HARLEQUINS TAKE THE SPOILS!!
03/11/2007
Trinity 10pts Belfast Harlequins 22pts 

Trinity hosted the highly professional Belfast Harlequins in College park on Saturday. The visitors had ten Ulster players plus Irish international Andy Ward and a Currie cup wing William Slabbert. The game was always going to be a tough challenge for the students. For sixty minutes Trinity edged both possession and territory and played some enterprising rugby to lead 10-8 at half time.

The quality of the first half was top class, with both teams playing heads up rugby and running the ball at every opportunity. Harlequins scored first when their Ulster out half Niall O’Connor kicked a penalty. Trinity answered with a penalty of their own by Johnny Watt.

Trinity then began to play some superb running rugby, and wing Killian Stafford was put away twice only to be hauled down by the cover defence. However Stafford did score a try on his third run when he ran away from the defence after some great interplay from forwards and backs. Johnny Watt converted.

Harlequins came back to score just before half time. When they sliced through the Trinity defence, to score an unconverted try.

At half time Trinity were happy to be leading but realised they had much to do to win the game. In the second half the students continued to attack and should have scored in this period. The Ulsterman defended very well and kept the students out.

As the half progressed the game lost its tempo, which seemed to suit the visiting team. They took the lead for good on 62 minutes. Trinity had various opportunities to score but did not take them.

In the dying minutes Belfast Harlequins crucially took the students out of deserved bonus point range to win out 22-10.

This was a tough loss for the students, but there are many positives to be drawn from the game. Belfast harlequins will undoubtedly go back up to the first Division and it is up to the students if they are the other team to go up with them. They certainly equalled the massive Harlequins pack in all facets.

Next week Trinity travel to Barnhall to play their third AIBL game.

Team; 15 Paul Gillespie, 14 Shane Hanratty, 13 Volney Rouse, 12 Eoin Fleck (Richard Brady 35), 11 Killian Stafford,10 Johnny Watt, 9 Joey Burns (Eddie Hamilton), 1 Graham Murphy (Tristan Goodbody 50), 2 Ben Cunningham (Alan Mathews 68), 3 Eoin O’Cuilleanean, 4 Scott LaValla, 5 Max Cantrell (Luke Mantle 65) , 6 Eddie Molloy, 7 Marc Lynch, 8 Richie Morrow.

Other news:

Trinity 2nd XV – won their J1 league game on a wet Saturday night 22-10. In impossible conditions the Trinity pack wore down the opposition to win out comfortably.

Trinity U20s – lost their top of the table clash with Blackrock College in a fast and open game that the students created more opportunities than their rivals but lost 23-17. It was a cruel loss for Trinity who dominated most of the game.

Trinity U20s Bs beat Coolmine 22-15 in a tough encounter in Ashtown. They did manage four tries and were rewarded the bonus point.

Trinity J3s lost to Barnhall 23-17 in a very competitive league match in Santry. The J3s led for most of the game only for Barnhall to pip them in the last few minutes

Trinity J4s played their first league game in three years in Santry against Parkmore RFC. The score certainly did not reflect the flow of play and the J4s lost out 28-0. It was great to see four senior teams again representing Trinity.

---