UCD U20B 27 - 8 DLSP U20s
January 11th 2009 venue Kilternan
Thanks to the 12.30 kick off the under twenty B’s enjoyed relatively pleasant conditions compared to the 20 A’s & J1’s who had the misfortune of a late kick off on Sunday. Although there was a gale blowing up in Kilternan (when is there not a gale blowing up in Kilternan?) we managed to avoid the heavy rain during our 27 points to 8 victory over DLSP.
The match itself was the first proper hit out for the 20 B’s after Christmas and before the match the management team were worried that we might be a bit rusty……..well they were right (not for the first time this season I hasten to add!!). However the first game after Christmas is a fixture that has seen us struggle in the past not only in the actual game but sometimes managing to field an actual team. Luckily this year we had no problems (even accounting for a high number of absentees who had succumbed to the Flu or were off skiing or injured).
Despite making a mess of receiving the opening kick-off Collidge turned the resulting scrum over and centre David Fahy took a great line off Daniel Clifford to breach the DLSP defence. However David was unable to find his support runners (this was a common occurrence throughout the afternoon) and the attack died. DLSP gradually got into the game but the students defence was more than a match for the DLSP attack. Any pressure that UCD came under was primarily a result of making poor decisions and individual errors. DLSP were unable to take advantage of one such error and from the resulting scrum on the UCD 22, number eight Doug Memery fed his winger John Conroy who outpaced his opposite number, chipped the full back and re-gathered to score a spectacular individual try. In the ensuing gale Clifford appeared to have judged the conversion perfectly but the referee did not allow it and the score stayed at five nil to collidge.
UCD were starting to dominate where both second rows Keelan McKenna and Robbie Field were continually troubling the DLSP defence. They were ably supported by backrowers Memery, Darrell Quinn & Conor Farrell. Despite regular visits into the DLSP 22 Collidge were unable to convert the possession into points as we were guilty of taking too much out of the ball and a large number of handling errors. UCD’s set piece was holding up well where hooker Neil Foley was finding his men in very difficult conditions and the scrum was dominating the DLSP eight who were not helped by an injury to their tight head prop.
Collidge’s second score came once more from winger Conroy who took a pass from scrum half Shane O’Meara and then stood up the DLSP left winger to score in the corner. Clifford just missed with the difficult conversion. Clifford managed to convert the third UCD try which came as result of good work down the left hand side by winger Shane O’Connor and full back Joe Mackenzie, their good work was finished off when Keelan McKenna barged over from close range after some good work from his fellow forwards.
At half time Collidge lead by seventeen points to three.
UCD started the second half brightly and soon had the bonus point when attacking down the short side Clifford made a wonderful slip pass behind the back of the DLSP defender to David Fahy who finished well in the corner. Again the conversion was missed in the difficult conditions. The bonus point was secured at this stage and it must have been the Christmas celebrations taking their toll on the Collidge players as UCD decided to take out their sleeping bags and have a snooze for 25 minutes. Admittedly UCD were not helped by a number of lengthy injury stoppages that disrupted the game but Collidge were guilty of some very poor execution and ignoring the basics of the game as everyone went in search of the football and their own moment of glory.
DLSP naturally took advantage of this and soon had UCD under pressure, this pressure told eventually when the DLSP right winger scored in the corner. This seemed to wake Collidge up and the boys in blue were soon back in the DLSP where Conor Farrell went over from close range to leave the final score at twenty seven points to eight. Luckily all of the twenty two players in the squad got a good run out and the important role that all squad members play will become even more apparent as we face into two very tough games.
Collidge will know that we need to vastly improve on this performance if we are to overcome third placed Seapoint on Sunday in Belfield, kick off 1230. This promises to be a big game for both teams as they search for a semi final spot, so all support would be appreciated.
I am glad to report that Keelan McKenna is fine after receiving a cheap and cowardly punch from a DLSP player as he lay prone on the ground after making a tackle and the play was moving rapidly down towards the far end of the pitch. Luckily for the DLSP player the referee was following the play and had his back turned.
Thanks to all the players who made an effort to make the training sessions over Christmas and for Mark Conway who went on to play for the J1’s on Sunday. Get well soon to Jack Hogan who had his appendix out two days before Christmas…there are no truth to the rumors that Jack removed them himself or that he was not under anesthetic for the operation.
Joe Mackenzie has yet to tell me how his first Christmas with Julie (and away from Douche) went but I hope to have an update on this next week. I did hear that OK magazine is planning to do a spread on the couple in an upcoming edition so keep an eye out for this in your local newsagents.