City of Derry Rugby Club travelled to the Palace Grounds Armagh on Saturday last to renew old rivalries with Armagh this time in the Ulster Senior League. Both teams had come into the fixture with good wins the week before in their respective All Ireland League games. Armagh defeated Sundays Well by 45pts to 7pts at home while Derry beat Seapoint by 36pts to 25pts away. The confidence would have been high in both camps with expectations of a close encounter. The result was that Derry once again confirmed their superiority over their Orchard County rivals by gaining a four try bonus point victory to remain 8pts cleat at the top of the league ahead of closest rivals Ballynahinch.
City of Derry had made a number of changes for this fixture with David Ferguson and Steven Jefferson starting in the front row. Richard Baird returned to No 8 and Captain David Funston moved from centre to open side wing forward for the first time. The new centre pairing was an all Coleraine affair with Adam Parke partnering Chris Barber and Peter Henderson returned from injury to full back with David Graham starting on the wing for the first time this season. The bench had Sam Duffy returning from a summer hernia operation along with the legendary Bob McKillop making himself available for future battles if required.
Derry started the livelier outfit on Saturday in perfect conditions for rugby and were on the attack from the start courtesy of Funston’s first action at wing forward which was to produce a crunching tackle and gain possession. Henderson unfortunately missed an easy penalty shot on five minutes. Armagh came back strongly at Derry and following a couple of phases of play their forwards manufactured an opportunity for their Kiwi out half Dylan Ferreira to drop a goal to give the home team a 3pts to nil lead with ten minutes gone. Derry were intent on running the ball from deep at every opportunity and sometimes their accuracy of passing let them down. Derry were on level terms after fifteen minutes when they once again ran the ball out of the own 22 and eventually Armagh infringed and Peter Henderson kicked a penalty from 25 meters and it was 3pts all.
Derry were more clinical in their play as the half progressed and Armagh did not help their cause as they had two men sent to the bin before the half was over. Richard Peoples, Adam Parke and Chris Barber formed a solid Derry midfield partnership and they released Simon Logue to break out of his own half to take play to the Armagh 22 with a kick ahead. Derry won a scrum and a lineout courtesy of Steven Jefferson, David Ferguson, Gareth Beattie, Brian Prue and the athletic Chris Cooper which setup good ball for Richard Baird to crash over for an unconverted try from 10 meters which gave Derry a lead of 8pts to 3pts at the half time break.
Derry were playing with a slight breeze advantage as the second half started and they were quickly into their stride with a minute gone. Man of the Match David Funston won possession at the breakdown 30 meters out from the Armagh goal and he powered in for an unconverted try and a 13pts to 3pts lead. Armagh got themselves on the scoreboard again on three minutes when Ferriera kicked a penalty to reduce the arrears to 13pts to 6pts.
Derry coaches Mark Nicholl and Ashley Blair went to their bench on fifteen minutes when they brought on Chris Shields, Sam McAuley and Sam Duffy up front along with Richard McCarter in the backs. Derry were forcing the game and errors were creeping in but they were well in control. They lost Baird with a repeat shoulder injury and McKillop was on to make his presence felt with a storming run that terrorised all and sundry and with McAuley in support a try looked a certainty but they were stopped short.
Andrew Semple was having an outstanding game for Derry making sniping breaks and keeping the opposition guessing as he continually varied his game. Derry turned over Armagh possession in their own half on twenty five minutes and setup the move of the game. Semple found McCarter at out half who gave a skip pass to Chris Barber at outside centre to release the impressive David Graham on the wing. He made a 30 metre break and drew the last man to give Peter Henderson a run in try and with Barber converting Derry’s lead was 20pts to 6pts.
Derry’s tackling was impressive all afternoon and no try’s against was the goal for the day, everyone worked hard with discipline to achieve a season first. Derry’s defensive line speed was good as they continually pressed Armagh and with just five minutes remaining pressure told when the outstanding Chris Barber intercepted on the half way line to outsprint two would be tacklers and touch down for an unconverted try and a great Derry victory by 25pts to 6pts. .
City of Derry Team V Armagh; Steven Jefferson, David Ferguson, Gareth Beattie, Chris Cooper, Brian Prue, Adam Bratton, David Funston, Richard Baird, Andrew Semple, Richard Peoples, Simon Logue, Adam Parke, Chris Barber, David Graham, Peter Henderson. Replacements; Sam McAuley, Chris Shields, Sam Duffy, Bob McKillop, Richard McCarter.
