City of Derry Rugby Club’s dismal away record this season came back to haunt them when they were defeated in the local derby against Rainey Old Boys at Magherafelt on Saturday last. The result drops Derry into third place in All Ireland League Division 3 six points behind leaders Instonians and two points behind second paced Seapoint. This was the third away defeat in a row for Derry and now takes the destiny of the League title out of their hands.
Derry strolled through the first half in control of the game and looking comfortable taking the game to the Rainey and looking dangerous whenever in the red zone. The lead for Derry who were playing against the breeze was 14pts to 3pts with just three minutes to go to half time but suddenly the game turned on its head. Rainey attacked down the right wing and knocked on 35 meters from the Derry line, the referee waved advantage for Derry who played on and ran the ball along their backline inside their own 22 metre line and knocked on. The referee had shouted advantage over and Derry infringed at the ruck and Mark O’Connor obliged from the penalty and three minutes later he repeated the dose.
The halftime score was 14pts to 9pts and Rainey were back in the game with their tails up. The momentum was now Rainey’s and Derry struggled at every facet of the game. The Rainey back row of David Dawson, Paul Heaney and Ricky McCreay were outstanding winning all the ball at the breakdown, scavenging at the lineout and turning over possession at will. The Rainey front row of Nathan Amos, Sam Sufferin and Neil O’Kane became more influential as the game wore on and Derry could never get their patterns of play in vogue throughout the second half.
The game started well for Derry and it was all too easy, Rickard Peoples converted a penalty from a scrum infringement on five minutes. Derry won the kick-off and Andrew Semple released full back Peter Henderson on a searing run that opened the Rainey defence and with a deft pass inside to Simon Logue the try was scored, Peoples missed the conversion but Derry lead by 8pts to nil. Mark O’Connor reduced the deficit with a penalty on twelve minutes. Derry were in the ascendency and Peoples added two further penalties on eighteen and thirty three minutes to give Derry a healthy 14pts to 3pts lead as halftime approached.
Derry made the mistake of playing the Rainey knock on with three minutes to go to half time but when confidence is high the impossible is possible. This time it was not to be and O’Connor punished his former team mates twice before the interval to leave the score at the break at 14pts to 9pts for Derry.
Derry missed an early opportunity of a penalty within three minutes of the second half starting. The Rainey pack were beginning to play some continuity rugby and with their outstanding scrum half Peter Sciascia becoming more influential bringing his forwards and backs into the game. The Rainey centres Captain Rodney Paul and Man of the Match John McMahon they were making impressive inroads into the heart of the Derry defence.
The deciding score of the game came on ten minutes when the Rainey pack produced a series of driving plays and excellent handling to overrun the Derry resistance and allow the impressive number eight Ricky McCrea to score what could be a season defining unconverted try, the score was now 14pts all and game on.
Derry tried everything to get themselves ahead again but were thwarted by lack of control and loosing the battle of the loose, with turnovers and impatience in crucial attacking positions the inevitable was going to come back to haunt them. Rainey eventually got out of their half on thirty minutes and as follows night the day, Derry infringed and O’Connor produced to slot over a great penalty from 35 meters to give Rainey the lead for the first time at 17pts to 14pts.
Derry came back strong and Rickard McCarter who had come on for Peoples punished a Rainey breakdown infringement on thirty five minutes to level the scores at 17pts all. The game was anybody’s at the stage and Derry tried but failed to make any impression. Rainey once again got stuck into the Derry forwards and disrupted their momentum at every opportunity and sticking to their game plan they showed that fortune favours the brave by not wilting when under the cosh in the first half. Rainey got their reward for an outstanding second half when great interplay between backs and forwards which was initiated by Sciascia allowed their hooker Sam Sufferin to score the game winning try to cap a great team display and give the Rainey a famous victory by 22pts to 17pts.
City of Derry Team: : David Witherow, Sam McAuley, Sam Duffy, Bob McKillop, David Houston, Stephen Corr, Tom Pattton, Stephen Ferguson, Andrew Semple, Richard Peoples, William McCleery. David Funston, Simon Logue, Peter Henderson. Replacements: Stephen Duffy, Chris Cooper, Richard Baird, Richard McCarter, Josh Lewis.
