City of Derry RFC 38pts, Belfast Harlequins 17pts
City of Derry Rugby Club scored six try’s in a convincing bonus point victory at Judges Road on Saturday last against Belfast Harlequins in the Ulster Senor League. This victory keeps Derry in second place in the league four points behind leaders Ballynahinch. There is only one game left in the Ulster League for both teams with Ballynahinch having to play Malone and the Judges Road men will travel to play their final game of the season against Ballymena on the 27th April.
The conditions were very wintery at Judges Road on Saturday with cold rain and a biting breeze on a sodden pitch. The early pressure was all from Derry as they laid down a statement of intent with great driving play from their forwards. The ball retention was good as Bob McKillop, Stephen Jefferson, Sam McAuley and Sam Duffy drove into Quins 22 on four minutes and when play was switched blind Stephen Ferguson the big No 8 got in for an unconverted try.
The pressure from the home side was relentless as Captain Chris Cooper dominated the line out and their back row of Richard Baird, Stephen Corr and Stephen Ferguson where carrying ball with some purpose. Richard McCarter kicked two penalties for pressure on fourteen and seventeen minutes when the Quins backline were caught off side and Derry were leading by 11pts to nil. The referee pinged Derry for the same offence on twenty minutes and Chris Henderson kicked a penalty and Quins were behind by 11pts to 3pts.
There was plenty possession coming Derry’s way as their forwards dominated at scrum time and their physicality at the breakdown was impressive with their big pack working hard. Jack Caithness and Richard McCarter were controlling possession beautifully and kept their pack going forward with good kicking and linking with backs and forwards. McCarter brought the impressive Richard Peoples at centre into the game on thirty minutes and when he used his power to take play deep into the Quins half. He found Stephen Corr in support 25 meters out and Corr released Jack Caithness to touch down for an unconverted try and Derry’s lead was 16pts to 3pts.
Derry almost scored again on the halftime whistle when Chris Cooper carried ball and support from Bob McKillop released Richard McCarter who was just stopped in his run to leave the score at half time 16pts to 3pts for Derry.
The second half started with a bank and Derry were on all out attack with David Graham, Ryan Campbell and Chris Barber all pressing forward. William McCleery made a scintillating break from inside his own half on five minutes but was stopped just short. Derry won ball following a scrum and Jack Caithness linked with McCarter who put Sam Duffy in for a deserve try and Derry were ahead by 21pts to 3pts.
Paul McFeely and Gareth Beattie entered the fray from the bench to give some fresh legs. Harlequins played themselves back into the game and got a try in the corner after ten minutes following pick and drive rugby from wing forward Darryl Marshall which was converted by Henderson and Derry’s lead was down to 21pts to 10pts. Derry replied within three minutes when McCarter released Chris Barber 30 meters out and he easily beat two players before running around behind the post to touch down for a try and with McCarter converting Derry were ahead by 28pts to 10pts.
Derry were on the scoreboard again on eighteen minutes when McCarter found Barber who passed to Man of the Match Stephen Ferguson to make another powerful break and find Jack Caithness for a run in unconverted try and the lead was now 33pts to 10prs. The happy news for Derry was the entrance from the bench of loose head prop Chris Shields returning from injury on twenty minutes. Derry lost Peoples to the sin bin after twenty five minutes. Derry were still controlling the game but a loose pass coming out of defence was picked off by Harlequins Ken McCombe to run in unchallenged for a try and with Henderson converting Derry’s lead was back to 33pts to 17pts.
Derry finished the game well on top and pressure told once more on thirty two minutes when Ferguson again pickup up from a scrum 20 meters out. He drove forward before finding his back row mate Richard Baird who went in to touch down for an unconverted try to close the scoring for the day and record a deserved win for the home team by 38pts to 17pts.
City of Derry Team V Belfast Harlequins; Steven Jefferson, Sam McAuley, Sam Duffy, Chris Cooper, Bob McKillop, Richard Baird, Stephen Corr, Stephen Ferguson, Jack Caithness, Richard McCarter, Ryan Campbell, Richard Peoples, Chris Barber, David Graham, William McCleery. Replacements; Cathal Cregan, Peter McFeely, Gareth Beattie, Chris Shields, Andrew Semple.
City of Derry 2nd XV 22pts, Belfast Harlequins 2nd XV 17pts
City of Derry 2nd’s continued their recent good form on Saturday when they extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 22pts to 17pts home win against Belfast Harlequins to stay in second place in the second fifteen league.
Despite the treacherous ground conditions following the heavy overnight rain both teams tried to run the ball when the opportunity arose to entertain the large crowd prior to the 1st XV’s game also against Harlequin. Harlequins were first on the score sheet when their scrum half slotted an easy penalty after two minutes when Derry infringed at a ruck.
Derry responded 2 minutes later when the pack won a scrum 40 meters out and No 8 Ross Scott picked and fed scrumhalf Phil Duffy who chipped the ball behind the ‘Quins backs and showed his pace to outstrip the cover defence to score a try converted by out half Adam Parke to lead 7pts 3pts.
Quins reduced the deficit to one point when their scrum half kicked his second penalty when Derry were again penalised at a breakdown. The Derry pack led by Mark Walker, Ross Scott and David Witherow upped their performance and started to take control of the game,. They built phases setting up good ball for the backs where Duffy and Adam Parke kept the Quins defence on the back foot.
From one of these phases on 23 minutes the ball was fed to Parke who found fullback David Murdock on a great line and he sprinted in sidestepping the last defender to score an unconverted try. On the half hour mark Harelquins conceded a penalty and Derry went to the corner. From a good take in the line out by Johnny Lyons the pack formed a maul and drove over for second row James Fawcett to score and increase the lead to 17pts to 6pts.
In the remaining 10 minutes of the half Quins came back into the game and some poor tackling allowed them to gain ground and pressurise the home defence. The pressure eventually told and Derry conceded two penalties before the break which were converted by the Quins scrum half to leave the halftime score 17pts to 12pts in Derry’s favour.
Although the Derry pack were dominant up front the game became fractured for a long period in the second half, especially at the scrum, where both teams found it difficult to come to terms with the referees interpretation of the laws. The home side were unlucky not to go further ahead when open side wing forward Mark Walker drove over for a try but the referee was unsighted and disallowed the ‘score’.
Derry continued to pressurise Quins and when the visitors were penalised Derry opted to kick for the corner and, from the ensuing lineout, the pack mauled the ball and drove for the ‘Quins try line. Mark Walker wasn’t to be denied a second time and crowned a ‘Man of the Match’ performance when he powered over for a try which went unconverted.
The final score of the game came from the visitors when, following a speculative kick from their out half, a lapse of concentration and poor tackling from Derry allowed them to win turnover ball and score a try wide out.
