J4 XV — Season 2015/16

J4 XV v Guinness (H) 03.10.2015

Match Report:

Leinster Metro League Division 6

St Marys College RFC 36 Guinness RFC

Mary’s J4s bounced back from their opening day defeat to Old Wesley in some style on Saturday as they comprehensively defeated a brave Guinness outfit at Templeville Road to get their league campaign up and running.

The Guinness side arrived at the ground with a massive pack leading the way and as anticipated the early exchanges in the game were hugely physical as both sides battled to lay down a marker, but it was Mary’s who drew first blood when a penalty at the breakdown was coolly slotted away by fly-half James Bourke.

The Mary’s defence was solid across the board as Guinness sent wave after wave of big ball carriers down the middle of the park and the home side got their just rewards when a fortuitous stroke of luck saw a ball knocked forward in the air by winger Daniel Hanlon bounce up into the arms of Cillian Walsh who showed a clean pair of heels as he stormed in untouched for the opening try of the afternoon.

Following Bourke’s conversion the Mary’s backline took control, spreading the Guinness defence all over the park with some beautiful passing and determined running eventually culminating in a fantastic bit of individual skill from inside centre Mick Daly who crossed for Mary’s second which was again converted by Bourke to leave the score 17-0 at half time.

The introduction of Aaron O’Connor at the break saw the pace of the game increase in tempo as he whizzed from ruck to ruck keeping the ball flowing and with the backs running the Guinness side ragged gaps quickly began to show in the visiting sides’ defence.

Cue hooker James McHugh stepping up to the plate as he rampaged through a hole in the defence to chalk up the first of a brilliant brace of tries which were well deserved during a typically hard working display and put away in quick succession as Bourke converted one and narrowly missed the other to leave the score at 29-0.

The brave Guinness side threw everything they had at Mary’s in the dying minutes and were unlucky not to come away with a score from the game but the home side’s determined defence and refusal to lie down, personified by captain Shane Fanning meant that it was going to be a whitewash on the day.

With the game drawing towards a close and the Mary’s side still firing out wide it was under 20s centre Alex Smirnov who put the final icing on the cake as the ball was spread wide and he ran in for a fine try that the brilliant Bourke converted to leave the score 36-0 and a job well done on the day by an impressive Marys J4 effort.

J4 XV v Old Wesley (H) 04.12.2015

Our J4s hosted Old Wesley on Friday Night under lights in the Metro League Section 6.

Not alone did we have to compete with the leagues only unbeaten team but also with Storm Desmond.

Old Wesley started quickly with their pick and go tactics, bringing their big pack into the game. They scored first, but missed the conversion .

We still were coping with conditions when Old Wesley converted a penalty in front of the posts.The score after 15 mins was 8-0 to Wesley.

Then collectively we started to play with our own pick and goes . Our loose head prop from America Taylor Berliant recently celebrated thanksgiving day ,but we were thanking him after he drove over the line to get our 1st score , converted by James Bourke close to the posts. Score after 20min 8-7 Wesley.

With us now raising our game everyone got stuck in .We scored next from a reverse pass from Richard Pyne to his centre partner Michael Daly who broke their defenders to score under the posts . Again converted by James Bourke. Score now 14-8 to us.

After controlling the kick off we again attacked with superb rucking to see the backs go left putting Peter Daly in at the corner.

James Bourke again stood up and unbelievably converted from the touch line , not alone a difficult kick but the wind so strong it was surreal.

We came together at half time leading 21-8 knowing we would all have to stand up and fight to win this game.

And we did , keeping them scoreless in the second half was such an achievement.

They tried relentlessly to score but we bravely kept them out. Everyman made their tackles putting them back every time.

We put them under pressure, forcing them to make mistakes.

This was a great team performance and gives belief to the team that they can beat anyone now. Result 21-8.

J4 XV v Guinness (A) 12.12.2015

We managed to get a team together in again appalling conditions, but the pitch amazingly held up very well.

We again started slowly, letting Guinness get in to a well-deserved 7-0 lead after 5 minutes. Slowly as we got to the pace of the game we got into their half where they conceded a penalty. Slotted over beautifully by Peter Daly, a few minutes later after some great teamwork we got into their 22 for them to go in offside at the ruck. 3 more points for Peter to make it 7-6 at the break.

