TRINITY SHADE UCD IN ALL IRELAND U20S SEMI FINAL!
UCD 21pts Trinity 22pts – April 6th 2015

Trinity U20s played UCD for the fifth time this season and just about shaded the game after dominating for 76/77 minute. There was major drama in the last three minutes of play when the home team scored two tries.

UCD started with their only real pressure of the game, and for this they were rewarded with an early penalty from out half Matthew Gilsenan.

Trinity came back, although they struggled to get their shape and pattern going. They seemed to win the physical exchanges early and dominated territory. In flanker Patrick Finlay they had a player who the home team clearly struggled to contain. It was Finlay who, from a dynamic ‘pick and go’, ran in from 20 metres out.

Trinity followed this with another try. Out half Jack Balbernie grubbered in behind the blitz defence and wing Rob Vallejo gathered the ball and clinically put centre Michael Courtney in under the posts for an impressive try. 14-3 up Trinity looked comfortable without ever playing well. They should have scored two more tries before half time when they got turned over on the UCD line, when it looked easier to be patient and score!

The score stayed this way to half time. In the second half, UCD through Gilsenan kicked two more long range penalties, but Trinity never looked under pressure. Hooker Jack Boland made a magnificent break from a five man line out. He carried deep into the UCD half. Trinity gained a penalty and kicked to the corner. The Trinity forwards executed a well organized line out drive to score in the corner. They crucially missed the conversion from the corner.

Trinity led 22-9 and continued to control the possession for the most part. The game lacked any real continuity throughout and it looked like Trinity would just run down the clock. But with only three or four minutes remaining Trinity crucially gave away an interception totally against the run of play. The games dynamic changed as UCD realized they could win! The home team began to play for the first time in the game. Trinity were mentally stunned at the proceedings and their usual tough defence crumbled with UCD scoring again in the corner! With the game now down to a one point lead to the visitors, UCD missed the conversion in what would have been an unlikely victory for them.

Trinity have to learn the lessons from this game . They must learn how to close out the game. They should never have found themselves facing a conversion to win or lose the game.

SUNDAY, 12th APRIL 2015 2.30p.p.m. U20s ALL IRELAND FINAL – Old Belvedere Rugby Club.

Trinity now face old rivals Lansdowne in Old Belvedere at 2.30pm next Sunday in what will be their third All Ireland Final showdown. Each club has one win each, so it is all to play for. It is only two years ago that Lansdowne won 28-27 in the All Ireland Final in Wanderers, hopefully Trinity can avenge that loss!
The Senior Trinity 1st XV play for a promotion spot next Saturday in College Park at 2.30pm. Added to this, U20s Pennant Semi Final game V Old Belvedere. Trinity supporters will certainly have a great weekend of rugby to follow.

Important to get behind the lads in their quest for honours. We can go years without a sniff of these types of games.