Weather conditions at The Palace Grounds could not have been more fitting for fast, open rugby on Saturday afternoon as Armagh kicked-off their campaign to retain the coveted Ulster Junior Cup. After last week’s match with Coleraine when it hadn’t stopped teaming down all game it was very pleasant to see the large crowd watch this game in shirt sleeves.
The game was, yet again, regarded with a certain degree of trepidation due to the fact that the opposition was a senior club second fifteen. Since we have not played this team in league encounters they were regarded as an n unknown quantity. In the not too distant past such a side would have been a very significant hurdle and would have put the frighteners on poor lowly qualifying teams such as Armagh.
In the first minute of the game the visitors were penalised by Clem Bassett, the referee for not rolling away from the tackled player. Johnny Steenson chose the touch option but put the ball into the Banbridge in-goal area resulting in a scrum on the Banbridge ‘22’. From this scrum the visitors made a break only to be penalised again for a rucking infringement. The kick for posts went wide so the score remained 0-0. The Banbridge pack were sizably heavier than Armagh so it appeared that there would be a significant battle in store between the two sets of forwards. Armagh’s winger, Johnny Allen, made a fine break and scythed through the Banbridge defence he was backed-up by flanker, Andy Hughes, and only for a silly handling error a try was certainly on the cards. The unorthodox combination of Matty Wright at scrum-half and Freddie Cuttle at out-half was certainly beginning to show results as the Armagh backs were beginning to take advantage of clean, swift ball service.
The Banbridge team, on the other hand, were showing signs of frustration and were penalised again, this time for off-side, right in front of their posts. Armagh took the tap option and their forwards then formed a well controlled rolling maul which stormed over the visitor’s line for the first try of the game. Second row, Stephen Morton, was awarded the honours. Full-back Steenson converted to bring the score to 7-0. Just after the restart the referee deemed it necessary to caution Banbridge Out-half, Adam Waugh, for repeatedly straying off-side and made it clear that a Yellow card cloud result! Five minutes later Armagh number 8, James Morton, scored following another rolling maul manoeuvre. Steenson yet again converted to bring the score to 14-0. Immediately from the re-start Armagh backs attacked again only to knock-on just inside the Banbridge half. The resultant scrum was won against the head by the smaller Armagh pack and scrum-half Wright made a break but another handling error averted a certain Armagh try. The Banbridge forwards tried to form a rolling maul but this resulted in a complete mess. The referee’s patience finally gave way and he was forced to penalise Banbridge for not ‘entering rucks from between the pillars’. Armagh took advantage and a spirited run from Johnny Allen resulted in a try which was converted to bring the score to 21-0. Two minutes later Armagh turned the Banbridge pack over and flanker, Andy Hughes, made a break and fed the ball to Alexis Luneau who made a fine display of ducking and body swerves only to pass the ball back to Andy Hughes to make the touch-down. The score is now 28-0.
The Armagh backs, were by now, gaining a degree of confidence which was not evident in previous fixtures. Don’t forget that before the start of the season the majority of the Armagh backs had not met and yet here they were communicating, in pigeon French on occasions, and playing the most beautiful style of rugby imaginable!
The second half started off with no let-up for the visitors. Following yet another turnover Andy Hughes scored near the left corner. Steenson’s conversion hit the post to leave the score at 33-0. Steenson then scored a fine try in the right hand corner and converted to bring the score to 40-0.Alexis Luneau then scored another fine try under the posts following at least ten phases of handling. Steenson failed to convert leaving the score at 45-0. Armagh centre, Andy Holmes, then scored and Steenson converted to bring the score to 52-0. The other new Armagh centre, Mike Hooks then scored bringing the score to 57-0. Armagh’s hooker, Pete Lambe, then made a break which was fed to Luneau who duly scored under the posts. The conversion brought the score to 64-0.
By this stage of the game Armagh had taken complete control of all areas of the game. The forwards were turning over the much heavier Banbridge pack and the backs were literally running rings around the visitors. The final try was scored by Armagh captain, Steenson, with a fine touch-down in the right hand corner. His conversion went wide to leave the final score at 69-0.
The French left winger was nominated as man-of-the-match after his fascinating display of fine handling and unbelievable scoring capabilities.
It must be said that it is very comforting to win a first round game in a cup tournament by a comfortable margin but it is not at all rewarding to hammer a side with a margin such as this. The senior rugby sides in Ulster appear to have no answer when Qualifying sides open up attacks with their fast, open rugby, perhaps they are more accustomed to ‘up the jumper’ struggles. City of Derry have certainly not disappointed in their first few game of the Ulster League with such a style of game. Could we ever see the day when Armagh second’s could put such a heavy defeat on a Banbridge team. I honestly believe they could because they train twice a week with a squad system and only after Thursday Training is the selection of first’s and second’s finalised. Either Armagh side is within a few points of such a standard meaning that the gap between Qualifying rugby and All Ireland rugby is particularly fickle!
