BUCCANEERS 34 GREYSTONES 20
BUCCANEERS U-20s game against Greystones in the J.P.Fanagan Leinster League Premier 2 contested at Dubarry Park on Sunday afternoon was truly a game of two halves. Buccs were way below their normal standard in the opening half after which they trailed 3-20 at halftime in this Pool 1 fixture but they were rejuvenated after the change of ends, putting in a five-star effort to secure a bonus point victory that did not look likely at the interval.
Buccs made two changes from the side that performed so well in Belfast last week with Callum Kelly and Stephen Madden starting in the backline on a fine sunny afternoon. The pitch held up very well bearing in mind all the recent rain and the Seniors game of the previous day.
Buccs opened the scoring with a 3rd minute Jack Quinn penalty but that proved to be their solitary first half score as the Pirates were sluggish and naieve in that period. From a scrum that was going backwards on halfway, Greystones somehow got the ball away and a swift counter-attack with slick handling was finished by Matthew Stewart wide on the right for a 10th minute try.
Five minutes later the Wicklow side scored a debatable try. Firstly a grounded home player was penalised after an opponent dived on top of him which should have resulted in a penalty to the hosts while the subsequent Greystones lineout throw was far from straight. But that did not worry the visitors as Daniel Jordan was driven over for a try converted by Matthew Murray.
Then an ill-judged quick throw-in just five metres from their own line was to prove costly on the double for Buccs, creating disarray in the home ranks. Leo Anic was yellow carded and Murray tapped over the 20th minute penalty for a 15-3 lead. That advantage was stretched further when Murray fastened on to a knock-on and he outpaced the cover for a 27th minute try which he also converted.
This pushed Greystones 20-3 ahead at the interval. Buccs had been very poor in the opening half, a depleted backline being exposed but the Pirates did not help their cause through silly errors. Changes to personnel and playing style were made at the break and the introductions of Sean Glennon and Patrick Egan in particular brought a dynamism that was absent in the first half.
The midlanders promptly set about retrieving the situation and Anic stormed over for a 44th minute try. Four minutes later Kelly made a splendid break from halfway, weaving past a number of attempted tackles to dot down between the uprights. Quinn duly converted and the arrears were quickly reduced to 20-15.
The Shannonsiders were now a totally different proposition as they pinned the visitors in their own half. Approaching the three-quarters stage, an impressive drive by the pack brought them close and Conor Dowling took advantage to score the levelling try.
It was all one-way traffic at this stage and the penalty count against Greystones was mounting, and they eventually incurred a sin-bin to Joshua Buckley on 66 minutes. Buccs promptly capitalised with Abu Saka grounding the ball for a 68th minute pushover try to secure a bonus point.
From the restart, Glennon sent Dowling away from halfway and the centre had the pace to go all the way to touch down between the uprights. Quinn added both conversions to complete the 34-20 comeback victory.
Anic and Glennon were leaders in an excellent second half contribution by the pack while Kelly and Dowling were pick of the backs unit as Buccaneers maintain their grip on top of this Super Six group.
BUCCANEERS:- C.Kelly; S.Madden, C.Dowling, K.Byrne, G.Murphy; J.Quinn, R.Costello; E.Rooney-Digan, S.O’Connor, A.Oates; C.Spellman, L.Anic; S.Rohan (captain), E.McMickan and A.Saka. Replacements:- E.McLaughlin (for McMickan, 30 mins), S.Glennon (for O’Connor, h/t), P.Egan (for Byrne, h/t), K.Barrett (for Costello, h/t), E.McMickan (for McLaughlin, h/t), M.Turner (for Madden, 71 mins), E.McLaughlin (for Rohan, 71 mins) and T.Trainor (for Turner).
GREYSTONES:- J.Ward; M.Stewart, N.Harte, C.Fitzpatrick, F.Kelly; M.Murray, T.Guilfoyle; H.Doyle, D.Jordan, S.Gillespie; M.Sweeney, R.Hughes; J.Murray, B.O’Reilly and N.Griffiths (captain). Replacements:- D.Naidoo, H.Miller, D.Stewart, J.Buckley, H.Gilmore and A.Walsh.
Referee:- David Andreu (Connacht).
BUCCANEERS 34 GREYSTONES 20
