CREGGS 24 BUCCANEERS 5
After a big win in their opening game at home to Carrick-on-Shannon, Buccaneers U-13 boys travelled to near neighbours Creggs at the weekend in their second ever competitive Connacht League game. Played in ideal autumnal weather conditions on The Green in Creggs, the home side got off to the better start with an unconverted try inside 6 minutes.
The bigger Creggs pack dominated possession in the early exchanges, with Buccs having to defend for long periods. And defend gallantly they did, with the back row of Patrick, Niall and Jack putting in an impressive number of tackles, while second row Tomás and hooker Alfie jackaled several turnovers at the Creggs ruck.
An impressive backline move after 15 minutes saw centre Sean in space, only to be stopped just short of the tryline. Having defended well for long periods of the first half, a lapse in defence just before half time saw Creggs sneak in for a converted try to leave the score 12-0 at half time.
Buccs took to the field with renewed vigour after the break and dominated the third quarter in both possession and territory. A fine team move saw Lorcan cross in the corner for an unconverted try after 8 minutes to reduce the deficit, but despite creating a number of other clearcut scoring opportunities, Buccs failed to get the final pass away and the chances went abeging.
They would come to regret those missed opportunities in the final few minutes, as Creggs regained the upper hand via their heavier pack and scored a third try with 4 minutes left to play to extend their lead, with a final Creggs try coming in the last play as Buccs looked to run the ball from their own 22. The game finished on a scoreline of 24-5 to the home team. Despite the scoreline, this was a promising performance from the boys against one of the highest ranked teams in Connacht at this age level, and they learned a lot in defeat. They face another tough assignment away to Ballina in their next game on Halloween weekend.
