City of Derry RFC 19pts, Belfast Harlequins 10pts
Match Report by; Moss Dineen
City of Derry Rugby Club travelled to Belfast on Saturday for an Ulster Senior League Fixture and came away with a deserved victory over All Ireland League Division 1B team Belfast Harlequins. The Judges Road men owned the first half as they dominated every facet of the game and scored three try’s to be 19pts to 3pts in front at the break. This result keeps Derry on top of the Ulster League six points ahead of second placed Ballynahinch.
The weather was perfect for rugby at Deramore on Saturday on a cold but dry afternoon with very little breeze. City of Derry started the game as if they were on a mission to start their first competitive fixture in the New Year with an intensity and physicality and blow away the memory of a poor start pre Christmas to their AIL campaign. It was all Derry from the off and an early kickable penalty miss did not stop their momentum. The Derry pack were firing on all cylinders with terrific continuity play from backs and forwards as Quins were put to the pin of their collars to keep them at bay.
The Derry pack were setting the foundation for all out attack with David Houston, Stephen Corr, Adam Bratton, David Ferguson and Stephen Ferguson outstanding in tight and loose play as they carryied ball forward at every opportunity. There was a great shape to Derry’s play with a flow and momentum that Quinns found hard to get a grip on. Derry took the lead on nineteen minutes when Ross Harkin, Chris Shields and Richard Baird did the spade work to allow David Funston to make a great break to inside the Harlequins 22. Quick ball allowed Andrew Semple and Richard McCarter to combine and find full back Peter Henderson to touch down for an unconverted try and Derry were in front by 5pts to Nil.
Derry’s superiority was rewarded on twenty three minutes when Corr and David Ferguson forced turn over ball and good back play from Semple, Josh Lewis Jack Beattie and Stuart Simpson allowed the mercurial Richard McCarter to dummy to Henderson outside him and touch down himself for a try by the posts and with Semple converting, Derry’s lead was 12pts to Nil. The try of the game came on thirty two minutes when David Houston made an outstanding break from the half way line to Quinns 22 before offloading to Richard Baird in support who drew the cover before passing to the unstoppable Stephen Ferguson in full flight to touch down for a try and Semple converted for a deserved 19pts to Nil lead.
Harlequins came right back at Derry from the kick off and produced six minutes of sustained pressure on the Derry line with wave after wave of incessant attacking. The defence from the Judges Road men was superb as they showed great commitment to the tackle with a structured defence. Derry rode out the storm and cleared their lines to the delight of Derry’s new Coaching personnel. Harlequins finally got on the score board with a penalty from Mark Best with the last kick of the first half to leave the score 19pts to 3 for the Derry men.
Harlequins started the second half the better as they tried to redress Derry’s complete superiority in the first half. Derry’s only lapse of concentration came in the ninth minute of the half when Quinns Mark Glover escaped five inept tackles from Judges Road players as he ran 40 meters to touch down for a try and when Mark Best converted, Harlequins were right back in the game at 19pts to 10pts down.
Derry lost Richard Baird to the sin bin after thirteen minutes but Derry still dominated possession with Quinns never offering a threat. Derry controlled the remainder of the game with Andrew Semple and Richard McCarter running the game with great aplomb. McCarter’s kicking out of hand was from the top drawer as he drilled 50 and 60 meter kicks to touch in behind the Quinns defensive line as he kept his pack going forward.
City of Derry Head Coach Terry McMaster and his staff will be delighted with the response from their players as they displayed a hunger and appetite that produced unbridled commitment and a structure to their play. The attitude of the players after the game was that they were looking forward to their AIL fixture away to Skerries next Saturday, but waiting until then was going to be a massive frustration.
City of Derry Team V Belfast Harlequins; Ross Harkin, David Ferguson, Chris Shields, Adam Bratton, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird, Stephen Ferguson, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Jack Beattie, Stuart Simpson, David Funston, Josh Lewis, Peter Henderson. Replacements; Cathal Creggan, Ryan Spratt, Jonathan Lyons, Philip Duffy, Tiernan Thornton.
