After another week with no game due the late cancellation of the Ballynahinch Cup game, the Derry lads were glad to get a friendly away to Rainey. Matches between the two teams have always been eagerly contested with the Derry boys just shading the results, this game was not to disappoint! With the City of Derry First XV playing in the same venue later the youngsters were keen to lay down a marker for the day!
The game kicked off on a very small tight pitch which made expansive rugby impossible to play but the Derry team were not to be denied and took the game to their opponents from the start. After receiving the kick off the visitors drove hard in to the home half of the field and were putting them under pressure but poor handling and decision making meant they got no reward for their possession. After a series of good rucks the ball was released wide to the left where the returning Ian Bratton was on hand to take the pass and squeeze over out wide in the corner, the difficult conversion was missed. Almost from the kick off the same player got in from a near identical attack but only good defence from Rainey kept Derry out, the Derry side were by now totally in control of all aspects of the game and the pressure was showing, the home side were giving away numerous penalties in their efforts to stem the onslaught. It was not long to another score came and it was that man Bratton again out on the wing, from a penalty a scrum was taken by the Derry team and the ball was moved wide through the hands where Bratton took the final pass and outstripped the defence to score under the posts. The conversion from outhalf Keys was good and the score was 12 – nil to the City boys with 25 mins of the half gone. For the remainder of the half bad handling and some bad decisions coupled with some good defence from the Rainey team kept the score as it was.
Some harsh words were spoken at half time and the need to retain possession was drilled in to the team, knock on’s and losing the ball in contact were denying the team any continuity and so scoring opportunities were going amiss!
The second half started with the returning of influential Mark Boyd to the back row with Manus McLaughlin taking a well earned rest. The Derry side started as they had left off putting the home side under pressure immediately, again discipline was poor on the home side and when another penalty was awarded to the Derry side quick thinking from scrumhalf David Devine led to him scooting over out wide from a quick tap. The conversion was again missed from out wide. This really spurred on the home side and they had a purple patch in the half for about 10 mins. they through all they had at the Derry team and were pressing the line through good drives by their Ulster props but were unable to make any in roads. The Derry team to a man were defending like demons with skipper Ryan Spratt, Cillian Doherty , Ciaran Allen and new to the ranks Aaron Deery, drafted in from the U17’s, outstanding. The backs also played their part with outhalf Keys knocking down any to come near him and the centre partnership closing out their opposition but Devine at scrumhalf repelled attack after attack with some huge hits! The Derry team turned over the opposition ball and the pressure was relieved, the game then got a bit scrappy with tempers flaring and the mistakes starting to get worse as concentration went. Substitutions were made to get everyone a run out and to rest some of the others and this did perhaps add to the upheaval, but to their credit the Derry lads never looked like conceding a score and the discipline was very good with only 4 penalties being conceded during the whole game!
It was pleasing to get back to playing games and this lack of games was still a bit evident with the poor handling at times and the poor decision making. There were a lot of positives however and none more so than the discipline, the team did well to keep a lid on it and played well within the laws and this showed in the tiny amount of penalties conceded. When it comes to Man of the Match it was a difficult decision, Bratton with his 2 tries, David Devine with his fearless tackling, Jamie Devine with his open field running and youngster Aaron Deery with his tireless workrate are all candidates but this week for his ball carrying, tackling, leadership and great work in the scrum it has to go the skipper Ryan Spratt who was always leading from the front and constantly calling his men forward!
