TRINITY U20S HOLD OUT FOR WIN
10/04/2011

Trinity U20s 32pts – Clontarf 29pts

With the 1^st XV enjoying their bye week in preparation for next week’s Colours game, the Trinity U20s took centre stage in Santry with a Quarter Final McCorry Cup game against this year’s Leinster League U20s Champions  - Clontarf.

Trinity played some sensational rugby for 65 minutes when they led 25-5 and then they hit what is commonly known as the “Trinity Ball Wall” as they struggled to keep their lead until the end under heavy Clontarf pressure.

Trinity opened the scoring with Full back Ariel Robles finishing off a great movement by forward  and backs with forwards Brendan O’Connell and Hugh Kelleher particularly prominent. ‘Tarf’  came back to score straight away and everything was set for a tough physical game. Trinity continued to attack.  From another well executed pattern hooker Warren Larkin  and #8 Jack Dilger,  who showed some “unseen before” skill,  put his scrum half Dave Fanagan in for a fabulous  try.

More pressure on the Clontarf line resulted in a poor clearance kick.  Full back Ariel Robles bravely took the ball on the full and ran around the cover defence for a well taken individual try. Irish U20s Out half Cathal Marsh who expertly called the shots all day kicked a penalty to give Trinity a 20-5 lead at half time.

In the second half Trinity kept up their expansive approach in superb sunshine. Cathal Marsh executed another back line move that resulted in Ariel Robles cutting the line before feeding wing Brahm Boniadas who beat his man to score in the corner.

Clontarf to their credit  came back hard and, after scoring a controversial try (the try scorer looked to be two metres over the dead ball line) closed the gap to 25-19 with 10 minutes to go. Trinity managed to get some scrum ball and the backs again cut the visiting defence with  centre Johnny Meagher cutting through to score off another well rehearsed move involving scrum half replacement Billy Glynn and replacement #8 Paddy LaValla.

Clontarf came back with their massive pack to score after a series of drives at the Students line. In  injury time “Tarf” had a long range drop goal attempt which thankfully drifted wide left to give the Students their  much deserved win.

Next week they play St Marys in the semi final,  the team who beat them with an injury time try 7-0 to put Trinity out of the All Ireland play offs. The game will be played on neutral ground.

 

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