February 16, 2008

RUGBY with MICHAEL SILKE

BUCCANEERS gained further ground on the AIB League Division 2 pacesetters with their third successive win when outscoring De La Salle Palmerstown 40-20 in a high-scoring and hugely entertaining match at Kilternan, Dublin, on Saturday. With both clubs in the top half of the league table and harbouring hopes of promotion, this high tempo match was akin to a Cup tie on a lovely sunny but crisp afternoon in the Dublin foothills. Playing conditions were near perfect and, with so much at stake, the sparse attendance must surely have been disappointing for the host club.

Buccs had no front-line players available from Connacht and thus Stephen Burke and Trevor Conneely returned to the backrow while fit again Adrian Penzhorn slotted back in at centre. DLSP were short Mick Berne, called up to the Leinster squad.

A lively start ensued and Alan Gaughan opened the scoring despite his 8 th minute penalty fairly rattling an upright. Eight minutes later the sides were level, following the first of a number of decisions by referee Roy Menown that did not endear him to the midlanders’ supporters. As DLSP attacked inside the visitors’ 22, the match official missed a fairly clearcut case of accidental offside when the ball carrier collided with a colleague who was ahead of him, and Alamoti TePou was then promptly yellow-carded when handling the ball on the ground. Declan Griffin tapped over the resultant penalty.

But Buccs regained the lead after 21 minutes, Gaughan sending a well-judged penalty over after DLSP were guilty of a handling offence. However, the referee again confounded Buccs supporters when he incredibly ignored Simon Rolleston’s defensive touchdown of a crossfield kick and DLSP’s wing forward Eamonn Guinan could not believe his good fortune when allowed to gather and snatch a flukey 24 th minute try which Griffin did well to convert from wide on the right.

Nevertheless, Buccaneers did not allow their setbacks (their bus had been involved in an accident near the M50 roundabout enroute to the game too) to deflect or deflate them and Gaughan landed his third penalty on the half-hour mark after the home side were tempted offside. They were now gathering momentum and, after Mark Bruce got the ball to Sean Carey, the winger danced around a number of defenders to create space for Burke to burst over the home line for a 34 th minute try close to the left corner flag.

Good handling by Buccaneers including a crucial contribution by Benny Gilligan earned Buccs their second try just before the break, Carey popping up in support on the right flank to dot down. Although Gaughan did not convert either try, Buccs deservedly led 19-10 at the interval.

DLSP began unloading their bench at half-time but Clifford Richardson confidently fielded a number of teasing garryowens following the restart. Then Buccs got an early break when Gaughan read the home side’s intentions to grab an intercept inside his own half and sallied upfield for an opportunist 42 nd minute try at the posts, making his conversion a formality.

Simon Rolleston, who continues to mix the sublime with the ridiculous, was caught between two minds and in possession, coughing up a needless 46 th minute penalty which Griffin converted but the scrumhalf missed another penalty for offside just four minutes later.

Buccs soon punished that miss when Gaughan fielded an inviting diagonal kick to set up possession for Alex Hayman and the Scot used his strength to good effect when powering over for a 54 th minute try on the right. Gaughan landed a fine conversion of this fourth try, which earned Buccs a priceless Bonus point.

While DLSP may now have been down, they were not about to concede defeat just yet and they availed of another piece of good fortune when a long downfield punt hit the goalpost padding. A Buccs defender touched the ball down but once again the referee amazed midlanders’ fans when he ruled from afar that the Buccaneers back had lifted the ball back over his own goalline and thus a five-metre scrum was awarded to DLSP. Conor J. Power was thwarted at the first attempt but when the ball was spun wide Phil de Barra was on hand to get in for a 58 th minute try which Griffin converted to narrow the margin to 33-20.

A grandstand finish now seemed imminent as both sides desperately needed to win. DLSP applied a fair amount of pressure but, as they had done all afternoon, Buccs tackled ferociously and with discipline to keep their line intact. Then, when they got a foothold in home territory, they were patient and composed enabling Carey to notch his second try on 75 minutes. Gaughan’s conversion completed the scoring and brought his match tally to 20 points.

This was an exhilarating duel in which both teams played their part. DLSP had an enterprising backline that kept Buccs on their toes but lacked the defensive meanness of the midlanders. Sub de Barra made a difference when introduced at outhalf while ex-Bucc Niall Smullen was their main target man at lineout time. But Buccaneers were the superior balanced outfit and, in a fine all-round and greatly sustained team display, Gaughan’s contribution was most noteworthy. Richardson, Garreth Halligan and flankers Colin Watters and young Trevor Conneely all put in sizeable efforts while TePou and Burke beavered assiduously throughout. Niall O’Hara was never flustered at fullback and Hayman led the backline in which Carey was more involved by example.

BUCCANEERS:- N.O’Hara (captain); A.Gaughan, A.Penzhorn, A.Hayman, S.Carey; S.Rolleston, M.Bruce; B.Gilligan, G.Halligan, K.Moran; C.Richardson, A.TePou; C.Watters, T.Conneely and S.Burke. Replacements used:- M.Diffley (for Gilligan, 47 mins), A.Hughes (for Burke, inj. 65 mins) and M.Madden (for Conneely, 78 mins).

DE LA SALLE PALMERSTOWN:- J.Conor Power; C.de Chenu, K.Copeland, D.McCabe, K.Gilligan; C.O’Brien, D.Griffin; C.Lehman, E.O’Reilly, C.McCabe; P.McDonnell, N.Smullen; E.Fa’atau (captain), E.Guinan and Conor J.Power. Replacements used:- P.de Barra (for O’Brien, h-t), M.Morrin (for ? h-t), K.Taite (for McDonnell, 52 mins), A.Toher (for Guinan, 63 mins) and F.Cooney (for D.McCabe, 63 mins).

REFEREE:- R.Menown ( Ulster).

E.Guinan & P. de Barra tries A.Gaughan (try, 3 pens & 3 cons),
D.Griffin (2 cons & 2 pens). S.Carey (2 tries), S.Burke (try) & A.Hayman (try).