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STRABANE 23 - 6 CIVIL SERVICE ( Q-FINAL) | Sun 19th Mar 2006 | | The Team
1. Mal 2. R.O.B 3. Davy Fin. 4. Eddie. 5. Bap. 6. Gordie 7. Cricky 8. John Graham 9. Mcknight 10. Maxie 11. Rossie 12. Mowbs 13. Brian 14. Housty 15. Paul 16. Les 17. Stuartie.
The large home faithful cheered and shouted on Saturday as their first 15 brushed aside the visitors from the higher leagues to secure their place in the last 4 of the Gordon West Cup. Strabane have now taken 2 scalps from the higher leagues and are the only Qualifying 4 team left in the competition with the other 3 participants playing their rugby at the top of Qualifying 3.
The game started in promising style with the pack providing solid platform, which resulted in Mowbs making a clean line brake straight down the centre of the field. Unfortunately however with players in support the pass did not go to hand and the chance was lost.
Service began to settle and used the strong wind well to secure field position on the Strabane 22. All their initial efforts were snuffed out however by ferocious home tackling, typified by Eddie who from 2nd row on one side of the pitch got across to nail the Service winger on the opposite touchline.
This spirit and aptitude for unglamorous defensive work is evident throughout the side and is the overriding reason for the success enjoyed this season to date.
From the lineout came the first major incident of the day when the normal gentile Maxie took exception to the antics of the opposing openside, both of whom were given a ten-minute rest for their handbag session. Maxie’s half back partner McKnight was disgusted at Maxie’s lacklustre fighting style and advised his colleague that if your going to get sin binned then make it for something worth while, such as tap dancing on some-one for a while.
The first score came shortly after when several good phases involving forwards and backs resulted in a blindside pick up by the skipper who fed the outhalf/fullback/odd job play anywhere man on the burst. After gaining good ground the ball was fed inside the covering defender to Ross who skilfully drew the last man and gave the speedster McKnight a clean run to the line for a 5-0 lead. In difficult kicking conditions Housty missed the conversion.
Service were in no mood to lie down and used their big centre and the strong wind to press into the Strabane 22 and were basically camped there for the rest of the half. Again the defence was solid with John Graham continually stealing or at worst slowing opposition ball and all Service had to show for their efforts were 2 penalties to take the lead at 6-5.
This gave the home side the necessary impetus and excellent work in the loose by the forwards won a penalty, which Maxie slotted for a half time lead of 8-5.
Strabane started slowly in the 2nd half with the visitors enjoying the better of the initial exchanges with some scrambling defence required to snuff out a number of line breaks in mid field.
We began to settle however and our dominance in the scrum played a major part in the next score.
Deep inside the Service 22 the home 8 put on the shove on opposition ball which put their scrum half in trouble. Housty made an excellent block and won the race to the breakdown for a five pointer.
Service continued to press but never really threatened to add to their tally apart from a misplaced pass which lead to a mid field interception which put their centre clear away. This helped to answer the debate about quickest man in the club as my horse, Brian Allen, was passed by that thoroughbred McKnight who saved a certain try with the tackle of the day. He might be the smallest horse in most races but there are few as determined and down right evil as him!
The forwards continued to have the superior hand in the scrums and again the lineouts were good and this allowed Maxie to use the elements and his kicking game to gain yards and field position, keeping Service pinned in their 22.
From one such platform the Bap had a charge for the line but the 16th defender just managed to drag him down. This lead to a serious Bap injury although through the screaming and holding his face it was difficult for the medics to make an accurate assessment of this traumatic situation….which turned out to be cramp.
Chris ended the scoring after Maxie had struck another penalty, as turnover ball was moved quickly wide through several pairs of hands before Chris went over in the corner. Maxie added the 2 points.
Not the best we have played all yr but we were comfortable against a team from the middle of the league above us.
Ophir await in the semi in April. |
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