J4 v Bective Rangers 'A'

(18 Oct 2008)

UCD J4 40 - 0 Bective Rangers ‘A’

The Super 4’s have been up and running now for three weeks and it is entirely my fault for not informing our loyal fans of how things have progressed to date, but due to extraordinary popular demand and threats levelled against me I find myself warming up my old typewriter again and putting ink to paper!

Our season, my friends, has not had the start that we dreamed of. We lost the Fred Forrester Cup to Newbridge and then we were beaten by De LaSalle Palmerstown in our first League game of the new season. However this weekend saw the Super 4’s bring the road show home to UCD for a game against Bective.

With a raft of new faces it has been hard to get everyone game time but the quality of player has increased vastly and there are the bones of an excellent squad here going forward into the future. Over the Summer I resigned my Captaincy and the reigns were handed over to Mick Barton, whose leadership skills have put him out in front as a contender for the Captain of the Year Award. With some new signings from around the globe the team has a positively cosmopolitan feel to it.

Saturday was a good day for the running style of rugby which the Super 4’s have thus far tended to excel at and that was a boost from early on for us. The back three of The White Habana, Cockroche and a new signing David “Hussein Bolt” Reddy were brilliant with strike running from all quarters of the pitch. The Bolt was up in the Bective players faces all day and his speedy chasing of the Golden Booted Mulpeter’s kicks meant that Bective were pinned back for most of the day. The first try came from such a kick and some expert rucking and driving from a magnificent pack assisted by one Tom Hill, the centre turned flanker, who has quite simply made the number 7 berth his. And when the Tom Hill show comes to town, you don’t ask questions, you buy your ticket and turn up!! Padraic Mulpeter went over for the try and Collidge were up 5 – 0. This was followed by a penalty to from Golden Boot before the pack got back into action.

The O’Higgins brothers were playing in the row supported by Mick, Tom and the workhorse Eoghan Moriarty in the back row and they were linking up brilliantly and it was poetic Justice that Connor in first full game back went over for Collidges second try on 18 minutes. It wasn’t long though before the front row feeling left out got their act in gear and Barry Sheahan standing in the out half berth took a ball from Alan Elliot at scrum half and despite the fact that he had to put the reverse thrusters on from the 22 he was still unstoppable. Try number 3 and Collidge lead 18 – 0.

It wouldn’t have been a complete afternoon without a try from captain fantastic Mick. In what was pure brute force and horsepower Mick went over from the base of a ruck and that was that. The first half over Collidge looking comfortable at 23 nil up!

We stayed like that for the remainder of the first half and at the break the mighty Dillon McDonald was replaced by Matt Leonard whose personal Coach and brother Richard had the beast from Meath suitably warmed up. Partnering the Mighty Paddy Barret and Barry Sheahan up front Matt went to work the only way he knows how – HARD!!

If the first half was about the forward plugging away uphill the second was about the backs flying gracefully down the hill. Paul Reilly who is playing the best ball of his life at the moment and new signing Will Nunn in the centre slots were like men possessed and nothing was going by them. It was a fine pass from Reilly to Nunn and on out to the White Habanna on the wing which saw the Super 4’s score their Fourth try. 28 – 0.

Cummiskey came on for the Bolt and Cud was replaced by Tommy Breen. Cillian Magee came on for Eoghan Moriarty and the fresh legs gave the game a very Blue tint as Collidge dominated the whole game now. The final change saw Barry Sheahan come off for Butherface Dempsey who like the power house that he always is made sure fire was stoked in the Engine Room to the very last minute!! Cockroche dropped a number of balls which was very unlike him but I blame Coach John Shuttleworth who at half time told him he hadn’t dropped a ball all day and was playing brilliantly. John Cummiskey proved to be a good change as after about 10 minutes he was over the line with a fist in the air and all the way to the posts to make the job dead easy for the Podgeinator! 35 nil.

A try from Cockroche in the dying minutes let us forgive him for his 38 knockons and when the final whistle went it was a satisfied Collidge that cheered Bective off the Pitch. A great all round performance which leaves us looking very well going into the season. David Jones was back on the sideline as were two members of our new physio team, Margaret and Niamh.

The next game is against Old Belvedere, the table toppers in two weeks time!

Fred Gilligan