We made a few changes at half time .They had a strong pack who would bring the game to us. They tried to intimidate us at every occasion, taking it on and on in the forwards with great impact as the scored in the corner. They also converted. Score now 14-6.

Dave Daly then started to get his kicking game working. Pinning them back, we rushed up in defence for them to go offside and concede a penalty, hit over the bar by David. Score now 14-9.

The penalty count against the Guinness players was starting to rise, the referee had to issue a yellow card for constant foul play. Another 3 points for Daly, score now 14-12 for Guinness.

Now down a man we started to move the ball and push them back into the corners. Next from a short line out, we drove towards the line. We then pushed the ball to our centres who drove up the middle under the posts. With the help of the pack Richard Pyne got over the try line, converted by Daly. Score now 19-14 to us 5 mins remains.

From the kick off James Walsh caught the ball and ran it back. We rucked and Balf took it on, at the next ruck we were penalised for going over the top. They kicked to the corner. Line out to them, we manfully stood up and tackled like men possessed. It all got a bit messy with them throwing a few punches. Balf ended up with a bruised eye their player with a red card.

Last play, ball went to touch.

Game over, bodies bruised, 4 points taken, we move on.

J4 XV v Naas (H) 23.01.2015

January 23rd saw a pivotal match in Metro Division 6 and a must win encounter for St. Marys J4s against a Naas team looking to beat the J4s for a second time this season. With both sides built to play tough, physical rugby and a pitch a little worse for wear, this one had all the hallmarks of a tight, tense game and that exactly what we got.

Both sides began as they would mean to continue with the majority of the first half locked at no score. Marys enjoyed the bulk of the possession in this period with strong carrying from Captain David Balfour and loosehead prop Taylor Berliant. A strong kicking game from outhalf Dave Daly allowed Marys to keep the pressure on Naas but it would be the visitors to register the first points of the afternoon with two penalties, giving a half time scoreline of 6-0 in favour of Naas.

The second half began in much the same way that the first had ended with Naas slowly growing in confidence as the game progressed. The visitors controlled the ball slowly down the field despite a great defensive effort from the likes of Mick Daly and Karl O’Sullivan, who put their bodies on the line time and time again. However, as so often happens in tight games, a lucky bounce of the ball can be the difference between two sides and a fortuitous cross field kick from Naas five meters out handed them an invaluable try and with the conversion they now led 13-0.

Never ones to roll over and take a beating, the fours continued to fight their way back into the game and they finally got the breakthrough they were searching for with Captain Balfour picking the ball from the back of a scrum to go over for the try. The conversion from Dave Daly meant a scoreline of 13-7 with ten minutes to go. Both sides went hunting for a score as time expired with the Naas missing a penalty with 90 seconds remaining. Some quick hands on the restart looked as though Marys could have been on for a score but the last pass just failed to go to hand. The ball was cleared to touch and the final whistle sounded. A tough loss for the fours as they now set out to spoil the party for the rest of the division 6 title hopefuls.

Final Score: Naas 13 – St. Marys 7

Chris Kane

J4 XV v Wanderers (A) 06.02.2016

St Marys J4 v Wanderers:

Saturday February 6th saw the St Marys J4s travel to Merrion Road in search of their first win in 2016. With Dave Millard at the helm, the J4s were looking to keep the playoff hopes alive and nothing short of a win would be acceptable. The wet and windy conditions before kick-off suggested the game could go much the same way as the first encounter between the two sides, a tightly contested 15-10 victory for Wanderers at Marys. Thankfully the rain died down, the wind subsided and we were underway.

Marys looked to apply pressure from the off and it didn’t take long to yield results. Great kicking from the boot of fly half Dave Daly followed by powerful running in the forwards set up flanker Damien Mere to cross the line with barely five minutes on the clock. A successful conversion had Marys leading 7-0. As the J4s looked to keep Wanderers on the back foot, Captain Millard felt the full force of a Wanderers’ back foot to the face and was substituted to try and stop the bleeding. Lock Shane Fanning took over the captaincy and Chris Kane replaced Millard in the centre.

