RESULTS Sat.2 April
AIL Division 3 Rainey O.B. 33-15 Wanderers
Conference 3 A Rainey O.B, 11 0-12 Civil Service
Junior 4 Rainey O.B.111 29-12 Ards 111
Minor : North U.U,C, 11 45-28 Rainey O.B. 1V
SIX IN A ROW FOR RAINEY
April showers arrived bang on cue to greet famous old Dublin 4 sideWanderers when they came to meet Rainey Old Boys at Hatrick Park on the penultimate week of the A.I.L.
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The Leinster men were comfortable winners of their clash at Merrion Road last season,but had no answer this time as Rainey made it six in a row and picked up a bonus point with a comprehensive 33-15 victory in front of an appreciative home crowd.
Rainey remain in sixth place,a point behind Banbridge who won at Naas.Banbridge will clinch the play-off spot if,as expected,they do the business at home to Highfield in a re-arranged fixture next week.Seapoint,Instonians,City of Derry and Greystones will compete in Section 2 A next season,but the title is still up for grabs.Rainey complete their programme on April 16 at Suttonians.
Showing three changes from the team that won in Cork,Rainey had first use of a blustery wind blowing towards the Meadowbank end,but trailed 3-0 after only four minutes when the front rows collapsed.However,they were soon in front when they touched the ball for the first time in the match by charging down a kick in the Wanderers 22′.Centre Paul made ground before finding support and long,accurate passes from Martin and O’Connor enabled Campbell to scamper over in the corner.O’Connor converted with a great kick.He then went close from over sixty yards as the Rainey scrum started to dominate.The forwards earned a penalty which O’Connor kicked after fourteen minutes and added another four minutes later which came from a Sciascia break from a scrum.
Some fine play at the back of a creaking scrum kept Wanderers in it,but on the half hour Rainey scored one of the tries of the season.Fielding a high kick on the run in his own half,Sciascia broke down the left where O’Connor,Paul and Devlin continued the move with excellent handling skills.Sciascia followed up to head for the posts and offload to half-back partner Martin who stretched out to touchdown beneath the posts.Wanderers just could not get into the game as Rainey forced a number of turnovers and a lineout overthrow allowed No.8 Mc Crea to surge forward only for his support to concede a silly penalty.Following another turnover Wanderers were fortunate to get away with a knock-on in the tackle,but Rainey disrupted their scrum to win the put-in deep in the Wanderers 22′.Unfortunately for Rainey,no injury time was played and Wanderers were thankful to trail 20-3 at the break.
When the restart kick went directly into touch,Wanderers made the most of the opportunity to kick to the corner where their pack drove over in the corner.Rainey replied in style with Campbell stopped right on the line.After pressing in the corner,they were penalisd,but Wanderers’ relieving penalty travelled over 100 yards to give Rainey the put-in.Amos and O’Kane each had a go before Sciascia,who had a magnificent game,probed the narrow side where Boyle slipped a scoring pass to Hawe.
Second-row Boyle was in the thick of everything as Rainey now chased a fourth try.They were held up after a catch and drive,but then lost control and Wanderers shocked them with a lovely midfield break which led to a right wing try.
When a Wanderers forward was yellow carded after 73 minutes,Rainey elected to take the points and three minutes later they secured the bonus point with another great try.Flanker Heaney broke clear from his 22′ before offloading to Sciascia who,when collared,fired a speculative pass out to the left wing.It was well picked up and kept alive for the cavalry to drive over,prop O’Kane getting the try.
TEAM : M.O’Connor,A.Campbell,R.Paul,M.Mc Clelland,R.Devlin,G.Martin,P.Sciascia,N.Amos,K.Donaghy,N,O’Kane,P.Boyle,M.Shiels,P.Heaney,S.Hawe.R.Mc Crea.
REPLACEMENTS : R.Hall ( Amos 63 ) C.Heaney ( Donaghy 63 ) A.Harbinson ( Shiels 68 )
Other Division 3 results : Ards 20 -27 Sunday’s Well Highfield 21-40 City of Derry Instonians 68-0 Connemara Naas 28-31 Banbridge Navan 27-17 Suttonians Nenagh Ormond 21-16 Barnhall Seapoint 15 v 13 Greystones
RAINEY O.B. 111 29-12 ARDS 111
Rainey O.B. 111 had to make wholesale changes for their Junior 4 game with Ards 111 at Meadowbank,but the Forster Cup finalists still won 29-12 without being really stretched.A sprightly Bob Paul returned to action after a break to show his young colleagues how it should be done and they used the breeze to turn round 19-5 up.Centre Johnston,No.8 Kidd and wing Smith were first half try scorers with scrum-half and acting captain Magee crossing after the break.Experienced out-half Mac Oscar kicked three conversions and a penalty.
FIXTURES for Sat.9 April
2nd XV v Instonians 11 Conference 3 A home 2.30 p.m.
3rd XV v Omagh 111 home
4th XV v Derry 1V away
