This was always going to be a tough game for Trinity, playing against league leader Lansdowne (who were 14 pts clear) in the RDS on a Heineken Cup weekend. Adding to the spice of the game was the fact that Trinity stopped Lansdowne going up to Division One last season with a last game of the season win 13-12. So not only were Lansdowne loaded with talent but they were motivated!!

 

For the second year running Trinity, led by first time captain Scott LaValla, ripped into their illustrious rivals who had 14 players on the pitch who have been contracted some time in their rugby career. The students dominated field position and possession for almost all the first half. Whenever the home team got the ball they were turned over or knocked back at the point of contact.

 

In the opening minutes Trinity looked to have forced a penalty try when after a fine break by Mick McLoughlin outside centre Conor Colclough was taken out off the ball as he was about to receive the try scoring pass. Interestingly the referee gave the penalty for an early tackle but no further sanction. Trinity missed three kicks in the first half but out half Dave Joyce,who had an assured game, managed to kick two penalties to give Trinity 6-0 lead at half time. Throughout the first half Trinity broke the line but good scrambling defence from the home team kept them out.

 

In the second half Trinity kept taking the game to the home team, and Joyce added another penalty to push the lead up to 9-0. You could feel the deep breathing of anxiety around the RDS stadium as the Lansdowne supporters prepared themselves for another unlikely loss to the students.

 

Crucially the game turning moment came on 52 minutes when Trinity had flanker Alan Mathews sent to the bin for a late tackle when chasing a kick. Lansdowne immediately kicked the ball to the corner and Irish International second row Devin Toner was driven over to open the scoring for the home team.

 

This score lifted the Ballsbridge outfit and they turned their game up a notch. It was now the turn of the students to scramble on defence and this they did heroically. Leinster #8 Stephen Keogh was then driven over from a line out close in for Lansdowne to take the lead for the first time 10-9 in the 72^nd minute. They followed this up with a somewhat fortuitous try when a long pass from former Trinity and Ireland international Kieran Lewis in the backs hit the floor and drew the student defence out of line, it bounced up for the Irish U21s Matt Healy to score in the corner.

 

It now looked that despite dominating long periods of this game the students would be denied a bonus point. But they put together the best sequence of phases in the game from deep in their half with a superb outside break by centre Conor Mills and a half break by prop James Gethings.  Lansdowne were stretched to infringe for Dave Joyce to slot over the very important bonus point penalty.

 

This was a spirited and well played game by the students who definitely deserved to get at least a point out of the game. Without their inspiring captain Johnny Iliff Trinity gave a debut to freshman  Ulster & Irish U19s flanker Dominic Gallagher who would have been in the running for “man of the match” if they gave one.

Other news Trinity 2^nd XV went down to league leaders Lansdowne in similar circumstances 13-9. This was a game that went down to the final whistle but the home team just sneaked the win.

 

It was a good day for Trinity U20s. The Premier team continued their good form with a convincing 24-5 win over highly touted Clontarf who had beaten Trinity easily in a friendly earlier in the season. The one blemish on the game was that the students did not get a much valued bonus point for four tries. This win puts the U20s in third place in the Leinster ‘Super Six’ with the two teams St Marys & UCD above them coming up in the next two weeks.

 

Trinity U20s Pennant team played their first game of the New Year and avenged an earlier home defeat by DLSP to win out 30-3 to gain a bonus point and a great win away from home playing fluid running rugby. This win puts them in the hunt for a play off spot with several games to play.

 

Trinity 3rds won 13-0 against Bective, but the 4^th XV unexpectedly lost to Unidare 20-5 which will be a blow to their league chances.