06.11.2010 J4 XV v Athy (H)
| 06/11/2010 | 1:00pm | League | St. Marys J4 XV | 43 – 13 | Athy RFC | Home |
The J4’s played Athy in Templeville on Saturday in the penultimate match of Phase 1 of the new look J4 league.
Athy arrived having, like Mary’s, won their opening 3 games, and looking very likely to finish in the top 3 and progress to the ‘Super 6’ phase. As results between teams qualifying carry over to the Super 6, this was an important game for us.
The 1.00 kick-off ensured that the match was played in good conditions and Athy began well, converting a penalty on the 10m line after only 2 minutes.
The lads had worked hard on a particular game plan at training and put this into effect as soon as they got their hands on the ball. Some great continuity play by both forwards and backs, followed by a Teddy dummy and then pass to the supporting Joe Doddy, led to Mary’s opening try after 8 minutes. Joe could have had the try himself, but unselfishly passed to his great friend and mentor, Darragh O’Neill to score the try. Teddy slotted the easy conversion for 7-3.
Mary’s off-loading and continuity let them work through the phases, gaining territory and penalties. After one of these penalties led to a lineout 5 metres out from the Athy line, coach and hooker Eamon Moran got a try after a well worked maul. A great conversion from Ted made it 14-3 after 15 minutes.
A similar lineout maul should have led to another try 5 minutes later, but birthday boy John Twomey knocked on as he went to score.
Some indiscipline in our own half, in being penalised for tugging back an Athy player let them add another 3 points for 14-6, but Mary’s extended their lead further 5 minutes from half time with a well worked move from a 5 metre scrum. No. 8 Padraig Nestor picked at the base, made good ground and then popped to Teddy on the burst to score by the posts. He converted his own try for a 21-6 lead at half time.
Just 3 minutes into the second half, Teddy kicked a penalty from the Athy 22 to make it 24-6. Athy responded by kicking for territory deep into the Mary’s 22 but winger Paul Whyte collected the ball and countered well, bringing play into the Athy 22. We quickly recycled the ball and after good play by centre Wally Moran and skipper Phil Conway, winger Nick Cunningham got in for the try. Teddy converted for 31-6.
Mary’s took the foot off the pedal for a period after that and after a mistake at the fringe of a ruck, managed to score a try in the corner to make it 31-13.
Mary’s finished strongly however, and replacement flanker Tim Henderson spotted a gap in the Athy backline in our own 22 and raced through it as fast as his little legs would carry him. He made it nearly all the way to the Athy line before delivering a basketball pass to centre David Carpenter, just as he was tackled. Carpo applied the simple finish to make it 36-13.
With the last play of the game, scrum half Ross Wynne made a blind side break from a scrum, passed to full-back Darragh who raced 40 metres to score in the corner. Ted slotted the conversion to make the final score 43-13 to Mary’s.
15. D. O’Neill 14. N. Cunningham 13. D. Carpenter 12. P. Moran 11. P. Whyte 10. B. Moran 9. R. Wynne 8. P. Nestor 7. P. Conway 6. R. O’Neill 5. J. Doddy 4. J. Twomey 3. R. Kelly 2. E. Moran 1. A. Godfrey