Sunday 28th April – Ards Festival of Rugby.
Cooke 7 – Ards 3rds 29
Ards 2nds 32 – Rainey 2nds 3
By STEPHEN NUTT | Tuesday 12th March 2013
Ards 2nds gain revenge on Rainey!
In freezing conditions and on a heavy pitch it was a credit to the Ards ground staff and the referee to allow this 2nds league match to go ahead.
Rainey had travelled with a young squad of 17 players and agreed with the Ards coaches to use replacements. This gave both teams the opportunity to introduce younger players into the senior ranks, a positive move forward for AIL 2nd XV teams and the development of young players.
The referee was in agreement as both sides were not in contention for league places. A number of regular Ards 2nd XV players were given the chance to impress for the 1st XV against Ballymena on the big pitch and the 2nd XVs drafted in young U19 player Jack Matthews into the second row alongside 3rds captain Ian Presho.
There was also a welcome return from long term injury of Garth Wilson and DAVID ARMSTRONG which boosted the team.
The home team made an encouraging start with scrum-half CHARLIE STEWART feeding willing runners of his scrum-half postion taking the ball deep into the Rainey half.
Young Jack Matthews a product of the Dayle Jones’ youth set-up was quickly on to the ball taking Ards over the gain line after a series of drives the ball was eventually knocked on.
Not to be denied the pack took the scrum against the head and in a sign of things to come Rainey collapsed the scrum and NEIL ARMSTRONG slotted over the penalty. 3-0.
Ards suffered an early set-back when flanker ryan mills was forced to leave the pitch with a worrying ankle injury the same ankle he has broken in recent seasons. The option of replacements was taken with paul white coming on into the back row to have a solid game.
Ards continued to press and came close on a couple of occasions but the committed Rainey defence held firm. The visitors began to control possession and territory and kept Ards under pressure but the presence of Wilson at fullback ensured a stubborn defensive line.
Rainey got their reward to draw level when the Ards press defence was caught offside. Rainey’s momentum was brutally halted by the ferocious tackling of Conran Stewart playing at prop, and the work rate off hooker DAVID CHIVERS at the break down giving Ards an extra back row player.
With very little space to work in, STEVIE McKEE showed great feet and speed to leave the defence wondering where he had gone as he scampered in for another 5 points and halftime arrived with Ards leading 8-3.
Ards made full use of their bench bringing on RICKY ASTON, ANDY WRIGHT, Matty McMullan and DAVID ARMSTRONG. It was Rainey who looked more threatening with ball in hand but the centre partnership of Oren Kisby and Johnny Carmichael were closing down space and making turn overs.
Captain ADAM McKEE scored a well worked try and Aston landed a difficult conversion to extend the lead to 15-3.
The best move of the game came from a scrum 10 metres into the Rainey half; fly half Aston showed blistering pace off quick ball from the scrum and cut a lovely line in round the full back to go in under the posts, Aston converted his own try.
Ards upped the level of performance in the last quarter and continued to drive at the heart of the Rainey pack, and with alot of possession, based on great work in both the set-pieces and breakdown situation STEVIE McKEE scored his second try after a galloping 60-metre run, and then ADAM McKEE ran and dummied his way over.
As the Rainey legs began to tire the referee blew up the match early to allow the frozen players and spectators to reach the sanctuary of the clubhouse. Encouraging for the coaches was that opportunities were taken and no trys were conceded and exacting revenge on the visitors for a defeat away earlier in the season, during the side’s only run of poor results.
Team: C.STEWART, D.CHIVERS, A.PEDEN, A.MCKEE, J.MATTHEWS, C.DEAN, R.MILLS, I.PRESHO, C.STEWART, N.ARMSTRONG, O.KISBY, J.CARMICHEAL, A.COULTER, S.MCKEE, G.WILSON.
Subs: P.WHITE, A.WRIGHT, D.ARMSTRONG, M.McMULLAN, R.ASTON.
