Bruff 23, Clonakilty 20, AIL penultimate Game.

 1st XV, Adult Rugby, AIL 2008-09, Underage  Comments Off on Bruff 23, Clonakilty 20, AIL penultimate Game.
Apr 132009
 

The first XV managed to keep their playoff hopes very much alive with this win over Clon as Old Crescent lost their game at home to Highfield over the weekend. The return of Eugene Murnane to Bruff for the first time in the AIL would add a little edge as they needed some points to be 100% guaranteed safe for the season.

Clon were fist on the board after the 9th. minute courtesy of break by centre Dave Lombard who passed to his Winger O’ Sullivan to run in from 20 meters. Garry Cribb adding the extras. 7 minutes later Bruff full back Paul O’Brien replied after a sweet chip over the Clonakilty defence, collecting an even sweeter bounce to get in under the posts. Brian Cahill added the points and then put Bruff ahead for the first time on the 28th. minute with a penalty. 10-7. Just on half time Clonakilty scored another try courtesy of a Derek Dillon break, skipping past a couple of tackles before releasing flanker Len Harte to score beside the posts. Dave Lombard added the points to give the visitors a 14-10 half time lead.
The second half began ominously with Clonakilty scoring first, with a second Lombard kick going in off the post after just four minutes. 17-10. Now trailing by seven points, the home side sensed that any hopes of reaching the play offs were rapidly fading and upped the tempo noticeably. A back movement saw outhalf Brian Cahill make very good progress and he released Andrew Cashman with some work to do but managing to round some despairing Clonakilty defenders to score his first League try for the club. Cahill’s conversion attempt clipped the post but went wide. 17-15.
Dave Lombard added his second penalty on the 63rd. minute to push his side back into a five point lead and leaving the home side with a lot of work to do in the final quarter. 20-15. Bruff were now forced to chase the game but they upped another gear and were rewarded ten minutes later when after going through a large number of phases, Cathal O’ Regan eventually got in near the corner for his side’s third try, fulfilling his Captains duties. Brian Cahill missed a difficult conversion but two minutes later put over what turned out to be the winning penalty.

Both sides can consider the day as a good day out, Bruff keeping their playoff hopes alive, everything going down to the last day as usual and clonakilty coupled with other results ont he day are well safe for the season after their losing bonus point.

BRUFF; Paul O’Brien, Finbarr Hogan, Andrew Cashman, John Malone, John Moore, Brian Cahill, Eoghan Maher, David Horan, Cathal O’Regan (Capt.), Stephen Foster, Maurice O’Connell, Alfie Laffan, Paddy Cleary, Ger. Luby and Peter Malone.
Replacements: Mossie O’Donnell for Luby (13), Dermot Murnane for Cleary (HT), John Carroll for Hogan (61) Gearoid Ryan for Horan (66) and David Horan for Foster (80).Garry Leonard.

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

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