12.12.2009 J4 XV v Tallaght (H)

12/12/20092.00pmLeagueSt. Marys J4 XV49 – 0TallaghtHome

J4 V Tallaght
49           00

The J4’s moved to the top of the league with a win over bottom team Tallaght at Templeville Road on Saturday. Mary’s started well with good territory and possession, and out-half Teddy Moran kicked a penalty from 15m inside the Tallaght half to give us a 3-0 lead. That lead was extended when left winger Chi-Yuen Hui seized on a dropped Tallaght ball in midfield, picked up and ran in from halfway to score. Teddy converted to make it 10-0. Mary’s had a 5m scrum after the Tallaght out-half knocked on on their line when trying to clear a ball. No. 8 Padraig Nestor broke from the back of the scrum and popped to Teddy on the burst to score to the left of the posts. The conversion was missed and Mary’s led 15-0.

Tallaght had spells in the Mary’s 22 but good defence and timely turnovers meant that the blue line was rarely threatened. After the referee had signalled a penalty advantage to Mary’s at a ruck, Teddy decided to run from outside our 22. He passed wide and the ball found its way to Chi-Yuen in space who mad a great run almost to the line before being tackled. He managed to offload to the supporting Teddy who stepped the last defender to score in the corner. He missed the tricky conversion – 20-0 to Mary’s.

Tallaght’s frustration was leading them to lose their discipline and after a late shoulder charge on our captain Ross Wynne, we kicked the penalty to touch about 7 metres from the Tallaght line. The excellent mauling from last week continued this week with Andy McCarthy getting the score. 25-0 at half-time. The half-time team talk from hooker/coach Eamon Moran was uncontrollably frank to ensure there was no let-up in the performance in the second half.

Tallaght’s frustration boiled over again just one minute into the second half with their winger kicking Mary’s full-back Colm Quinn who was on the ground after a tackle into touch. The referee duly brandished the yellow card. Centre Darragh O’Neill soon scored in the corner with an arcing run to make it 30-0 (the lads weren’t helping Ted’s all-important kicking stats with all these scores in the corner).

Another line-out maul led to Eamon breaking from the back and scoring (in the corner). Ted knocked over this conversion, probably to spite his younger brother! 37-0. Replacement Paul Whyte, returning from injury, then broke a couple of tackles to score under the posts for 44-0. Eamon then scored in exactly the same corner (road end of main pitch, far corner) so he has asked that it be renamed Peanut’s corner!

Final score was St. Mary’s 49-0 Tallaght.

Mary’s now play second-placed Old Belvedere under lights in Anglesea Road on Thursday night at 8.00, in what is our most important fixture so far. Any and all support would be appreciated. Belvo were the only team to beat us last season (in the league quarter final) and even then, only by a last second try under the posts, so revenge will be the order of the day!

Gavin Rafferty

15. Colm Quinn 14. Nick Cunningham 13.Bartley Walsh 12. Paul Moran 11. Chi-Yuen Hui 10. Brian Moran 9. Ross Wynne; 1. Mark McKay 2. Eamon Moran 3. Alan Godfrey 4. Kenny McArdle 5. Andy McCarthy 6. Phil Conway 7. Tim Henderson 8. Padraig Nestor

Replacements: Paul Whyte, Darragh O’Neill, Ross Kelly, Seb Conway