Snippet… Early Rainey pressure after the restart following a lineout, and a great positional kick from Louis Regan, put the Rainey team on the front foot. Their pack took control and maintained possession through a number of phases before Ben Brown touched down for a try. Louis Regan added the extras to see the Rainey team into a 10-5 lead. This became 15-5 when Adam Montgomery and Mark Lee combined to send Mark in for an unconverted try. Shortly after this, and following good interplay with the Rainey forwards and backs, it was Adam’s turn to touch down for an unconverted try to put the Rainey team into a 20-5 lead…. see the full story below
Nutty Krust Tournament City of Armagh U18’s v Rainey Old Boys’ U18’s Wednesday 9th March 2022
The fourth of this season’s Nutty Krust group stage games got underway in the Nutty Krust U18Tournament under the floodlights at a cold and damp Chambers Park when the City of Armagh U18 team played the Rainey Old Boys’ U18 team on Wednesday evening. The City of Armagh team was playing in their second Nutty Krust game while the Rainey Old Boys’ U18 team was playing their first Nutty Krust game of the 21/22 Tournament. A sizeable crowd had gathered to watch an entertaining game, which Rainey won by 25-10, and which featured quite a few talented players on both teams.
The Rainey team started the game in a positive mood and had the opportunity to score a try with only two minutes on the clock. However, the ball was spilt over the try line but all was not lost. The referee went back to a penalty advantage and Louis Regan converted the kick to put the Rainey team into a 3-0 lead.
The Armagh team responded positively to the early set back and eventually got points on the board when the Armagh outhalf, Joshua Herron, who had featured strongly for the Portadown College team on their recent run to the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy, disrupted a Rainey attack. Joshua carried play deep into the Rainey “Red Zone” and, following a clever “show and go”, touched down for an unconverted try.
Having taken a 5-3 lead the Armagh team, with Matthew Monaghan, Callum Clarke and Rory Loughran to the fore, came close to scoring on a number of occasions. It took two great Rainey defensive plays, involving Adam Montgomery and Bryon McMaster, to ensure the Rainey line was not crossed again before the break.
Early Rainey pressure after the restart following a lineout, and a great positional kick from Louis Regan, put the Rainey team on the front foot. Their pack took control and maintained possession through a number of phases before Ben Brown touched down for a try. Louis Regan added the extras to see the Rainey team into a 10-5 lead. This became 15-5 when Adam Montgomery and Mark Lee combined to send Mark in for an unconverted try. Shortly after this, and following good interplay with the Rainey forwards and backs, it was Adam’s turn to touch down for an unconverted try to put the Rainey team into a 20-5 lead.
The Armagh team, who had displayed good skills when they did get some possession, then got some reward for their endeavours. Darragh Lennon, Lee Nesbitt and Ally Wilson all combined before Joshua Herron touched down for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 20-10.
As it turned out the Rainey team had the final say in the game when the impressive No 8, Mark Lee, scored his second try of the game to secure the bonus point 25-10 victory for the Rainey U18 team.
As usual with the Nutty Krust Tournament the players all received a post-match meal which was sponsored by Jim Hewitt Meats, prepared by the staff in “Flat Dogs Gourmet Food” Restaurant, and organised by Ryan, the Flat Dogs proprietor. Ryan was assisted by his Flat Dog colleagues in serving the food. All the players, as well as their coaches, received a Nutty Krust loaf on departure.
Andy Gray, former Portadown College, King’s Scholar’s RFC, Ulster Juniors and Portadown RFC scrum half, presented the Nutty Krust “Man of the Match Award” at the post match ceremony. The Man of the Match Award went to Mark Lee, the Rainey Old Boys’ RFC U18 team No 8.
The fifth of this season’s Nutty Krust group stage games will be played on Monday 14th March when the Enniskillen RFC U18 team will play the Omagh Academicals RFC U18 team at 7-45pm. All visitors and supporters to the game will be made to feel very welcome and are invited to use the Portadown RFC facilities before and after the game.
