TRINITY LIVE TO FIGHT AGAIN!!
04/03/2006
Trinity 25pts Dungannon 12pts Trinity showed huge second half character to score four tries to nil and gain a much needed five points towards their AIL First Division survival at Merrion Road on Saturday. The students did not play particularly well, but fully deserved their hard thought win. In the first half Trinity, playing into a slight breeze, defended their own line for most of the period. Dungannon attacked with the ball in hand but lacked a little bit of direction and cohesion to score any tries against the plucky home defence. Midway through the half Trinity broke out of defence to score a well worked try straight from the training field to take a fortunate lead. Centre Paul Gillespie and Full back Gareth Murphy put flanker Hugh Hogan through a gap and Hogan in turn put Irish U21s prop Paul Doran Jones in for a great try. Dungannon came back to kick a penalty through their Ulster contracted out-half Gareth Steenson. It was 5-3 to the Trinity at half time. In the second half Trinity upped the tempo of the game and began to dominate position on the field. Out half Mark O’Neill kicked a penalty early on to increase the lead to 8-3. This was followed by more heavy pressure and #8 Martin Garvey crashed over for his customary try 13-3 Trinity. Dungannon to their credit came back and Steenson in fine kicking form closed the gap to one point when he kicked three penalties in quick succession. The game became very intense as the hits got harder and harder. Trinity were enjoying field position but the tension was broken when full back Gareth Murphy delicately chipped into space for chasing flanker Philip Rowe to get a kind bounce and scamper over for a well-taken try. Eight points up Trinity absorbed more pressure but the defence was now warming to the task with hits coming in from every player. The final score came from a wonderful blend of skill and luck. Wing Philip Howard who had a superb game against Ulster, Ireland and Lion Tyrone Howe, counter attacked a loose kick, he beat two players before passing back inside to replacement out- half Donal Crotty. Crotty showed great soccer skills when he brought the ball under control with his feet flicked it up and put right wing Ronan Doherty in for a superbly taken try, much to the delight of the watching Trinity faithful. A bonus point win was probably more than the students could have imagined particularly with having to reluctantly move the game to Merrion Road because of icy conditions. This win puts the students in with an outside chance of survival with four games to go. They have a game in hand (V Carlow) on the rest of the division. Galwegians who are seven points ahead of Trinity face Buccaneers and Clontarf away, with Cork Con at home. Trinity play Ballymena, Carlow and Buccaneers at home with Cork Con away. This should make for an interesting finish to the season!! Trinity team; 15 Gareth Murphy, 14 Philip Howard, 13 Paul Gillespie, 12 Brian Hastings (Barry Kinsella 50), 11 Ronan Doherty, 10 Mark O’Neill (Donal Crotty 55), 9 Joey Burns, 1 Niall Conlon, 2 Matt Crockett, 3 Paul Doran Jones (Killian O’Neill 45), 4 Darren O’Reilly (Darren Hayes 70), 5 Marc Warburton, 6 Philip Rowe, 7 Hugh Hogan, 8 Martin Garvey. The weekend turned out to be the best of the season so far with Trinity teams all winning crucial games in their respective competitions. Against all the odds the 2nd XV, heavily depleted with injuries and unavailability, squeezed out an 11-9 Metro Cup Quarter Final win against high flying Old Belvedere at College Park. The seconds played without a recognised out-half; with a couple of forwards in the backs, and still won out against quality opposition scoring the only try of the game. The club do not have a bottom-less pit of players and it was on days like this that players have to step up sometimes out of position. The 2nd XV are now in the running for two trophies as they are in the league semi final against St Mary’s College next Sunday in Templeville Road. They also now go into the next round of the Metro Cup. Well done lads. The U20s A had a sudden death play off game with Lansdowne at Santry on Sunday. Trinity were second seeds against Lansdowne who were 5th seeds. The winner would represent Leinster in the all important All Ireland U20s quarter final in April, the number two aim for theU20s squad each season. Trinity, the defending National Champions were eager to make the “final eight”. They did so convincingly beating their fierce rivals four tries to none 22-3, to take their place in the countries elite U20s competition for the third time in four seasons. The students were off colour in their continuity game turning ball over at regular intervals in the first half, but still managing to lead 5-3. In the second half they lifted their game and pulled away from their opponents scoring some superb tries from all over the field. Now for the “All Ireland”!! The U20s Bs, fresh off their league final win at Donnybrook against Bective (8-7), faced a difficult task of playing the same opposition (Bective) in Glenamuck yesterday. The teams fought out another battle but this time the students, although short of key players from the previous week looked the stronger outfit. They won a little easier than last week 21-13. Huge credit to a fine U20s squad that we have in College Park this season. With many players playing on senior teams or injured the fact that Trinity could win two very competitive games on the same day on opposite sides of the city is tremendous. The U20 Bs play Naas next week in Kildare in the Semi final of the Cup. A good week-end all round!

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