Limerick Leprechauns making a presentation to Denis Fusco to mark his 56th season of post-school rugby.
Official Tour Report To Limerick
The tour bus headed off from Belfast with 20 tourists on board, picked up 4 strays on route and linked up with another 7 who travelled by car. Thirty one “mature” adults hit Limerick town, after a liquid lunch at an establishment at Dublin airport, followed by afternoon tea at President Obama’s ancestral pub in Moneygall.
After more tea and biscuits at Jerry Flannery’s pub in Limerick everyone headed off to bed at 11.00pm in preparation for big the match.
Prior to the kick off at Shannon RFC, a minutes silence tribute was observed for Nevin Spence, his brother Graham and father Noel.
With 22 players to pick from the selectors sent a strong team out for the first quarter, however despite exerting all the pressure the Perennials but could not convert it into points.
As the effect of the lucozade wore off in the second quarter, the Perennials suddenly found themselves trailing by 2 tries to nil. As the selectors launched an enquiry, the mathematician amongst them found that they had only sent 14 players on for the second period. Limerick then went further ahead, before Michael Higginson scored a try on his Perennials debut.
To stem the tide the selectors looked to bring on the big guns. The crowd greeted the sight of Ashley Armstrong and Gerry O’Donnell warming up with a roar of approval, however the selectors held back introducing them, following shouts from the touchline of keep them for the final quarter.
The third quarter saw Limerick move further ahead to lead by 4 tries to 1, before Peter Sandford reduced the deficit with a fine solo effort. With the match set up nicely at 4 – 2 with the final quarter to come, the referee blew the final whistle and our two super subs did not get their chance to shine. The selectors and captain are now being enrolled for some maths classes, so they understand the difference between 14 and 15 players on a field and the difference between quarters and thirds.
Stories circulating that all the backs could hold all day was a glass are confirmed as being true, but the positive news is that the captain led from the front.
Post match festivities continued at Shannon RFC, kindly sponsored by their president Vinny
