City Of Derry RFC Preview (SEO)
City of Derry RFC V NUIM Barnhall
Saturday 5th October 2013
City of Derry Rugby Club continue their All Ireland League Division 2A campaign this Saturday with an away trip to NUIM Barnhall for a 2.30pm Kick-off.
Barnhall had a mediocre rise to senior rugby in the 90’s having been only founded as a club in 1969. They came from Beyond the Pale of Irish Rugby, hailing form Leixlip in Co Kildare and would have been treated accordingly by the Dublin 4 clubs. Barnhall won the Round Robin Series in the season 1998-1999 beating Connemara and Dromore to gain senior status for the first time and playing rugby the following season in the old AIL Division 4. They have since spent most of their time playing in AIL Division 2 most successful. They formed a close relationship with near neighbours National University of Ireland Maynooth and are now known as NUIM Barnhall
This will be the third time these two clubs have played one another at any level. The last time they locked horns was in the season 2010-2011 in AIL Division 3 @ Judges Road when Derry had a four try bonus point victory with try’s from Peter Henderson and two touchdowns from William McCleery but it took a late unconverted try from David Funston to seal victory by 25pts to 22pts. City of Derry went on to win the league and promotion with NUIM Barnhall finishing in eight place 19pts behind the Judges Road men.
The previous encounter before that was in the season 2001-2002 when Mervyn Stewart was President of City of Derry. The two teams were playing in AIL Division 2 and Derry were away to Barnhall suffering a 6pts to Nil defeat in a hard fought battle in atrocious conditions where the result was in doubt to the final whistle. City of Derry were relegated to AIL Division 3 that season with Barnhall finishing in fourth place in the league.
The game within the game on that day in February 2002 was played in the trenches of the back row and it involved three of the hardest men in Irish Rugby at the time Trevor Brennan from Barnhall and Neil Stewart and Keith Gallick form Derry, what a memorable encounter with no love lost or backward step taken by the protagonists. The following year Trevor Brennan went on to become an iconic figure at Stade Toulousain playing in three back to back European Cup Finals and winning two.
City of Derry and NUIM Barnhall both had the perfect start to their AIL Division 2A campaigns on Saturday last with two bonus point victories. Barnhall travelled to Co Limerick to take on newly relegated Bruff and came away with a surprise 33pts to 13pts victory. Derry confirmed their superiority over Rainey OB with their second victory over the Magherafelt men in two weeks this time by 42pts to 21pts. This Saturdays encounter will be interesting with newly promoted Barnhall determined to empress their home supporters and show that last weeks result when they overcame intense early pressure to come from behind was no fluke. City of Derry will pick from a full healthy squad and will have to perform at their optimum in all departments to keep their early season momentum. The two teams come into the game in confident mood and a high scoring thrilling encounter is expected.
City of Derry RFC V NUIM Barnhall: Chris Barber, Josh Lewis, David Funston, Adam Bratton, Simon Logue, Richard McCarter, Jack Caithness, Steven Jefferson, David Ferguson, Sam Duffy, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird, Stephen Dickey, Stephen Ferguson. Replacements; Sam McAuley, Paul McFeely, Chris Cooper, Ryan Campbell, Neil Burns.
