BUCCANEERS 17 GALWEGIANS 38
After a highly promising first half performance a very young Buccaneers squad faded in the closing stages of their Energia All-Ireland League Division 1B game played in ideal conditions at Dubarry Park on Saturday. A big crowd attended this Connacht derby and they witnessed an exciting contest, especially the first half exchanges, before the visitors pulled away for a 38-17 victory.
Both teams were much altered from their recent Connacht League fixture. Buccs made six changes with teenager Tom Cotton and fit again Orrin Burgess starting in the backline. Adam Cooper, Sam Meecham and Dan Donovan (who all came off the bench at Glenina) started in the pack on this occasion along with Patrick Egan. The Tribesmen featured an unchanged pack but had four changes to their backline where Stephen Mannion operated at flyhalf.
On a bright warm afternoon Wegians began on the front foot but, after absorbing early pressure, Buccs settled into a lively tussle and Dylan Duffy landed an excellent 8th minute penalty to open the scoring. Four minutes later the light blues drove over the home line wide on the left where Dylan Keane appeared to lose control of the ball in the process of grounding but the try was awarded and Mannion added a fine conversion.
Buccs response was immediate with Abel Bouwens getting the ball away despite a borderline tackle to Dylan Duffy and he raided up the right flank and sucked in the cover before off-loading to Leo MacFarlane for a flowing try at the Bounty corner. The fullback added an excellent conversion to put the Pirates 10-7 ahead with just 14 minutes played.
Burgess was a regular threat to the visitors when in possession before composed and sustained home pressure yielded a 26th minute Donovan try with Duffy adding the extras. The exchanges were not going to plan for the westerners and they went to their bench with Matthew Victory and Luke Murtagh joining the fray.
They narrowed their arrears when Cian Brady finished off a good spell for a 33rd minute try. Mannion’s conversion left the match delicately balanced at half-time with the hosts 17-14 ahead.
Wegians started the second half as they did the first with Liam Angermann making good ground but Buccs held firm and then enjoyed a good period of pressure. But an ill-judged grubber kick, when the homesters were doing well when being patient, transferred possession to the city side. When they got into the home 22 an exquisite diagonal kick from right to left was fastened onto by Oisin McKey for a 45th minute try converted by Mannion that restored the lead to Galwegians.
On the hour mark a missed tackle proved costly for the midlanders and Brady took full advantage to circle in for a bonus point try at the uprights which he also converted. This took the wind out of the Pirates brave challenge and they did not add to their tally in the second half while Andrew Sherlock touched down for the visitors ten minutes from time. Substitute Sherlock then completed the 38-17 scoreline with a late try wide on the left for the visitors.
Wegians had more grunt and nous than the hosts with Jarrad Butler highly influential in the forwards exchanges where Rob Holian was very prominent. Victory, one of five Academy players on the bench, made a decided difference too when introduced while Brady was pick of their backline.
At just 27 Buccs skipper Reid was by 3 years the elder in the home starters so this was a very young Pirates crew who played exhilarating rugby at times. Some preventable errors cost them dearly but otherwise there was plenty to enthuse about their encouraging performance against what is one of fancied sides in this division. Half the home squad were making their AIL debuts, including a quartet of teenagers, and they will have learned some key lessons from this contest that will benefit them in forthcoming fixtures.
BUCCANEERS:- D.Duffy; T.Shine, T.Cotton, C.Reid (captain), O.Burgess; A.Bouwens, L.MacFarlane; A.Cooper, O.Dolan, R.Duffy; C.Sheehan, S.Meecham; P.Egan, D.Donovan and L.Balsiger. Replacements:- H.Balsiger (for Burgess), S.Glennon (for Egan), C.Byrne (for R.Duffy), D.Connolly (for MacFarlane) and J.Kelly (for Cooper).
GALWEGIANS:- D.Kennedy; L.Casserly, R.Deacy, C.Brady, O.McKey; S.Mannion, A.Lindner; J.Winters, R.Smith, T.Gormley; R.Holian, J.Quinn; L.Angermann, D.Keane (captain) and J.Butler. Replacements used:- M.Victory, L.Murtagh, E.Ferry, D.Walsh and A.Sherlock.
Referee:- John Lillis (IRFU).
