Rainey Old Boys have eight AIL games to play before April 16, five of them on successive Saturdays between now and the end of February. By then they will know if they have a realistic chance of catching the top four or if a mid-table position is to be their destiny.
On Saturday they open the second half of the campaign with a home fixture against North Tipperary side, Nenagh Ormond, who ,of course, defeated them 18-17 in a play-off almost six years ago to clinch senior status. Rainey made the step up a year later, but have lost all four meetings between the sides since then. A win would take them above Nenagh into the top half of the table, as well as ending that frustrating sequence.
A no-frills, solid outfit, Nenagh will be a tough test. After a slow start, they have got their act together and beat Wanderers last time out. They reached the Division 3 Championship final last season when Queen’s needed a very late try to take the title. Current President of the IRFU, Caleb Powell, is a Nenagh man and past player.
Having made several switches for the Queen’s game, Rainey coaches Chris Campbell and Richard Boyd are expected to revert, more or less, to the panel which was on duty at Ards. Since the injury situation has eased, the team has managed to turn the corner with fine wins over Greystones, Navan and Ards and the tries scored in those games have boosted confidence. Rainey know that they can win on Saturday, but are aware that there are few easy games in Division 3.