The Marys pack would prove to be an overwhelming task for Wanderers throughout the afternoon as they bullied them at the breakdown and creating multiple turnovers from the choke tackle, particularly at the hands of loosehead prop Taylor Berliant. It wouldn’t take long for the pack to show their dominance once more with a maul from the Wanderers’ 22 finishing with a try, grounded by scrum half Ryan Barnes. Another successful conversion had Marys up 14-0.

It was now the turn of the backline to shine as the game began to open up more for Marys. Strong running through centres Richard Pyne and Chris Kane opened up the field and freed up running room on the outside for winger Peter Daly and full back James Walsh. Exploiting this, Marys jumped to a 21-0 lead with winger Dan Hurley finishing off a great move from the backs. A penalty late in the first half gave Wanderers some points on the board headed into the break with a half time scoreline of 21-3 to Marys.

The second half saw the return of Millard to the game with what appeared to be feminine hygiene products plugging his bleeding nose. Wanderers showed tremendous fight at the beginning of the second half, refusing to believe the match was out of reach as they began to press the Marys’ pack and within 10 minutes of the restart they had a two penalties and a try to their name, the score now 21-14 with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Berliant returned to the game along with number eight Gar Lloyd, who had been substituted at half time for Gary Masterson and Carl Egan respectively, in an attempt to recapture a foothold in the game. The restart saw Wanderers continue to press home their new found confidence as they were awarded a penalty right in front of the post but everyone’s attention was further back up the pitch. Taylor Berlaint, who had delivered a man of the match worthy performance, was down with a neck injury and was carted off to Vincent’s hospital. Nailing the penalty left the score at 21-17 with 13 minutes left on the clock.

United by the loss of Berliant, Marys rediscovered the form that made them so unstoppable in the first half with continued power running by the likes of Damien Mere and leaping effort from the reintroduced Gary Masterson gave Marys secure ball and frustrated the home side. Not to be outdone by Masterson’s flying effort, Marys eight Gar Lloyd decided to treat the spectators to a spot of juggling as he fumbled the ball backwards not once, not twice but five times, all the way from the Wanderers’ 22 to his own halfway line. After finally securing possession, Marys played out the final few minutes to bring home the hard fought win and keep the pressure on the rest of the division.Next up for the J4s is a trip to face Old Belvedere February 24th, a game that will make or break the playoff dreams of the St. Marys J4s.

Chris Kane

J4 XV v Bective (H) – CUP 20.02.2016

St Marys J4 v Bective Rangers

February 20th saw the beginning of the St Marys J4 Winter’s Cup campaign at home to Bective Rangers. After both teams received a first round bye, a gale force wind and a pitch looking a little worse for wear before the game even began, had this second round clash promising to be a tight game. They came from far and wide for this one, none more so then J4 lock Richard Fagan who travelled all the way from his chalet in the Swiss Alps that very morning to start this match.

The opening 20 minutes went much the way it was thought it would start with both sides playing intense, physical rugby in what could only be described as a mud bath. Both sides kept each other scoreless, however, it was Bective who enjoyed much of the early possession and had the best chance to open the scoring, the visitors camped just short of the Marys’ try line. Outstanding defensive work from the likes of lock Shane Fanning and hooker Brian Young kept the visitors at bay and allowed the J4s to clear their lines.

It was now the turn of Marys to apply pressure on Bective through big carries from number 8 Gareth Lloyd and tighthead prop David Browne. Powerful running and a good scrum allowed for the Marys’ backs to come into their own. On a day when conditions were against them, they moved the ball well through the hands as they would set up and score the game’s only try. Having secured ball on the visitor’s 22, silver haired centre Richard Pyne kicked a high ball and gave chase. The strong gale caused the ball to move in the air and allowed for Pyne to recover his own kick, round two Bective players and touch the ball down just left of the posts. The conversion from fly half James Bourke made it 7-0 to Marys. Another penalty just before the half time whistle gave a very muddied Marys a well-deserved lead at the break of 10-0.

