For the second week in a row The University of Ulster Coleraine travelled to Belmont Park to take on CIYMS. It was the home side who came out victorious with a 21-14 win over UUC.
The game started with both teams trading attacks but it was CIYMS who pushed for the UUC line, however a turnover 5 metres out allowed UUC to clear the lines and a late shoulder charge by CI second row earned himself 10 minutes in the bin. With an extra man UUC went on the attack but CI held out. A penalty for hands in the ruck gave UUC their first chance of putting points on the board but Lee Murphy pulled the attempt to the right of the posts.
UUC continued their bombardment of the CI defence and another infringement at the breakdown gave UUC another penalty which Lee Murphy slotted home to make the score 3:0.
98 photos here from CI v UUC – click here –
Both sides traded penalties before half time with Lee Murphy converting for UUC to leave the half time score 6:3 in favour of the students.
After the break CIYMS started the brighter of the two teams and they levelled the scoring with a penalty. UUC kept up their strong defence with big hits coming from Martin O’Neill and Andrew Winder to mention only two, but the sin binning of Sam Hall for slapping the ball down led to CI taking the advantage alongside another penalty making the score 9:6.
CIYMS built on this by attacking the UUC line and spreading the ball wide scored in the corner. The conversion was successful making the score 16:6. Not known for lying down UUC went back on the attack from the restart with Club Captain Jamie Wilkinson leading the charge. UUC continued to push for the CI try line but couldn’t break through their defence. Then in a well worked move CI caught UUC on the back foot and pushed deep inside UUC territory. With a series of pick and go moves repelled by UUC the home side finally broke on the outside to score in the corner. The conversion was missed making the score 21:6.
UUC were determined not to leave empty handed and a well caught lineout by John Lutton in the CI 22 allowed Jonathan Brown to unleash the backs. Andrew Winder seen the gap behind the CI defence and chipped the ball through for Calum Rowden to sprint his opposite man and score in the corner. The difficult conversion was missed.
With only minutes left on the clock UUC pushed on against CI and were awarded a penalty for indiscipline at the ruck. Lee Murphy stepped up and coolly slotted over to give UUC a losing bonus point.
CI attacked from the restart but the student defence held strong with the CIYMS out-half lining up for a drop goal to deny the students a losing bonus point. John Lutton rose up in front of him to block the attempt before Sam Hall and David Orr tackled the CI winger into touch to end the game and prevent a final try.
The final score stood at 21:14 in favour of CIYMS, but UUC can take a lot of positives from the game. Next week UUC travel to Armagh RFC as the only team from Kukri Qualifying 2 to make it through to the Quarter Finals of the Junior Cup.
[youtube lbFdHUJz4EU]
[youtube r-rlG_kK5AI]
[youtube 8QvQzSNYsrA]
