LATE CLARKE TRY SEALS PROMOTION FOR RAINEY
(please note intouch will be live streaming the final game of the season @ Hatrick Park so spread the word and lets get a massive crowd to the club and watching live online for ROB make historyyyyyy LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Rainey Old Boys had to wait until the last minute of normal time for the bonus point try which ensures that they will finish in the automatic promotion places in Division 2 B.But,while they are naturally pleased with their achievements so far,they have their hearts set on taking the title with an unbeaten record.To do so,they will have to perform a lot better than they did against a limited Thomond side at Hatrick Park where they stuttered to a 34-9 victory.They made heavy weather of it against the Limerick men,a lack of cutting edge leaving a frozen home crowd with little to shout about.On countless occasions they looked sure to score,but managed to loose control and surrender possession tamely.
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Rainey lined out without forwards Mc Gowan and Rutledge,but had Heaney in reserve on the bench.A bright opening saw them set the Munster side back,with Simpson,Barker and Boyle leading forays into the 22′.Full-back O’Connor gave them a sixth minute lead,but scrum-half Mc Cluggage was already struggling with a hamstring problem and had to retire shortly afterwards.Simpson moved in from centre,as he has done on previous occasions.
Thomond had a forward rather harshly yellow carded for a trip before Rainey piled forward following a Barker take .They lost the ball,but disrupted the Thomond heel to set up an obvious pushover opportunity which they messed up.A catch and drive try from Boyle,converted by O’Connor,should have been the launch pad for a big score,but a litany of silly penalties allowed Thomond out-half Lillis to make it 10-6 on the half-hour mark.Another Thomond forward saw yellow as Rainey surged towards the visitors’ line through O’Kane and Harbinson,but a lack of control let Thomond off the hook once again.
Chance after chance was wasted as the pack dominated possession,but could not hold on to the ball,but six minutes into the second half Simpson broke wide to send centre Mc Clelland through at the posts.Thomond just held out when a well placed Martin kick put them in trouble and they were again lucky when another close range chance was butchered.Hooker Sufferin was grounded a yard short and Rainey had to settle for an O’Connor penalty to keep the scoreboard ticking over.An O’Kane drive got the crowd going,but nothing came of it and on 69 minutes Thomond kicked a penalty.With seven minutes left on the clock,Martin went through a gap beneath the posts after the pack had done the spadework.And on 80 minutes ,left-wing Clarke side-stepped inside his opposite number to dot down in the corner,with O’Connor judging the crosswind to perfection with his kick.
Rainey played some naive rugby in the five minutes of time added on,with flanker Burns sin-binned seconds from the final whistle.
TEAM : M.O’Connor,A.Campbell,S.Simpson,D.Mc Murray,A.Clarke,G.Martin,A.Mc Cluggage,R.Hall,S.Sufferin,N.O’Kane,P.Boyle,T.Barker,A.Harbinson,M.Shiels,D.Dawson.
REPLACEMENTS : M.McClelland 7 P.Heaney 60 T.Burns 68 P.Stewart 70
Division 2 B results : Ards 11-7 Armagh Barnhall 50 -14 Navan Clonakilty 15-21 Naas Connemara 0-61 Skerries Sunday’s Well 3-10 Boyne Sligo 26-6 Instonians Suttonians 18-25 Nenagh Ormond
TOP OF THE TABLE
P W D L BP Pts.
Rainey O.B. 13 12 1 0 7 57
Barnhall 13 10 0 3 11 51
Naas 14 11 1 2 5 51
Nenagh 13 9 0 4 6 42
Boyne 13 9 0 4 6 42
Armagh 13 8 1 4 6 40
ARMAGH V RAINEY O.B. Sat.6 April at THE PALACE GROUNDS
To facilitate the home club,this game will kick-off at 3.30 p.m.
BARNHALL are away to Boyne and on April 13 travel to Nenagh.Rainey’s last game is at home to Clonakilty.
