Bruff 19pts, City of Derry RFC 29pts Match Report by; Moss Dineen
The Lumiere weekend may have been on the Banks of the Foyle last weekend but the City created their own Festival of Light in the Golden Vale of Munster. Their young rugby stars came out to shine and set the place alight on an Autumn Day in November as they weaved a snare that Bruff were to rue as they still remained on the enchanted way that is top of All Ireland Division Two A.
The City of Derry Coach and outriders pulled into Bruff Rugby Club three miles from the village in the middle of nowhere on Saturday afternoon. The flags of Bruff, The 3 Crown of Munster and the Tricolour fluttered gently, a Derry supporter said did you see that as we northerners notice things like that, the Kerryman said we don’t as we look beyond. Well there wasn’t a protester in sight only warm welcoming faces as Northmen and Southmen were bound together by a game that demands total respect for one’s self and for one another.
There was no welcome on the pitch as Bruff came out like young calves to new grass for the first time as they produced a stampeding performance in the first half that saw them 16pts to 3pts up at halftime. Derry produced a scintillating second half performance which included two tries from the top drawer that only the Angels and the Best Team have access to like the AB’s against Ireland. The second half saw Derry show an ambition and desire required of the top teams which was mingled with individual brilliance and confidence in your fellow player, which all comes together under the guidance of top quality coaching.
The weather was perfect for rugby and the home team started off with all guns blazing. Derry struggled early on as Bruff came at them, and when they missed a tackle which allowed the Limerick men to get in behind the Derry defence, Declan Bannon quickly moved the ball left along the back line and scrum half William Casey from Castleisland, Co Kerry scored in the corner and with Bannon converting, Bruff led 7-0 early on. Castleisland Rugby Club was the home of all the greats that came out of the small T Junction village of Currow that produced more Lions than the Serengeti.
Bruff were playing with fierce physicality and intensity and with the score on the board, their tails were up but Derry’s Stephen Dickey relished the challenge as he rolled up his sleeves like an AI Man on a mission. He cleaned up dirty ball on the ground, tackled, carried ball at the opposition and gave the rest of the Derry team leadership and a focus as they followed his lead.
Derry did bring the ball out of defence on ten minutes and turned down a penalty attempt from 35 metres to go for touch, but a mis-throw in the line out allowed the home defence to clear their lines. Bruff were back on the attack again, and got a penalty when they caught Derry offside after breaking from a line out. Bannon again put the home team further ahead with the penalty from 30 metres and the home side led 10-0.
Derry were finding it hard to quell the Bruff storm, but Dickey with support from Richard Baird and Stephen Ferguson, got Derry some territorial advantage, which allowed Neil Burns to narrow the deficit on 24 minutes with a penalty. Derry unfortunately gave away a penalty immediately from the kick off and that allowed Bannon to kick again from 25 metres to give Bruff a 13-3 lead. Derry were kicking aimlessly out of defence as they tried to clear their lines with Bruff in full flight. They were inviting Bruff to visit their 22 and when Derry went offside again on 37 minutes, Bannon increased the home team’s lead to 16-3.
Derry to their credit came back strongly with Cooper and Ferguson to the fore and on the stroke of half time they worked a line out move from the training pitch where Cooper caught clean ball at the back and passed to Baird who ran through the middle and he was just held up short at the line. Derry unfortunately saw the ball scoot out the side of the resulting five metre scrum and the half time whistle meant that Derry went into the break 16-3 down.
Half time 16pts to 3pts
The Derry coaches at half time must have worked wonders as Derry came out a different team in the second half, and the half backs Jack Caithness and Andrew Semple began to pull the strings with Adam Bratton and Neil Burns in the centre, supported by Willie McCleery in full back. Derry were now playing in the Bruff half. The Judges Road team were rewarded six minutes into the half and Burns slotted over from almost 40 metres to make it 16-6.
Derry were on top again straight from the kick off and good play by Sam Duffy and Stephen Jefferson, supported by David Ferguson, got Derry a foothold 30 metres out, when Bruff went offside. Burns reduced the arrears even further with a penalty from 30 metres to make it 16-9. It was all Derry now and they were straight back onto the attack when Dickey again produced ball on the ground and the Derry back line showed their true quality as the ball was moved quickly from Caithness to Semple to Burns who released Adam Bratton on the half way line. Bratton showed power and pace as he swatted away two tacklers to run 50 meters and score under the post. With Burns converting, the game was tied at 16pts all.
Derry had the momentum and their powerful back row again produced on 17 minutes when Dickey, Baird and Ferguson won a penalty after carrying the ball forward and Burns converted from 40 metres to give the Judges Road men the lead for the first time at 19-16. The Derry scrum was dominant all the way through and Bruff lost their loose head prop and they then lost their replacement prop on the 20 minute mark.
The scrums then went non-contested and you could see the life drain out of the Derry front five as their purpose in life had been taken away from them. Bruff got a bit of possession and took play to 15 metres from the Derry line and when Derry went offside, Bannon inexplicably missed a sitter of a penalty from 15 meters in front of the posts. That seemed to signal that it was going to be Derry’s day. They then went on to produce the try of the season on 24 minutes.
Jack Hargan came on to take his place on the wing and Simon Logue moved to full back. Logue made a great break down the left wing and when he went to ground, Caithness moved the ball quickly to Semple who passed to Burns who made an outstanding outside break, taking the ball 30 metres before finding the superb Richard Baird inside him. Baird took the ball on to engage the last man and passed inside to Ryan Campbell who ran in from 25 metres to touch down under the post. With Burns converting Derry were now ahead 26-16.
There’s only room for one bull in any field, especially in Bruff, but Stephen Dickey was all over the place, producing a Man of the Match performance, as he ruled the breakdown and carried ball forward. Dickey was now the Bull.
Paul McFeeley came on and was immediately in the game and he, in tandem with Dickey, turned over ball for fun and drove forward through rucks, and had Bruff on the back foot for the remainder of the game.Bruff eventually got a chance on 38 minutes, and converted a penalty to put them 26-19 down. But Derry were straight back on the attack from the kick off and when Bruff went offside on 40 minutes, Neil Burns crowned a terrific personal display with a kick from 40 metres to leave Derry with a deserved winning score of 29-19.
City of Derry’s final AIL league game before Christmas is away to Queen’s this Saturday which will be a tough ask considering that they beat Derry well just four weeks ago in the Ulster League.
City of Derry RFC Team V Bruff : Stephen Jefferson, David Ferguson, Sam Duffy, Chris Cooper, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird, Stephen Dickey. Stephen Ferguson, Jack Caithness, Andrew Semple, Ryan Campbell, Adam Bratton, Neil Burns, Simon Logue, William McCleery. Replacements: Cathal Cregan, Gareth Beatty, PaulMcFeely, Adam Parke, Jack Hargan.
