City of Derry Rugby Club bagged another four try bonus point victory at Judges Road on Saturday last when the visitors were Old Wesley from Dublin. Derry were cruising at half time having scored three try’s and were in front by 27pts to 10pts but Old Wesley had other ideas and as they proved in their first game of the season when they scored ten points in injury time to come from behind and defeat Seapoint.
Derry’s indiscipline played into the hands of this dogged Dublin 4 outfit. The Judges Road crowd saw their team play with either thirteen of fourteen men for twenty-six minutes at the start of the second half when they had three men sin binned. The score was 27pts to 24pts before they got back to their full complement of players again with almost thirty minutes gone and Derry were on the ropes. They showed what the can do almost immediately with fifteen players when Richard McCarter showed great vision to find flying winger Simon Logue 40 meters out wide. Logue with a skip and a swagger left their last man standing as he had time to shake hands and receive the congratulations form fellow players before touching down between the posts for a converted try and seal victory. CLICK HERE for the SHOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Big It Up For Photographer Doherty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derry started in whirlwind fashion on a cold but dry day at Judges Road. There were just two minutes gone when great work by wing forward David Funston produced ball for David Houston who drove forward into the Wesley half before finding Tom Patton in support. Patton made ground before passing to full back Peter Henderson who used Logue as decoy on the wing before toughing down to the left of the posts and with Chris Barber converting the home side were leading by 7ptds to nil.
The Derry scrum was strong all day with Chris Shields, Sam McAuley and Paul McFeely dominant at set play and lively in the loose. Good driving by Chris Cooper and David Houston caught Wesley off side at the breakdown on eight minutes and Barber converted for a 10pts lead. It was all one way traffic now for Derry which Ryan Campbell and Chris Barber solid in the centre and Simon Logue and David Graham always threatening on the wing along with Peter Henderson at full back.
The Derry back row of Funston, Patton and Adam Bratton were dominating at the breakdown and setup an all out attach inside the Old Wesley 22 on eighteen minutes. Wesley turned over possession but intense pressure made them spill the ball forward and with the referee playing advantage Adam Bratton picked up and scored by the left of the posts from 5 meters and with Barber converting Derry’s lead was 17pts to nil. Old Wesley got themselves back into the game on twenty five minutes when clever play from scrum half Ian Cassidy and out half Alan Large, they moved the ball left quickly to find winger Rory Stynes who scored far out and Barry McLaughlin converted to leave the score at 17pts to 7pts.
Derry were back on the attack again with Funston pressurising the Wesley half backs at every opportunity and keeping them on the back foot. Chris Cooper was outstanding all day for Derry winning line out ball not only on his own throw but on the Wesley throw as well. He was prominent in the loose taking ball forward and had a presence all afternoon at the breakdown. Pressure told on thirty three minutes and with Wesley going off side at the breakdown Barber increased Derry’s advantage to 20pts to 7pts. Derry were in full control mow and Paul McFeely who was having an outstanding game ripped ball in the tackle on thirty five minutes and drove forward to win a scrum. Andrew Semple moved the ball right to Houston who made a powerful break and Semple was on hand again to find McCarter who moved play left to find the outstanding Chris Barber who touched down for a try which he converted himself for a 27pts to 7 pts lead.
Derry suffered a blow in the move to setup Barbers try when their influential Captain David Funston had to leave the field with a knee injury. The Wesley half backs came more into the game with Funston off and they began to dictate. Wesley had the final say in the first half when their winger Barry McLaughlin kicked a penalty from 40 meters to leave Derry leading at the break by 27pts to 10pts.
The second half was only two minutes old when Adam Bratton was sent to the bin by referee Simon McDowell for slapping down a pass. Derry almost scored on seven minutes when Chris Shields charged the ball down 20 meters out and strong play from Stephen Corr and Gareth Beattie almost produced a try. Derry received a further blow when they were reduced to thirteen men after eleven minutes when Chris Shields was binned for collapsing a maul. The Derry defence was outstanding as it was all hands to the pumps stuff to keep the Dubliners at bay. Bratton was now back on but Derry lost their man of the Match Chris Cooper with a neck injury on fourteen minutes.
