City of Derry Rugby Club travelled to College Park, Trinity College on Saturday last and suffered their fifth defeat from seven games in All Ireland League Division 2A where Dublin University outscored them by four trys to three. Derry struggled all through the first half to compete with the pace and physicality of the students. They were unable to get any genuine quality possession to enable them to impose their game for long enough to gain any control. Derry were down by 24pts to nil at the break but they produced an encouraging second half display to at one stage get within one score of their opponents.
City of Derry played against a strong breeze in the first half and were under pressure from the off and being caught off side on 3 minutes 20 meters out in front of their own posts. Trinity out half and Captain David Joyce converted the resultant penalty for a 3pts lead. The students were dominating possession early with their backs getting plenty of good ball and there were only five minutes gone when centre Ariel Robels got in for a rty by the post to give Joyce an easy conversion and a 10pts to nil lead.
Derry finally got some possession from the kick off and earned themselves a penalty 40 meters out but Richard McCarter got the distance against the wind but not the direction. The Judges Road men suffered a set back on 16 minutes when David Houston was sin binned for repeated team infringements at the breakdown. The students had all the possession and quick ruck ball after 23 minutes allowed their hooker Warren Larkin to get in for a try which Joyce converted for a 17pts to nil lead.
Derry were finally competing and getting to grips with the game and it looked like they were going to keep the deficit to 17pts as half time approached. The Trinity Man of the Match Captain David Joyce stamped his mark on the game with a fine run on 37 minutes that saw him break several tackles to touch down for a try by the posts. Joyce was slightly injured as he touched down and full back James O’Donoghue converted for a 24 pts to nil lead. Derry got into the Trinity half once more from the kick off and an opportunity to exert some pressure which saw several infringements from the students that resulted in a sin bin and a penalty for Derry but McCarter missed from distance with the last kick of the half.
Derry with the advantage of the elements started the second half where the left off at the end of the first half on attack. The Derry forwards were finally getting the better of the exchanges with Sam Duffy making several strong ball carrying runs with support from Sam McAuley, Chris Shields and Bob McKillop. Derry were on the scoreboard within 3 minutes of the restart after good work from Stephen Ferguson and Richard Baird gave the impressive David Houston a chance to make a great run for the line from 25 meters and when stopped quick hands allowed Stephen Corr to touch down for a deserved try. Richard Peoples added the conversion and his team were back in the game at 24pts to 7pts down.
Derry continued to impress and Trinity were down to 13 men on 4 minutes when continual team infringements saw Derry boy Paul McFeely unfortunately sent to the bin. Trinity full back O’Donoghue increased his teams lead with a penalty after 10 minutes and the game ebbed and flowed until Richard McCarter in typical fashion intercepted on the half way line to stroll in for a try which he converted himself on 28 minutes to reduce Derry’s deficit to 27pts to 14 pts. The Judges Road men had chances to exert serious pressure on Trinity as the game progressed but simple mistakes and wrong options did not help.
Derry never gave up and good drives by Adam Bratton, Simon Logue, David Fouston and Ryan Campbell kept the students on the back foot. Finally with injury time approaching Stephen Ferguson produced a powerful run supported by Gareth Beattie and Cathal Creggan and with quick ball Andrew Semple found Richard McCarter who released Josh Lewis for a fantastic try which McCarter converted and Derry were in bonus point territory just 27pts to 21pts down. Derry were architects of their own downfall once again when they failed to secure the kick off and with possession handed to Trinity they put the game to bed with an unconverted try in the corner from Neil Hanratty denying Derry a bonus point with a final score line of 32pts to 21pts.
City of Derry’s next game in the All Ireland League is next Saturday at Judges Road against northern rivals Instonians form Belfast. This will be a must win game for Derry as the AIL takes a break until the end of January. Instonians recorded only their second AIL victory of the season last weekend when the beat Bective at Shaw’s Bridge by 17pts to 7pts to move a point ahead of Derry into fourth position from bottom of AIL Division 2A. City of Derry will be looking to home advantage and a big local support and victory to see them clear of the bottom of the league and an early Christmas Present for their supporters.
City of Derry RFC Team V Dublin University: Chris Shields, Sam McAuley, Sam Duffy, Bob McKillop, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird, Stephen Ferguson, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Josh Lewis, Ryan Campbell, David Funston, Adam Bratton, Simon Logue. Replacements: Cathal Creggan, Gareth Beattie, Chris McDonald, Richard Peoples, Adam Parke.
