TRINITY CLOCK SECOND FIFTY POINT WIN IN A ROW!
26/02/2011

Trinity 58pts – Thomond 17pts

Trinity won convincingly for the second home game running (they beat Clonakilty  59-27) when they scored over 50 pts against Munster Club opposition on a beautiful spring day in College Park.

Trinity started brightly with the aim of moving the heavy visiting pack around the field. Inside centre Tim McCoy scored a fine individual try when he cut through the first line of defence and looked to be tackled but he dragged two or three Thomond defenders with him over the line.

Centre Ciaran Wade and James O’Donoghue combined well to put right wing Neil Hanratty racing down the wing to score his first try. Thomond clearly struggled to keep up with the pace of the home XV and tended to give away penalties rather than definite tries. Trinity Full back James O’Donoghue punished them and kicked four penalties.

Scrum half Mick McLoughlin did sneak in for a well taken try when he saw a gap in the fringe defence after several phases and coasted in under the posts. He visibly thought about a Chris Ashton ‘swallow dive’ but thought better of it, did the humble thing and just  touched down! Trinity let Thomond into the game when,  on their only visit to the Trinity half,  they scored from close in. The score was 29-7 at half time.

In the second half Trinity continued to attack against their outgunned opponents. The backs ran another move that put wing Shane Hanratty in for a well worked try. Brother Neil then scored probably the try of the game when he took an inside ball off out half Dave Joyce and sliced through the first line of defence. He then took the scenic route to the line when he simply out ran the full back to the corner on a long arcing run to score for the second time.

The pack then got in on the act when, after a series of scrums on the Thomond five metre line,  the referee had no hesitation in  awarding a ‘penalty try’ as the fast retreating  Thomond  scrum collapsed over their own line.

Open-side flanker Eamon Guinan scored his first try for the 1^st XV from one metre out.  Full back James O’Donoghue kicked 23 pts on the day with a mix of penalties and conversions.

Trinity now take a month break from AIL play. They now take a week off before they play traditional fixtures against Oxford and Cambridge University. Trinity play Oxford in College Park on 12^th March and travel to Cambridge a week later Friday 18^th March.

15 James O’Donoghue, 14 Neil Hanratty, 13 Ciaran Wade, 12 Tim McCoy, 11 Shane Hanratty (Peter Zarafa 60), 10 Dave Joyce, 9 Michael McLoughlin (Sam Bell 65), 1 Ian Hirst, 2 Mark Murdoch (Craig Telford 60), 3 James Gethings (Paddy McCabe 50), 4 Julian Mackey, 5 Pierce Byrne, 6 Colin MacDonnell, 7 Eamon Guinan, 8 Alan Mathews;

 

Trinity U20s Premier XV lost a tough “Super Six” encounter with UCD 22-10 in a game they dominated for the first half.  UCD avenged their defeat by Trinity in the Belfield bowl in November. Trinity played some great rugby in the first half but were not awarded any tries for their pressure. Early in the second half the home team got a couple of key injuries and UCD took full advantage to deservedly win the game. Trinity now place “Middle Six” winners St Mary’s College in the All Ireland play off on 13th March at a neutral venue to  be announced.

Trinity Pennant XV confirmed qualification for the Leinster First Division play offs when they convincingly beat third place DLSP 25-7. They still have two regular season games remaining.

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