Brian Prue replaced Cooper but he was sin binned on eighteen minutes for trying to intercept a pass but was deemed to have deliberately knocked on. Derry were down to thirteen men again and the pressure was intense inside their own 22 meter line. Old Wesley produced a strong scrum on twenty minutes and with two pick and drives by the pack John Carroll touched down for a try and with McLaughlin converting Derry’s lead was reduced to 27pts to 17pts. Derry unfortunately turned over possession in midfield on twenty three minutes and in one sweeping move that saw centre David Potterton touching down for a try and with McLaughlin converting it was anybody’s game at 27pts to 24pts to Derry, but Wesley’s tails were up
Derry were back to their full complement of players on twenty eight minutes and the tide was beginning to turn all of a sudden. Bratton produced a great drive on thirty minutes but was just held up and Wesley cleared their lines. Chris Barber won loose ball on the ground on thirty three minutes to initiate the move that produced the try of the match for Logue and seal victory for Derry and a four try bonus point as they lead by 34pts to 24pts. Old Wesley to their credit never gave up and kept pressing forward and were rewarded with an unconverted try by wing forward Darren Horran with the last play of the game that secured a four try bonus point and an extra point for finishing within seven points of Derry.
This victory moves Derry into fifth place in the league five points behind league leaders Banbridge. Derry will have another tough assignment next Saturday when the welcome the unbeaten Galway Corinthians to Judges Road for a 2.30pm Kick-off.
City of Derry Squad V Old Wesley; Chris Shields, Sam McAuley, Paul McFeely, David Houston, Chris Cooper, Adam Bratton, David Funston, Tom Patton, Andrew Semple, Richard McCarter, Simon Logue, Ryan Campbell, Chris Barber, David Graham, Peter Henderson, Replacements; David Ferguson, Gareth Beattie, Stephen Corr, Brian Prue, Richard Peoples.
City of Derry RFC 2nd XV 60pts, Ards Nil
City of Derry 2nd XV produced another fine performance on Saturday when they defeated Rainey Old Boys by 60pts to nil in the Conference League at Judges Road.
Straight from the kick off Derry started to build phases while attacking deeper and deeper into the Rainey half. Eventually the ball was fed to winger Robbie Logue who scored in the corner. Out half Adam Parke converted from the touchline for a 7pts lead. Minutes later a great 30 metre break from Bob McKillop saw the No 8 link with his backs. Winger Darren Taylor passed to the supporting Jack Caithness who dived over for a try in the corner.
Derry were totally in control of the game and the pressure led to Rainey conceding a penalty on the half way line which Parke slotted over. Mid way through the half a poor kick from Rainey was fielded by Derry fullback David Murdock who made good ground before finding Darren Taylor. The winger showed great pace beating 4 defenders before being stopped but scrum half Jack Caithness was on had to take the scoring pass. Parke added the points.
The Derry pack, where props Steven Jefferson & Sam Duffy were dominant, showed their power when they drove Rainey over their line following a 5 metre scrum for McKillop to touch down for an unconverted try. Derry took the half time score to 41pts to nil with 2 more trys when Caithness completed his hat trick and Parke made a fine break to score. The out half converted both.
After the break Derry scored two quick trys through Darren Taylor and the second, following a great move from their own line and when the ball reached Paddy Blennerhasset he sprinted in from 60 metres. Parke again was successful with both conversions.
The game was over as a contest when Rainey lost a prop forward through injury and the scrums went uncontested. The last play of the game saw second row Adam McDuff power his way over for try following good work at a ruck to leave the final score 60-0
The first 40 minutes were probably the best the team has played all season and reflected the hard work put in at training.
The pack all performed well. Prop Stephen Ferguson showed why he has been playing for the 1st XV of late and Ryan Spratt, returning to his natural position at hooker, had a good game. They set up the platform for the backs to attack.
Jack Caithness & Adam Parke ran the game from half back, the centre partnership of Laverty & Blennerhasset were solid in defence and both wingers showed great pace as did fullback Murdock when he entered the line.
