Weekend Results for Bruff

 1st XV, Adult Rugby, AIL 2008-09, Results, Underage  Comments Off on Weekend Results for Bruff
Mar 302009
 

Well, as you might have heard by now it looks like a playoff place is almost definitely out of reach.

Following a tough game at Kilballyowen Ballynahinch managed to scrape throuigh with a twenty two points to twenty win on Saturday to clinch their playoff place and consign us to fifth place in the table. While still technically possible, We have Clonakilty at home on the 11th and then we go away to Greystones for the last league phase game of the year on the 18th, Old Crescent would have to Lose to either Highfield at home on the 11th and/or Away to Malone on the 18th and we would have to get max bonus points to be sure.

Saturdays game again had the Bruff Pack dominant, the back line willing to throw the ball around a good bit but a couple of mistakes allowed Ballynahinch to score two tries, and that’s what it was, Bruff mistakes keeping Ballynahinch in the game. To be brutally honest, many felt that this game should have been put to bed by half time, such was the dominance of the Bruff side with the strong wind at their tails but they failed to put the scores on the board when they had their opposition on the rack. With Bruff going ahead after three minutes courtesy of a Brian Cahill, They maintained possession and territory but Ballynahinch latched onto a looping infield pass from the wing to the full back to create a ruck from which Chris Stevenson broke to get try No. 1 duly converted by Ryan Bambry. Finbarr Hogans try on 22minutes followedon thirty five minutes by another mistake which allowed Ballynahinch’s outhalf Bambry in for their Second try which he duly converted. This all meant that Bruff went in at halftime down by Fourteen points to ten despite spending almost all of the first half in the Ballynahinch side of the field.

The second half started with Ballynahinch coming strong and three minutes in they went ahead after a Gareth Rourke try which gave them a 19 points to ten lead. Bruff again fought back however and two minutes later hauled the lead back in a bit courtesy of a three pointer from Cahill. 19-13. This was followed by a ten minute camping out betwen the Ballynahinch five meter and try lines which eventually led to Captain Cathal O’ Regan crossing the whitewash. The Cahill conversion duly gave Bruff the slenderest of leads but it wasn’t to last long. Three minutes later Bambry knocked over a penalty to give hinch back the lead and despite a massive attack for the remainder of the game by the Bruff team with only an ocacsional breakout by Hinch they managed to hold on to the two point lead right to the finish.

Final Score Bruff 20- Ballynahinch 22.

Bruff: David Horan, Cathal O’ Regan, Stephen Foster, Alfie Laffan, Maurice O’ Connell, Mike Carroll, Ger Luby, Peter Malone, Eoghan Maher, Brian Cahill, John Moore, John Malone, Andrew Cashman, Fionbarr Hogan, Paul O’ Brien Subs: Gearoid Ryan, Mossie O’ Donnell, Padraig Cleary, Garry Leonard

Feb 222009
 

What a game, What a game, what a game.

When UCC entered the cauldron of Kilballyowen for the first time at senior level, you knew this second place tie was going to be a cracker, but this turned out to be one of the best games of the league to date. It had a mix of everything really, good tight forward play from Bruff who dominated in the pack in the first half “Down the hill” on the front pitch in Kilballyowen, flashing passes and a willingness to run from everywhere from the students. With Second Row Alfie Laffan coming ashore almost immediately after a bang received attempting to grab on to the kickoff, Maurice O’ Connell  joined proceedings almost right from the off and the youngster had a game and a half. Bruff basically camped within the college twenty two for much of the half but the students were extremely aggressive in defence.  UCC broke out for their only foray of the first half on twenty four  minutes or so to run in for a try, courtesy of their inspirational out-half Gavin Dunne. Bruff went in at the interval 6 points to 5 up courtesy of two Brian Cahill penalties, the second just minutes before the break.

Second half began a little differently with the college pack coming back into the game. Bruff although still extremely dominant in the scrum began to falter a little and one by one players were being injured, changes having to be made almost every few minutes and the physical nature of the defence from both sides starting to tell. With the scores very close _8-6 to college) after a Gavin Dunne penalty 6 minutes into the half,  you felt that whichever defence cracked first would lose the game. Bruff as usual defended their line to the very last but with bodies pushed to the limit and all of the Bruff bench on the field, The UCC Scrum half and captain Sam Cronin really took charge of proceedings and College started to squeeze. After ten minutes inside the Bruff twenty two failing to cross the line, Dunne struck again with a drop goal to push them into an 11 points to 6 lead. Itwas still a reachable target for Bruff to attempt to climb back but now college were really coming into their own. Again they finished out the game camped inside the Bruff 22 and on the last kick of the game almost 6 minutes into injury time Dunne struck again with another drop goal thus denying the home side the losing bonus point. well deserving their four points for all of their work on the day.

We’re now fourth in the Division league table after yesterday but with Old Crescent nipping at our heels just two points behind and having the advantage of a game in hand against Eugene Murnane’s Clonakilty it looks like being a very tight last few games in the run in to try to get into the playoffs.

Fixtures this coming weekend:

 1st XV, Adult Rugby, AIL 2008-09, J1 XV, MSSL, U13, U14, U18, Underage, Youth  Comments Off on Fixtures this coming weekend:
Feb 172009
 

Fixtures this coming week:

Sat 21st:

AIL Div. 2: Bruff V UCC, 2:30 pm

AIL U20: Bruff V Highfield, 1:30pm (TBC, check website)

Sun 22nd :

MSSL: Shannon V Bruff J1, 2:30 pm, Coonagh,

Youths:

NML

U13: Richmond V Bruff, 11:00am

U14: Bruff V Shannon, 11:00 am

U18: Ennis V Bruff, 12:30 pm Lee’s Rd.

The draw for the Injured players fund takes place after the game on Saturday in the clubhouse so please ensure that all ticket stubs are returned to the committee this before the game takes place.Team entry Numbers for the Annual Tag Twilight League are coming in quickly so if you wish to enter get your team name in quickly.

Next Committee meeting takes place Monday night at 8:00 pm.