BELFAST HARLEQUINS WIN CLOSE ONE!
23/10/2010

Belfast Harlequins 12pts Trinity 10pts

 

For the second time in two weeks Trinity lost a game in Belfast by two points. In a game where it rained through out, constructive rugby was very hard to play. The home team with Ulster Senior half backs Paul Marshall and Niall O’Connor playing their first game of the season for the club played a very conservative game kicking everything long or to the corners. Trinity’s forwards clearly had the measure of the large home eight at scrum time, but struggled to get territory on the first half. Niall O’Connor kicked all the penalties that came his way. Trinity struggled through out the game to come to terms with some inconsistent interpretations of the referee and this ultimately undid their efforts.

 

9-0 down at half time Trinity came back and played the best rugby of the game. Forwards and backs combined for some impressive phases and out half Ciaran Wade pulled back the gap in points with a penalty. Trinity then dismantled the home pack in a series of scrums. From one of these the ball was moved to the Trinity backs who put outside centre Conor Colclough over for a well constructed try.

 

Trinity now up 10-9, and looking dominant. But some very confusing refereeing decisions that gave the home team territory enabled them to get another penalty. 12-10 Quins.

 

Trinity came back but struggled to get the necessary foothold in the Quins half. They had one or two opportunities but could not pull the trigger..

 

This was another unfortunate loss for the students who seem to be playing Ulster’s finest every other week. They are playing some good rugby though, and it just seems a matter of time before the scores will go their way.. next week they host Middleton in College Park - 2.30pm KO.

 

15 Tim McCoy, 14 Neil Hanratty, 13 Conor Coclough, 12 Conor Mills (Paul Galbraith 25), 11 Neil Hanratty, 10 Ciaran Wade, 9 Mick McLoughlin (Sam Bell 70), 1 Colm Goode (Paul McFeely 60), Mark Murdoch (Craig Telford 60), 3 James Gethings, 4 Colin McDonnell, 5 Max Waters, 6 Alan Mathews (Jon Iliff 55), 7 Dominic Gallagher, 8 Scott LaValla.

 

Other news. Trinity U20s played in the annual Inter- Varsities Conroy Cup in Belfield. They defeated UCC 25-13. UCD easily dispatched Queens in the other semi final. In the Final UCD jumped out to a convincing 22-0 lead. Trinity came back in the shortened game to score two tries, but it was not enough losing out 22-14.

 

Next weekend the Clubs two Under 20s team play in College Park on “Parents day” the action kicks off at 12.30pm when the Pennant XV play Seapoint. Lunch follows in the Pavilion with the Prmier XV playing Old Belvedere at 3pm.

 

 

 

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