even under pressure.
UCD were unlucky not to cross the whitewash themselves. After a number of phases of controlled forward play, Cormac Quinn unleashed winger Joe McGinley with an intelligent kick in behind the defender, but for the irregular bounce of the ball to deceive him, and deny UCD their first score. Replacment Pistol Pete came on for UCD in place of Kyle Kopehmal who was a victim of the ferocious pace of the game, taking a bloody lip to the sideline. Trinity added a couple of penalties before going over twice in quick succession in the last few minutes of the game which took some of the gloss off a spirited, if not sensational, UCD performance. Since the first game of the season Trinity have not conceded a try, and if UCD were to break that deadlock they would have needed to be much more fervent and decisive in both defence and attack.
UCD will be keen to put things right when the travel to second-places De La Salle next weekend.
UCD 1-15.
Conor Mitchell, Barry Lynch, Ger Moran, James Hayes, Ger O Rourke ©, Paddy Conlon, Will Hutch, Colm Doyle, Cormac Quinn, Neil Cowhie, Joe McGinley Rory Allwright, Dave Brennan, Mark Buckley, Kyle Kopehmal – Subs Pete O Riordan.