University College Cork 17pts, City of Derry RFC 26pts
Match Report by; Moss Dineen
City of Derry Rugby Club travelled to Cork on Saturday last for their final All Ireland League Division 2A Fixture of the season against University College Cork and produced their best performance of the season by far in a four try bonus point victory. UCC entered the game with their destiny in their own hands having to get a bonus point victory to guarantee second place in the League and Promotion to AIL Division 1B. Derry on the other hand had to get a bonus point win and needed Barnhall to defeat Ballymena at Eaton Park to get promoted themselves. The impossible was still on for Derry as the Dubliners led all game until the final seven minutes when two late scores gave the Bairdmen promotion after being relegated last season.
City of Derry travelled to Cork on Friday last in determined mood and focused with the right attitude. They were prepared to go that extra mile to finish the season in style and get the result that would give them a chance provided the Ballymena result went their way. The large travelling support was not disappointed as the team performance from the Judges Road men will live in their memories forever.
The weather was perfect for rugby on Saturday and the unique setting at the Mardyke seemed to inspire the Derry men individually and as a team. The message of intent was put up to the Corkonians from the off as it was all out attack from Derry but an early injury to Simon Logue held up play for a few minutes as a 5 meter penalty in front of the posts was turned down in favour of a scrum as Logue was successfully treated. The Derry pack while waiting prowled around like hungry animals waiting to be fed and when the scrum was set it was only going one way as Stephen Ferguson picked up at No 8 and fed Scrum Hallf Jack Caithness to touch down between the posts and with Andrew Semple at out half converting Derry were in front by 7pts to nil.
UCC came back at Derry and were rewarded with a 45 meter penalty for off side from their scrum half Sean Og Murphy and the arrears were 7pts to 3pts. Murphy missed another penalty from closer in three minutes later. Derry suddenly produced rugby from the top drawer as their continuity of play with offloading in the tackle and support always on hand blew UCC away as they struggled to compete. Derry won a penalty on twenty minutes and Semple kicked for a 5 meter line out, Chris Cooper produce clean line ball and Caithness found Semple and as Adam Bratton and David Funston combined in the centre Simon Logue touched down for an unconverted try wide out and Derry were ahead by 12pts to 3pts.
Jack Caithness was outstanding at scrum half and having his best game ever for Derry as he was the catalyst for everything good that flowed from a now confident team. Logue picked up a loose kick from UCC 2 meters from his own line on thirty minutes, an ordinary player would have kicked for touch but ambition creates opportunity and the unexpected frightens the life out of the opposition and inspires you own team. Logue ticked all those boxes as he produced a few Houdini like moves and took play almost to his own 10 meter line, Caithness was on had to take play forward and when tackled passed to Stephen Corr now inside the UCC half. Corr picked the outstanding David Ferguson who put pace into the move as he passed to Funston on the UCC 22 Meter line as play moved left Logue appeared from nowhere to flick a pass to David Graham free on the wing 10 meters out, but the final pass went astray as an awesome passage of rugby left the crowd aghast.
Jack Caithness made an unbelievable break on thirty four minutes that should have resulted in a try but unfortunately got injured in the tackle as he had to retire while producing some outstanding rugby. Simon Logue moved to scrum half as Jack Hargan came from the bench to play a major roll for the remainder of the game. Derry struggled to come to terms with the loss of Caithness and UCC had a golden five minutes that enabled them to take the lead. Their Centres combined for their first try on thirty eight minute, Ned Hodson made the break to send Joe Holland free to touch down at the posts and when Murphy converted UCC were behind by 12pts to 10pts.
UCC won a penalty from the kick off and kicked for touch 10 meters out, Derry stopped the drive but lost Richard Baird to the sin bin. UCC went to the line out again and this time with the extra man drove over as wing forward Cathal Gallagher touch down and Murphy converted and the Corkmen lead at the break by 17pts to 12pts.The tide had turned as UCC got their game back on track and with the River Lee flowing in the right direction for them Queenstow(Cobh) was in sight as the mythical Luciatania in the distance that was promotion was a distinct possibility.
The break had lasted too long for UCC as when the second half started the tide had gone out and the momentum gain before the break was now stranded on quicksand as Derry took control for the remainder of the game. UCC barely got into the Derry half again as Bob McKillop led from the front and the Derry pack owned the ball. Chris Shields, David Ferguson and Sam Duffy were terrific they put their bodies on the line, Chris Cooper, Stephen Ferguson and Stephen Corr carried ball forward time and time again. Baird was lost to injury when he returned from the bin but was replaced by Paul McFeely who made his presents felt once he entered the fray. His tackling was fierce and when he nailed the inspirational scrum half Sean Og Murphy with a tackle that almost cut him in two the message resonated around the rest of the UCC team.
The weight of expectation seemed to be too much for UCC as Derry pressure told, they struggled to put a back line move together and on eleven minutes they dropped the ball in midfield. Andrew Semple picked up and took the ball forward to draw the full back and Simos Logue was on hand to run in for a try and when Semple converted Derry were back in front by 19pts to 17pts. David Graham and Josh Lewis were putting in some terrific defensive play but looked dangerous every time Derry went on the attack. Sam McAuley was now on at loose head prop and Cathal Cregan at hooker and with Gareth Beatty fresh legs on, Derry had a stranglehold on the game.
UCC came a cropper again on twenty minutes when they tried to move the ball along the back line just inside their own half and Andrew Semple intercepted to run in from the half way line, he converted himself and Derry were ahead by 26pts to 17pts and more importantly the four try bonus point was achieved. The remainder of the game saw a heroic performance from every member of the Derry team as they dominated the play. Andrew Semple brought a kicking game to the table and astonished all present with accurate line kicking that kept his pack going forward. Derry ran the clock down as a dejected UCC struggled to make inroads into the Derry half.
The message coming through from Ballymena was that Barnhall were in front as their game entered the last ten minutes and promotion for Derry was a possibility. Two late try’s saved the day for the Bairdmen but Derry had given everything on the day and done what was required with a performance to be proud of and will act as motivation for another tilt at promotion to AIL Division 1 next Season.
City of Derry RFC Team V UCC : Chris Shields, David Ferguson, Sam Duffy, Bob McKillop, Chris Cooper, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird. Stephen Ferguson, Jack Caithness, Andrew Semple, Josh Lewis, Adam Bratton, David Funston(Capt), David Graham, Simon Logue, Replacements: Sam McAuley, Cathal Cregan, Gareth Beatty, Paul McFeely, Jack Hargan.
ends
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