BUCCANEERS 42 QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY 38
BUCCANEERS and Queen’s University served up an absolute J.P.Fanagan Leinster Premier 2A League cracker at Dubarry Park on Sunday with the Pirates toppling the league leaders by 42-32. This was a real thriller and the home side displayed commendable guts, enterprise and a never say die attitude. This fantastic win moves Buccs to the top of the Section A league table and guarantees qualification for the Super Six stage of this competition.
Missing players of the calibre of Dylan Duffy, Niall Tallon, Kailin Blessing, Alex Coonan, Max O’Sullivan and Chris McKinney, the Buccs starting XV was tweaked following their avoidable defeat away to Wanderers. Jack Quinn and Robert Costello formed a new halfback pairing and Leo Anic returned at lock following injury.
Queen’s opened the scoring with missed tackles contributing to Oran Kennedy’s 7th minute try and Luke Foreman added a second 3 minutes later, helped by a lack of width in the home defence. Buccs responded with a quick tap and go penalty following a Sean Glennon turnover with the returning Anic crossing the visitors’ line.
Chris Massey replied with a try for the Students putting them 19-7 ahead and, at this early stage, it looked ominous for the homesters at the end of the opening quarter. But the Pirates struck back with a beautifully worked try from halfway. Initially Anic burst through the defensive line to offload to Glennon and a phase later Henson’s offload to Quinn was sublime and he released Tadhg Trainor to score in the corner on 26 minutes.
Three minutes later some fantastic phase play in the Queen’s half had the visitors defence unlocked with a penalty try being awarded after Callum Kelly was clothesline just short of the northerners goalline to put Buccs ahead for the first time 21-19. The Students incurred a yellow card in this incident but a show and go pass by Ethan Duncan led to Evan McGonigle’s try. Queen’s were pegged back in their own 22 for a period before halftime at which stage they led 26-21.
Six minutes into the second half Danny Reid chipped through to the opposition 22 where Reid’s follow up chase allied by a flood of Pirates forced a turnover penalty. A tap and go followed and, a few phases later, Anic crashed over under the posts for a 28-26 lead. But Queen’s retorted when Harry Wan scored out wide after Buccs lack of width was again exposed on 58 minutes.
Buccs then applied fierce pressure for a period following a scrum penalty advantage and they were rewarded when Anic completed his hat-trick on 67 minutes. Three minutes later Egan retrieved a fumbled ball on halfway and chipped through to the Queen’s tryline. The flanker won the foot race to touchdown and give Buccaneers some extra breathing space. The Belfast side had the final score through Rob Henderson but Buccs took the spoils on a 42-38 margin.
Henson was flawless off the tee, proving the difference in the scoreline and Egan made a huge impact off the bench while Anic was a monster in both attack and defence on his season’s debut. Aindriu Oates, Sean Glennon and Elliot Rooney-Digan were a powerful front row trio helping the midlanders to their scrum being dominant throughout. Both teams scored half a dozen tries with 80 points being accumulated in total as the Athlonians responded positively following their disappointing defeat at Wanderers. Next up is a huge challenge away to UCD on Sunday.
BUCCANEERS:- A.Henson; T.Trainor, L.McCormack, D.Reid, C.Kelly; J.Quinn, R.Costello; E.Rooney-Digan, S.Glennon, A.Oates; C.Spellman, L.Anic; E.McMickan, A.Saka and S.Rohan (captain). Replacements:- P.Egan (for Rohan, h/t), C.Dowling (for Costello, 51 mins), G.Murphy (for Trainor, 56 mins), E.McLaughlin (for Saka, 60 mins), A.Saka (for Rooney-Digan, 68 mins), M.Turner (for Reid, 72 mins) and S.O’Connor (for McMickan, 72 mins)
QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY:- E.McGonigle; L.Foreman, O.Kennedy, R.Henderson, M.Bradbury; E.Duncan, H.Larkin; C.Massey, G.Craigan, J.Postles; J.Thompson, C.Millar; J.McNeilly, D.Moore and E.Pavlovic. Replacements:- A.Caldwell, E.Cameron, A.Lipscomb, B.Stewart, H.Wan and E.Wilson.
Referee:- Cian Hough (Connacht).
