UUJ win at Judges Road
Wednesday 11th saw UUJ 2nd XV travel to Judges Road to play UUM in the SSI Provencal league.
UUJ lost the toss and had to play into the low winter sun but with a strong wind in their backs which offered no consolation as kicks went dead and passing a problem.
The home team were well structured and had quality players but it was on the ten minute mark when Jtown took a UUM lineout and spread it fast for Lloyd Johnston to score out wide, conversion missed, 0 – 5
UUM played with the ball in hand and worked their way to the visitors five metre line but great defending held them out.
The game then became a contest at the breakdown area which UUJ won on most occasions but it was not until the visitors took another of the home sides line outs that a score was made, Jtowns 10, Curtis McCartney, gave a long pass to centre, Robert Gacek who broke a number of tackles before offloading to supporting fullback, Eion McParland to score just right of the post, conversion by McCartney, 0 – 12.
UUJs next score was to be only 4 minutes later with a scrum on the halfway, scrumhalf, Connor Spence floated a miss-pass to centre Evan Burke who made his way through the opposition centre field to score at the posts, conversion McCartney, 0 – 19.
UUM closed the visitors down at the kick off with their 10 getting good distance against the wind with his restarts but Jtown moved the ball across the wing to Jamie Wilson who made a great break out of the half but a covering tackle stopped him heading to the line.
On the half-hour mark after a scrum on the halfway, a pickup by number 8, Michael Holgate saw him offload to supporting second row, Simon McSparron who scored out wide, conversion missed, 0 – 24.
Again UUM put he pressure on at the restart and hard tackling kept them in UUJs half but a penalty against UUM on the visitors 10 metre line saw quick thinking McCartney tap and go running the lenght of the field to score an unconverted try, halftime score 0 – 29.
The second half saw UUM come at the visitors hard with good strong running and hard tackling, but the defending in the first half showed with support players slow in getting there and it was a pressure clearance kick fielded by full back McParland saw him make his way through the defence offloading to Gacek who scored, conversion by McCartney, 0 – 36.
Jtowns next try came from a midfield scrum where the ball went wide letting supporting hooker Samuel
Hicks score an unconverted try. 0 – 41
UUJ were to score 4 more unanswered tries, one by McParland after a turnover at a ruck converted by Burke, 0 – 48
the next was from a good break by Patrick Clarke to the home sides 5 metre line supporting to flanker Adam Baird, he popped a lovely pass to replacement Ross Harkin who scored and converted his own try, 0 – 55 and the final try was by Spence who took a quick tap to run in a converted try by McParland, 0 – 62 final score.
UUM were very physical in their attacks and defence, they were hampered by the good defence of the visitors and their quick response to turnover ball.
Many of this side put their hands up for selection in the First XV home game next week against Carlow
Thanks must to go UUM and the City of Derry RFC for providing a great day and meal after the game.
Team
1. Patrick Clarke (Lisburn)
2. Samuel Hicks (Clogher Vally)
3 Jordan Elliot (c) (Portadown)
4 Tinus Smit (Bangor)
5 Simon McSparron (Strabane)
6 Jamie Forsythe (Ballymoney
7 Adam Baird (Ards)
8 Michael Holgate ( Rainey OB)
9 Connor Spence (Ballymena)
10 Curtis McCartney (Belfast Harlequins)
11 Jamie Wilson (Holywood)
12 Robert Gacek (Portadown)
13 Evan Burke ( Navan)
14 LLoyd Johnston (Coleraine)
15 Eion McParland (Newry)
16 Curtis Richard Thomas Badger
17 Ross Harkin (City of Derry)
18 Troy Wilson (Academy)
Next week 18th
Firsts v Carlow at Jordanstown 2 30pm ok
Seconds no game
Week 25th
Firsts v Waterford away
Seconds QUB at the Dub 2 30pm kos
