Bruff 14 Belfast Harlequins 10

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It looks like the Bruff bandwagon has kept on its wheels in style. Another away win in Ulster on the road to add to the mesmerising collection of away results up north in Bruff’s short AIL history.

This time another established AIL team bent the knee to a great performance which was far more convincing on the pitch than the tight scoreline would lead you to believe.

Two minutes in some nerves and soft defending by the usually magnificent Bruff defence saw the Quins loose head Tim Morton go over for their one and only try of the game. Duly converted by Ulster playing Outhalf Niall O’ Connor, O’ Connor was one of the four Full Ulster Players playing for Quins on the day. The Bruff team gathered behind the posts for some strong words and then things took off.

The Bruff pack took things in hand and asserted their dominance in the set piece and in the loose. Just rewards on ten minutes with a penalty opportunity for captain Brian Cahill but it went to the side and wide. With the game by the scruff of the neck, Bruff launched attack after attack but handling errors and infringements at the ruck gave Quins relief time and time again from the onslaught. By half time, Bruff had spent thirty five of the forty minutes inside the Quins half but all they had to show for it was one converted penalty attempt after 7 minutes of injury time and another missed penalty on 25 mins, Quins also had to be happy with a pair of missed penalty attempts by O’ Connor on twenty and forty minutes. Half time score 7-3 to Quins.

The second half began as the first left off and the breeze stiffened a little to give Bruff whatever slight advantage it offered in the second half. Three minutes after the whistle Cahill slotted penalty number two to close the gap and three minutes later after sustained pressure, Cahill broke to go over for Bruff’s only try of the game, missing the conversion however kept the lead at four points. Following  yellow cards (one for each side) in the aftermath of the try, play passed up and down between the Quins half way line and their twenty two, but on their only incursion into the Bruff half,  Ten minutes later O’ Connor knocked over his second to close the gap again to a single point but Bruff maintained their momentum and had stretched the lead out to four points again three minutes later. The Bruff line attacked the Quins line the siege being lifted again by turnovers at the ruck. An  interception by the Scrum half Paul Marshal saved a two on one overlap and very nearly turned it into a breakaway try when he chipped over the returning Bruff defenderSean Daly, Winger Andrew Cashman won the race to the ball and managed to keep  Bruff in the game. A last burst for Quins brought nervous thoughts of last seasons last gasp winning try against the odds but the siege was finally lifted and Bruff held out to finish the game with a 14 point to 10 final score.

Bruff Scorers: Brian Cahill, 1T, 3 pens.

Quins Scorers: Tim Morton (T), Niall O’ Connor 1C, 1 Pens.

Bruff lined out: 15. P. Thomspon, 14. Nigel Riordan, 13. John Malone, 12. Garry Leonard, 11. Andrew Cashman, 10. Brian Cahill, 9. Tony Cahill, 1. Stephen Foster, 2. Cathal O’ regan, 3. Keith Laffan, 4. Alan Bourke, 5. Maurice O’ Connell, 6. David Gardiner, 7. John S. Shine, 8. Mike Carroll. Subs: David Horan, Graham Bolger, Peter Malone, Sean Daly, John Carroll. Ref: John Carville (IRFU), TJ’s: Christopher Wilson & David Fergie.

Pictures will be posted later on this evening.