On the restart it was difficult to tell who was playing for who as both sets of players now looked to be wearing brown jerseys, a testament to the intensity of this match and just how poor the conditions actually were. Marys continued to press Bective as they went in search of a try to put the match out of reach, instead poor discipline at the breakdown presented Marys with another penalty and fly half Bourke didn’t disappoint, kicking Marys into a 13 point lead. Despite having kept the visitors scoreless to this point, the Marys defensive effort from the likes of captain David Balfour and Man of the Match David Browne continued to frustrate Bective throughout the course of the second half.

As the game progressed and the pitch continued to deteriorate, the game began to open up more for both sides with attacking rugby coming from wingers David and Peter Daly and full back James Walsh, making exciting breaks and securing good territory. Further strong running from flanker James McHugh and centre Owen Clery resulted in another penalty for Marys and James Bourke stepped up to give Marys a 16-0 cushion with some 20 minutes remaining.

Never ones to know when they are beaten, Bective continued to push for a score as they progressively grew into the second half. A scrum that didn’t pay much dividend in the first half was now flying for the visitors as they kept the pressure on Marys throughout the remaining 20 minutes. With some 10 minutes or so to go Marys were reduced to 14 men with the only recently introduced David Owen Mahon getting yellow carded after some 150 seconds on the pitch. Interestingly, 150 seconds is also the amount of time winger Dave Millard spent running on and off the field as he forgot his gumshield not once but twice. Bective looked to register some points but one final run from lock Shane Fanning sealed the victory and a quarterfinal match against Blackrock College next month.

Final score Marys 16 – Bective 0

Chris Kane

J4 XV v Dublin University (A) by Chris Kane 07.03.2016

St. Marys J4s v Dublin University:

A calm Monday night in Dublin city centre saw the St. Marys J4s continue their push to stay alive in the Division 6 playoff chase as they took on Dublin University in Trinity College. Very little wind and a firm pitch meant this would be a night for open, fast and above all else exciting rugby. Throw in the fact that nothing short of a win could keep the J4s in the hunt for second spot in the division and that elusive playoff spot and you’ve set the stage for a great game of rugby. Before the match could begin, both sides lined up for a minutes silence to commemorate Sarah Gavaghan, wife of our own Keith Gavaghan, who passed away earlier that day.

The game began in much the way it was expected to with both teams finding running room in the early going. Strong carrying from the likes of lock Shane Fanning and centre Richard Pyne showed holes in the Trinity defensive line early. Continued pressure resulted in an early penalty for fly half James Bourke to convert giving an early lead of 3-0 to Marys. It wasn’t just Marys who found their rhythm early in this one as Trinity looked to avenge the defeat they had suffered away to Marys earlier in the season.

They looked set to do their best to spoil it for the J4s, breaking the line through the goldielocked captain and scoring a try, sinking the conversion handed Trinity a 3-7 lead. The try acted as a wakeup call to the fours who amped up the pressure on the home side for the remainder of the half. Strong scrummaging from the front row of David Browne, Brian Young and Chris Kane caused havoc for Trinity; couple that with great work at the breakdown from the likes of Damien Mere and the hosts began to get sloppy, conceding a penalty just before halftime. Converted by fly half Bourke, meaning a slender lead at the break for the home side with a score line of 6-7.

The second half began much the same way as the first had finished, with Marys slowly upping the pressure on the Trinity pack and forcing them to play a physical game up front. While the forwards had done a great deal of the carrying in the first half it was now the turn of the backs to light up the Trinity defence. James Bourke controlled the Marys attack throughout the first half and it was a break from the backs that Bourke ran in to give Marys their first try of the evening. The next try was not far behind and what a try it was. Full back James Walsh collected a clearing kick from Trinity in his own half and took off, blitzing his way through the entire Trinity defensive line and scoring a truly great try.

Never to know when they are beaten, Trinity continued to look for a break away to get themselves back into the game and, against the run of play, the hit back with a second half try of their own to reduce the margin to a single score and set up a tense final 15 minutes, score now 19-12. Now finding themselves digging deep, the Marys forwards continued to ground out the Trinity pack with the likes of Gar Lloyd and Padraig Nestor carrying hard and hitting even harder at the break down. The set piece continued to be an area of dominance for Marys’ as the game progressed and it was from a line out with two minutes left on the clock that Marys ended any chance of a Trinity comeback. A driving maul from Marys caught the home side unaware and Padraig Nestor grounded the ball to score the final try of the night.

