TRINITY COME UP SHORT!!
03/05/2006
Trinity Cork Con 33pts Trinity 21pts – April 28th


Trinity sadly slipped back down to the second division on Saturday with their loss to 3rd place Cork Con in Temple Hill in the final AIL game of the season.

The game ended in dramatic and agonising fashion, 26-21 down with six minutes to play Trinity was camped deep in the Cork Con 22 metre area. They had two line outs and two scrums very close to the Con line. Meanwhile in Dublin nearest rivals Galwegians were getting well beaten by Clontarf 33-6. All the students had to do was score! A draw or two bonus points for four tries and a loss by less than seven pts would have seen the students produce a Houdini like escape. The Trinity forwards battled manfully against a well-drilled Cork pack. Captain Matt Crockett looked to have scored but international referee Alain Rolland judged him to be held up by a matter of inches. It was that close. Into injury time Trinity had a scrum, The Cork pack caught the Trinity pack off-guard and unsettled the put in. from the ruck Cork turned over the ball and broke out of defence. Trinity scrambled back, to win back the ball near there own line. From the ensuing scrum on the student’s line, the Trinity backs ran the ball wide only to lose the ball. Con ran in the death nail try.

The students played their best rugby of the season with the ball in hand and continually threatened their illustrious opponents from all over the field. At the end of the day little mistakes cost the students dear. They let Con score three tries from turnover ball, two of which were totally against the run of play. Con scored a try in the first minute after some sloppy play at the kick off by Trinity.

Trinity came back with great spirit, and scored probably the try of the season for the students. From a line out centre Brian Canavan carried the ball well over the advantage line. The ball was switched back to the blindside, for debutant wing and freshman Killian Stafford to make a fine run before off loading to Darren O Reilly, the ball was recycled quickly moved wide right hand side of the field before the forwards combined to put captain Matt Crockett in for a great try which simply had everything. Trinity continued their pressure with some fine handling and continuity play. They infringed at a ruck and Cork Con, Munster and Leicester bound scrum half Frank Murphy tapped and ran before off loading and Cork Con had gone sixty metres untouched for an opportunistic try.

Trinity refused to give in, and they came back with another classic try including more continuity of the highest class. Matt Crockett finishing off from close in, after fine work from most of the team. 14 -14 Cork Con scored another fortunate try against the run of play. 21-14 at half time.

Cork Con came out in the second half and just kept the ball for minutes on end. After laying siege to the Trinity line they eventually scored from close in. Trinity defended heroically but just could not keep them out.26-14 Con.

The game must have been highly entertaining for the neutral, as both teams played with positive intensions. Trinity came back into the game when after some good work by the backs and forwards second row Mark Warburton reached over for a try. Out half Johnny Watt landed his third conversion from as many attempts. Trinity were now fired up as they could see the pathway to survival. They played some bold rugby under the circumstances as they fought for the vital league points.

The last few minutes are now history, but the students know they gave it their all. The club must learn from their two years in the top flight of Irish rugby and be ready to bounce back as soon as possible. The season has seen many close games where Trinity did not pick up the necessary bonus point or the necessary win.

Games against Blackrock, Galwegians, Buccanneers could easily have been won… and bonus points should have been picked up in other games. Trinity did not manage to do this and the rub of the green particularly in the Galwegians game when they were by far the better team but suffered to a whim or incompetence of a referee eventually cost them. You of course make your own luck and Trinity did not manage to do this. We will all come back far better coaches, players and supporters for this tough experience.

Trinity team;
15 Gareth Murphy, 14 Philip Howard, 13 Brian Hastings, 12 Brian Canavan, 11 Killian Stafford, 10 Johnny Watt, 9 Matt D’Arcy, 1 Killian O’Neill (David Rowe), 2 Matt Crockett, 3 Paul Doran Jones, 4 Darren O’Reilly (Gregory Herrera), 5 Marc Warburton, 6 Hugh Hogan, 7 Ross Condren, 8 Martin Garvey.

In the week Trinity 2nds lost a hard fought semi final league cup game with St Marys College 23-14. This was another game that slipped away from the students who played most of the entertaining rugby against a hard working home outfit. Trinity have improved dramatically at this grade. This season they have taken it to another level by making the semi finals in both league and Metro cup. The goal for next season will be to start winning these championships which will be the next objective. Well done to ‘Damo’ and the lads. With the clubs two U20s teams and a young senior 2nd XV having exceptional seasons the future indeed looks very bright for Dublin University Football Club.

Bring on next season…can’t wait…..

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