Lisburn Overcome Students
The TATA Steel sponsored Lisburn 1st XV recovered from their defeat by Omagh in the previous week by overcoming the students of Queens 2nd XV at Blaris last Saturday. In a game of fast moving rugby, Queens opened the scoring in a blurr of passing which saw their youthful scrumhalf pop through the home defence after five minutes to score under the posts. This was a wake-up call to Lisburn who had brought up a number of their successful 2nd XV players to see how they would fare in the more rarified heights of the Conference League. This league includes the 2nd XVs of the Senior Clubs as well as the Qualifying League teams such as Lisburn. Finbar Foxwell, hooker, Mathew Edgar, prop, and Chris Nimmon, wing, were all promoted alongside flyhalf, Alastair Finlay and centre Andrew Gibb who were returning to the team after a period away.
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University students always play a fast and exciting brand of rugby and so it proved. Lisburn took a bit of time to come to terms with the speed of the game but once this was done they showed that they themselves could be just as accomplished in the finer arts and a great display of open rugby was produced for the supporters of both teams. On twenty minutes full back Scott Hughes equalised for Lisburn after a great weaving run and almost from the restart the same player gained possession and split the Queens defence once again. This time winger Adam Melville was on hand to take the pass and sprint to the line for the score. Hughes himself kicked one of the conversions to put Lisburn into a 12-7 lead.
The Lisburn pack, with Jefferson, Lee, Mark and Curry putting their strength and experience on the line against their younger counterparts, began to get the upper hand in the possession stakes and the Lisburn backs were soon taking advantage. Outhalf Finlay was moving the ball at pace to his two experienced centres, Gibb and Kindred, and on thirty minutes the latter broke through the Queens defence, not for the first time, to score a dazzling try. Once again, Hughes had an excellent conversion to make it 19-7.
Just on the eve of halftime the Queens number 8 earned himself ten minutes in the bin and that was the opportunity for Lisburn to apply more pressure. As Queens tried to run the ball out from their own 22, a weak pass provided centre Andrew Gibb with a gift intercept which he gratefully accepted to dot the ball down underneath the posts. The Hughes conversion was again put away to give the home team a 26-7 interval lead.
After the restart, and with the breeze now at their backs, Lisburn kicked for territory and kept Queens pinned in their own half for much of the game. Queens did narrow the gap with another try by their fleet footed backs but much as they tried, they could not get through the home net again and Lisburn ran out worthy winners by 26 points to 12. This was an excellent game of rugby and gave Lisburn valuable points in the Conference league table. The news then filtered through that the 2nd XV had also won 7-9 against Ballynahinch and this added to the carnival atmosphere evident in the clubhouse later on.
Next Saturday none of the Lisburn teams have a fixture which provides the opportunity for the players Christmas Dinner. All bookings should be made through the team managers or captains. The next Rugby match for the 1st XV will be at home on 17th December against UUC Coleraine, another University team which know only one way to play. The Queens match will have been good preparation but as it is their 1st XV, a much tougher game is in prospect. This match coincides with the Club’s Christmas Lunch and bookings are now being taken by Leslie Mills for what is expected to be a sell out event.
