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OPHIR RFC 37 vs 19 Londonderry YMCA
League
OPHIR HEADING FOR LEAGUE SILVER
At Mount Pleasant playing fields last Saturday, Ophir Rugby, supported by MCW and Biffa, were hoping to continue their challenge to the leaders of the Kukri Qualifying League Four.
Following a superb 41 – 18 win away at Virginia the week before, this time Londonderry YMCA provided the opposition and with the weather fine, an open running game looked likely.
YM kicked off and immediately both sets of forwards piled in to try to dominate possession. Ophir won this initial confrontation, and that set the pattern for the match. After 6 minutes, outhalf David Walker converted a penalty from some 35 metres out. 15 minutes later Ophir took the ball cleanly from a line out on the YM 22 metre line and drove the opposition back fiercely to the try line where James Brownlee had no option but to touch down under the full weight of the Ophir pack. Walker converted comfortably and 5 minutes later Ophir were back in the same area of the pitch thanks to yet another storming run from scrum half Karl Davis only a dubious high tackle stopping him. At the set scrum 20 metres out, the Ophir forwards again demonstrated their superiority, pushing YM all the way to their line where number 8, David Lucas, dropped on the ball to score. Again Walker converted. 17- 0 up, Ophir were looking confident, but ignoring coach Ken Campbell’s orders to “keep it tight and drive” the ball was spun out the backs, turned over and YM ran in an excellent try to leave the score 17 – 5 at half time.
Ophir started the second half in the same bullish mood. Driving to the YM line, the home team were awarded six 5 metre scrums in a row before controlling the ball well enough for David Lucas to score his second try. Walker again converted. Back came YM and recycling possession brilliantly, managed to squeeze in at the corner, well converted. Back came Ophir and David Walker added two more penalties to his tally. Then came the try of the match when Ophir centre, Cillian Rooney outsprinted the YM defence in a race to reach a kick ahead and touch down. Again David Walker secured the conversion. 37 – 12 in the lead the home lost their sense of urgency and in the dying minutes, YM demonstrated what their backs could have done with more possession. Cleverly off loading and flicking the ball on in the tackle the visitors tore the Ophir defence apart to score a consolation try, and conversion. But the final score was Ophir 37, Londonderry YMCA 19.