A restart collected by Trinity was bundled into touch and that was the game. A hard fought win for Marys against a much improved Trinity side means that they now move to just four points shy of second place and a spot in the division 6 playoff. With a final home game to Coolmine and the Winters Cup quarter final still to come, this J4 team is far from finished yet.

Final score: St. Marys 24 – Dublin University 12

Chris Kane

J4/J5 v Penygroes by Chris Kane 16.04.2016

Saturday April 16th saw the visit of Welsh side Penygroes RFC to Templeville Road to take a St. Marys J4/J5 selection. A visiting side determined to return home with a win and several special guest appearances on the card for Marys, this fixture promised to be a memorable one.

The game began as it would mean to continue for much of the first half; big, physical and fast rugby by both sides made for exciting rugby for the on looking Penygroes touring party. The Welshmen enjoyed much of the early possession as they pushed for an early score. A huge effort from the likes of Marys prop David Browne and flanker Gar Lloyd kept the visitors at bay. Despite fighting an uphill battle for much of the first half, Marys had their chances to open the scoring but a strong defensive effort from the visitors denied the home side the lead at every opportunity as they help the J4/J5s to a single penalty for the entire first half. As the first half drew to a close, the Welshmen shone to the fullest of their capabilities with a brace of tries to give them a half time lead of 10-3.

The second half saw the home side rang in the changes as they looked to get some points on the board, swapping out much of the back row and backline. It was not long until this strategy began reaping benefits as the tries began to flow for Marys. Three tries in relatively quick succession, a brace coming from prop Fionan Magee, helped the boys in blue jump out to a commanding lead. Never ones to accept defeat, Penygroes continued to push the homeside and scored a try with some ten minutes remaining to keep the pressure on the hosts in the final few minutes.

The final ten minutes signalled the second set of wholesale changes by Marys, making some 8-10 substitutions at once, including a man who needs no introduction, but chooses to give himself one anyway, Aaron “Big Guns” Hudson. This particular raft of substitutions was notable for one main reason, that being the introduction of three men: Colm Kavanagh, Karl Kelly and the J4/J5s manager Stephen Boden. As Stephen himself said after the game, they were three men who had the crazy idea and that was to play with their sons. With some 10 minutes remaining, Adam Kavanagh, Jonnie Kelly and Sam Boden joined their dads on the pitch for what was a memorable moment for three very proud fathers.

Pennygroes would register another score before the final whistle while Marys would add two more tries before the final whistle. Stephen Boden had the final kick of the game with a conversion attempt which had everything except power and accuracy, narrowly missing the edge of the 22. A final scoreline did not do justice to the Welshmen who gave the boys in blue a much tighter run for their money then the scoreboard suggested. Both sides shared in competitive sing song after the match as the Welsh proved, as one Penygroes player said, they are good at two things in Wales, rugby and singing. The return leg on Welsh soil is eagerly awaited by both sides.

Final score: Marys 32-22 Penygroes

Colm Kavanagh with his son Adam. Stephen Boden with his son Sam. Karl Kelly with his son Johnny.

Chris Kane

Source: J4 XV v Guinness (Metro Div 6) - 03.10.2015.

ST MARY'S College go off the mark in Division Six of the Metro League after racking up 36 points without response against Guinness in Templeville Road on Saturday.

The hosts were off the mark on five minutes when James Bourke split the posts with his penalty after which he tagged on the extras following a try by Number Eight Killian Walsh.

And they were 17 points up at the break when Centre Mick Daly also broke over the whitewash, Bourke again converting.

They refused to let up after the break, James McHugh serving up a brace of touchdowns before Alex Smirnov, coming in from the Under 20s, rounded off a great performance with a try of his own.

Aaron O'Connor, who is only back from injury, did very well at scrum half when he was introduced at the break while Bourke's kicking was another impressive aspect of Mary's game.

It was just the response they were looking to serve up after having lost to Old Wesley in their curtain

raiser to the season..

And they will be looking to build on that when they travel to Kildare to take on Naas- a match they will not be taking lightly given that it was a win apiece in last season's campaign.

St. Mary's bagged their first points in Metro Division Six Guinness had no answer to the scoring power of their rivals