CALLING ALL RUGBY FANS – this sunday the DRFC Legends will take the field against an Ards Legends team in ards at 2.30pm. this is sure to be an entertaining afternoons rugby and for you current players out there – this may be your chance to return some of the ‘friendly banter’ that you hear from the sidelines each week from the ex players!! although many of you will need no encouragement – please all plan to stick around and enjoy the craic with your teammates and opposition after the game – the way it used to be! post match food provided – all proceeds from the days event will be donated to the Princes Trust Charity.
Dee falter in the Conference League
The Dee 1st XV faced Ballymena II last Saturday in Conference League 1. The senior Ballymena side had played in the AIL on Friday night and consequently the Co. Antrim club were able to field a full squad against the Donaldson Park men. The Dee, on the other hand, took the opportunity to rest eight key players and those with minor injuries and give an opportunity to those on the fringes of the usual squad. In a game of two halves the Dee competed more than well in the first half but unfortunately in the second period Ballymena took command with their imperious full back Drysdale frequently wreaking havoc in the Dee defence which was suffering a little mostly due to the unfamiliarity with each other of the re-jigged personnel. The game finished 48-15 in favour of the Eaton Park side but positives include the barnstorming performances of the returning Paul Hamilton, Stuart Hutchinson, Ryan Irvine and Marcus Gibson – all of whom demonstrated why they have been an integral part of the Dee premier squad over the past few seasons. Having now completed their Conference League games for another season the lads now look forward to a return to more meaningful competition with an exceptionally challenging period up to Christmas when in successive weeks they take on Portadown (away), Clogher Valley (away), CIYMS (away), Coleraine (home), Enniscorthy (away) and UUC (away).
Donaghadee 3rd XV back to winning ways
A bright, sunny afternoon at Donaldson Park saw the Dee’s 3rd XV face the men from Armoy in the form of their 2nd XV. From the whistle, both teams started off playing good, hard hitting rugby with the Dee men attempting to gain the upper hand. The Dee, with a combination of being more physical in the line outs and scrums and by having a fast running back line, resulted in tries coming in quick succession. These tries came from Andrew Mitchell and Morgan Ellis making it 12-0 . Armoy, not being deterred, came back hard forcing the Dee to give away a penalty, which Armoy kicked, bringing them back into the game at 12-3.
The Dee men, spurred on from the supporters at pitch side, stepped into a higher gear which saw Lee Monroe and Andrew McGrugan both scoring before half time . The half time score was 22-3
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first – the home side pressured the men from Armoy, resulting in them making a mistake with ‘returning to form’ player, Austin Long intercepting a long pass and running it in under the posts (29-3) . The game was almost beyond retrieval for the Armoy side, when the Dee emptied their bench to give everyone a run out. With minutes left of the game, we saw long time club man, Victor Vine-Thorpe, taking the ball from the back of the break down and scoring in his retirement game to bring the final score to 34-3.
Donaghadee 3rd XV would like to thank Vic for all the effort he has gave to the team and hope to have his continued support for the rest of the season.
Club Notes
As mentioned above the Dee take on Enniscorthy in the quarter final of the All Ireland Junior Cup in the Co. Wexford town on the 15th December 2012 when – subject to the agreement of the IRFU – the home side have kindly agreed to a 4pm kick to accommodate both the Donaghadee team and travelling support.
Members are reminded that subscriptions are now overdue and are payable to Gavin Wallace – full details may be found in the Club Website www.donaghadee-rugby.com/drfc-membership.html.
Applications for the away Six Nations 2013 games are now closed.
Donaghadee Legends travel to Hamilton Park this Sunday to take on their Ards counterparts with a projected kick-off time of 2:30pm. Anyone who considers themselves a “legend” (only qualifications required – over 35 years of age) should contact Andy Monson if they fancy a game. If, however, you aren’t willing to risk body & soul then your support would be much appreciated in Newtownards on Sunday afternoon.
