AIL Div 2 Rnd 11: Bruff 27 Corinthians 0

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Good day out in Kilballyowen even if we managed to get Sunshine, rain, hail, sleat and snow, all within the duration of a single AIL game.

The pre-match was a bit different with the opportunity being taken to honour the Culligan Cup winning team of 1979, who brought the first Competitive cup to Bruff ten years after the founding of the club. This was the first of the events planned for the 40th year celebration of the founding of the club, keep an eye out for more of these as the year progresses.

Bruff came into this game with a game in hand and looking to keep in the hunt for playoff position. Corinthians looked reasonably safe but a few of their last results had gone against them.

Job well done is about the easiest way to describe the day. Despite the final pass not going to hand and allowing Corinthians to keep in touch at the break Bruff went in courtesy of a Stephen Foster Try duly converted by Philip Moloney who added another three pointer to give Bruff a ten point lead at half time. You felt somehow that they hadn’t got the value of all the possession that they had during the half the strong home crows seemed to be getting edgy.

The second half began as the first finished with Bruff making most of the attacking and having 80% of the possession to my calculations. The only reward that Bruff had for all of their possession was a three pointer from Captain Brian Cahill who had taken over kicking duties five minutes into the half.

Despite the occasional breakout from the young Corinthian side, Bruff never looked like losing this game but it wasn’t made safe until hooker Cathal O’ Regan touched down for try number two to give Bruff a clear twenty point lead with ten minutes left on the clock. At this stage the Galway side looked dead on their feet and Bruff went on a rampage, the last action of the game resulting in a John Shine try converted by Cahill which game some valuable score difference. With the league as tight as it is this may become important in the final roundup.

Scorers: Stephen foster (1T), Philip Moloney (1P, 1C), Cathal O’ Regan (1T), Brian Cahill (1P, 2C), John S. Shine (1T)

Team lined out as follows: