TRINITY WIN OPENER FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR SEASONS!!

Terenure 18pts – Trinity 25pts; 16th September 2016

Trinity opened the new season in Division 1A with an impressive win over Terenure on Friday night. With only six regulars from last season on the squad this was always going to be a difficult challenge in the higher league. But the Students have worked very hard over the summer and were rewarded with a win for their efforts.

The game started well with Trinity dominating possession in the opening 10 minutes. Jack McDermott who had a great day with the boot converted from 40M into the wind. In the 12th minute the Terenure scrum half was sin-binned for stamping on Jack McDermott. This without doubt galvanized the home team and they ran rampant for the next 25 minutes of the game as Trinity were reduced to almost onlookers.

Unusually for Trinity, they did not play well into the wind, and kicked away far too much possession and dropped many balls in contact. Terenure played their best rugby in this period and scored a penalty try when a Trinity player kicked the ball out of a ruck. They followed this with another try from close in minutes later.

Just as Terenure looked to have the game won at 15-3, Trinity scored a brilliant counter attack try right on half time, with Jack McDermott, James O’Donovan, Tom Ryan and Kyle Dixon all carrying strongly before Patrick Finlay crashed over from close in for a superb team try. The teams went in at half time with Trinity feeling more confident.

In the second half Trinity upped the tempo and scored another try when outside centre Michael Courtney broke free to run in from 50 metres out. The students were now totally in command as they dominated the set piece and possession. They looked to have iced the game when the backs scored a glorious try after the Dixon brothers linked up with Bryan Mollen to score from a set move. Left wing Evan Dixon came up with the try as he sped in from 40 metres out.

Trinity then showed their naivety when they clearly took the foot off the throat and let the home team back into the game with another penalty. The students did not really come close to losing the game.

This was a not a good performance from the new look Trinity team but the win is a massive boost for the lads involved. Hopefully now they can build on this win and get into some good form.

UCD visit in a non-Colours game next week in College Park 2.30pm. UCD are loaded as usual with talent and will be smarting from losing to Clontarf on Saturday 24-21.

15 James O’Donovan (Fraser Wright 60), 14 Bryan Mollen, 13 Michael Courtney, 12 Kyle Dixon, 11 Evan Dixon, 10 Jack McDermott, 9 Rowan Osborne (Dan Joyce 75), 1 Eric O’Sullivan, 2 Patrick Finlay (Liam Cronin 60), 3 Andy Keating (Fintan Murphy 70), 4 Pierce Dargan, 5 Jack Burke, 6 Sam Pim, 7 Ross Todd, 8 Tom Ryan (Cian O’Dwyer 45). 

Other news;

Trinity 2nd XV had a close win down in Naas to kick off their program 13-10 in wet slippery conditions. It was a game that trinity possibly should have won by more points, but the plucky home team stayed in touch, and the students was happy with the win in the end.

A skeleton Trinity U20s squad a week before ‘Freshers week’ played a friendly with Lansdowne on the back pitch of the Aviva with only three players from last season’s league winning team. They won out in a competitive game two tries to one. They open their league qualifying series with a tough road trip to Barnhall next Sunday. It will be a busy week for the players and coaches of DUFC!!