The Maxol sponsored 1st XV travelled to Limavady on Saturday and would have hoped to come away with the points, having beaten their opponents earlier in the year at Tom Simms Memorial Park. Neither team, who are side by side at the bottom end of the Kukri Qualifying 2 League, have played their best rugby this season but a win was important to put more distance between them and Strabane who occupy bottom place. On a soaking pitch in squally showers and a strong wind blowing straight across the pitch the Carrick team started brightly with the pack winning good ball and the backs moving it quickly. And when Carrick scored a try after 15 minutes through full-back Jason Wady, they gave every appearance of going on to win the game comfortably. Although Limavady got converted penalty towards the end of the 1st half to leave it 3-5 at half time, Carrick still looked like a safe enough bet for a narrow victory.
But in the second half they just didn’t appear to want to win. Or even play. Cold hands meant lots of fumbles in open play. The line-out just failed to function. And to be honest, many of the players looked like they would much rather be anywhere else than on a rugby field. A further penalty gave Limavady the slenderest of leads but Carrick never seemed to be able to put together enough phases of rugby to look like they were going to trouble their opponent’s try line. Limavady weren’t an awful lot better but with their noses in front they just looked like they wanted to win more – marginally. In fact even when the referee, perhaps unprofessionally, told the Carrick touch-judge that Carrick were the better team but were making very hard work of it, this failed to spark the visitors into life. With about 10 minutes to go Limavady scored a try to make the score 11-5 which was how it would stay for the rest of what was an entirely forgettable and best forgotten game.
Coach, Warren McClean, and Captain Andy Kinkaid will need to find some words of inspiration to motivate their players before they meet Academy on Saturday.
Other results
On Sunday the Ladies XV, who gained promotion only last season, had yet another impressive victory beating Ballynahinch 0-35 in the cup.
All the other adult and youth fixtures were postponed due to weather.
Next week’s fixtures (Saturday @.230 unless otherwise stated)
1st XV v Academy (a);
2nd XV v Ballynahinch 3s (a);
3rd XV v Lisburn 3s (a) – Wednesday @ 7.30pm;
4th XV v Ballynahinch 6s (a)(Cup) – To be confirmed;
Ladies v Cavan (h); Sunday @ 1pm
Youth – Training (h), 11am;
Mini rugby v Coleraine (h); 9.30am.
