TRINITY DRAW IN WASH OUT!!
17/11/2007
Thomond 3pts Trinity 3pts The score tells it all really, and when you add that Trinity’s best try scoring opportunity was in the first 90 seconds you can get the picture the game on a horrible wet gray day on a Myross housing estate in the middle of Limerick. If teams want to win All Ireland leagues they have to compete on days like this. The game was played in constant rain which sometimes moved into the torrential category. Trinity lost the toss and played with the strong cross wind. They struggled to get their game going and soon realised that kicking was the best method of gaining ground. Left wing Killian Stafford went close when out half Johnny Watt ‘grubbered’ in behind the scrambling defence. A nice passing movement between Stafford, Marc Lynch and outside centre Volney Rouse looked promising but the ball was knocked on in the contact. As for positive flowing ball handling rugby that was about it!!! In the first half Trinity failed to apply any real pressure as the line out was just a mess for both sides. Trinity had four enforced changes to the pack from the week before and made two more at half time which deeply effected the precision of their set piece. It was so wet, lifting became almost impossible. Thomand did manage a penalty on a their only attack in the Trinity half. Trinity came back when off a 40 metre driving maul Thomond infringed by collapsing the maul. Johnny Watt converted. Trinity had another chance in front of goal but the ball blew off the tee just as Johnny Watt was kicking the ball, it still hit the post but bounced out into open play. At half time things looked desperate for the students who had to play into the wind and torrential rain. The forwards had to take the game to the home team and this they did with some superb ball carrying and control, with aggressive defence and body angles on the fringes of the mauls. Thomond only once got near the Trinity line which was testament to the effort and guts that the students showed. The referee said afterwards he considered abandoning the game but unfortunately for Trinity he did not! The students will have to settle for two points for a draw. You only had to see the reaction of the Thomond coach to see that they were delighted to get the students on a day like that. They thought it was two points gained whereas the general consensus among Trinity players and coaches was that it was two points lost for the students who must have fancied themselves for a win on an ordinary day. Trinity now have a week off, before they host Suttonians in College Park on the 1st December 2.30pm Kick off. 15 Shane Hanratty, 14 Brian Barnard, 13 Volney Rouse, 12 Paul Gillespie, 11 Killian Stafford. 10 Johnny Watt, 9 Joey Burns, 1 Graham Murphy (James Gethings 40), 2 Alan Mathews, 3 Tristan Goodbody, 4 Ciaran Condren, 5 Roger Young, 6 Max Cantrell, 7 Marc Lynch, 8 Richard Morrow (Brian Coyle 40) Other news; Trinity 2nd XV game was cancelled with bottom placed Naas pulling out of the game on Friday. Trinity J3s XV had a superb 34-0 win over local rivals RCSI in a game where only the weather stopped Trinity running up a bigger score. Trinity J4s XV lost 32-8 to Bective after leading 8-0 at half time. Trinity U20s A were free Trinity U20s B played rivals Blackrock in Stradbrook and were desperately unlucky to lose 19-10 after leading 10-9 with only fifteen minutes to go in another game ruined by the conditions.

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