J2 XV v Enniscorthy – 13.10.2019

Our J2s made the 1 hour and 20 minute drive to Enniscorthy this afternoon expecting the game to be a washout – with awful weather predicted. However, from the minute we arrived in Wexford the sun shone down in the sunny south-east. For the whole game the heat made its impact on both teams, with plenty of water being drunk throughout.

Our lads, having lost to Terenure last week were eager to add some winning points to the league table. In what must be a first for our junior lads, the referee for the day towered above almost every player on the pitch and made sure that no one stepped out of line. It was agreed by those watching and playing that it was the one of the finest refereeing we have ever seen. And even if it wasn’t, no-one would have been brave enough to tell him.

Within 10 minutes of playing the score was Mary’s 5 – 7 Enniscorthy and it looked like it could be a high scoring game. Hard hits coming from both sides with very fast back-line moves and plenty of forward play too, played in the hot sun made for some very tired lads for both teams. However, the intensity never dropped throughout.

Enniscorthy made use of one or two missed tackles and scored again leaving it Mary’s 5 – 14 Enniscorthy. However, a well-placed Penalty kick from the always reliable James Bourke meant we were now only 6 behind. This was followed by a lovely try under the posts making it easy for Bourkey to convert putting us ahead. Mary’s 15 – 14 Enniscorthy.

We went into half-time with some sore bodies from the relentless pace of the game a few points ahead, and it looked like we were now in control. However, from the kick-off, Enniscorthy grabbed a try to put us on the back-foot. As the game moved on it was getting closer and closer and there was really nothing between the two. Two tries scored by Enniscorthy, with the second coming 4 minutes before the final whistle, it looked like our lads were going to lose a game they deserved to win. The ball was kicked to Enniscorthy and with some phenomenal work in the scrum that had been driving Enniscorthy backwards the whole game; the ball came back to Mary’s.

With the clock now at 80 minutes, any break in the game meant full time. Our pack bruised their way through the defence with relentless power. New signing, Alan Blake, who can only be described as the largest man in the world, broke through the line (he had earlier in the match cleared out a ruck that consisted of himself and three opposition players who dropped like bowling pins). Following this forward after forward crashed up. With Enniscorthy defending very well it looked like it was too little too late. The famous Lenzo got the ball down just on the line but heard no whistle so managed to get the ball back through the ruck. Somehow, in the mass of our huge pack, winger Nigel “Nidge” Kerr managed to grab the ball and touch it down over the line. After about 83 minutes of play, Mary’s had snatched a well-deserved victory!!

Tries scored on the day by the never-aging Donners who nabbed 2, Murph (who has played with the J2s for about 15 years it seems) scored 1, and new signings Nidge and Jack Hatfull grabbing the other 2.

An incredible game with a nail-biting conclusion was won by the Boys in Blue who played some brilliant rugby today. Well done lads and we look forward to your match with Skerries next weekend!

Congratulations to Donners who was awarded Man of the Match following his incredible performance today. 80 minutes of crash ball from a man who has just turned 40, but still showing that he never lost it! He somehow gets better as he gets older!!