Seniors Vs Sligo
The seniors got their first win in four attempts when they came out on the right side of a 26.25 score line at home in Bruff on Saturday. The win looked unlikely with twenty minutes remaining when Bruff trailed 11.22 but three unconverted try’s in the closing stages of the game gave Bruff the badly needed bonus point result.
Bruff started well and lead 6.0 after twelve minutes thanks to the boot of David O Grady who kicked two penalties inside the opening quarter. Bruff got in for their opening try on fifteen minutes when they mauled over from 10 yards with Hooker John Hogan dotting down for the score. Bruff were now 11.0 up but fell asleep to concede 22 unanswered points to the visitors. The Bruff forwards will be very disappointed with Sligo’s first score which came from a driving maul inside the Bruff 22. Bruff forwards would always be considered to be a tough outfit to drive over from a set piece but the Sligo pack took the credit for the score which went unconverted. Sligo’s second try came after 30 minutes scoring out wide from open play which was converted to make it 11.12.
Bruff turned the tide for the last ten minutes of the half and were wasteful with two scoring opportunities before the half was up. On 34 minutes Bruff had a penalty which they kicked to touch but failed to secure the lineout and allowed Sligo to clear their lines. The second opportunity came two minutes later when Bruff had an attacking scrum in the Sligo 22 but conceded a penalty which again left the westerners off the hook.
Bruff opened the second half on the attack and thought they were in for a try on forty seven minutes when Sean Darcy crossed for a lovely score which came after multiple phases in the opposition half only for it to be disallowed for an infringement that the touch judge had spotted from a ruck a couple of phases earlier. Many of us thought this was to be the turning point of the game as Sligo went on the attack and picked up ten points to make it 11.22. The Sligo out-half nailed a monster penalty fifty five minutes and converted a try from under the posts a few minutes later to put the visitors into a commanding lead.
But Bruff’s response was immense and they showed great character to claw back the deficit.
Winger Mark Cosgrove who’s on his best run of form in a while dotted down on the wing after sixty minutes after another long period of possession for Bruff with John Hogan adding his second of the day on sixty five minutes to make it 21.22. Bruff suffered another sucker punch on sixty eight minutes when conceding a penalty which Sligo kicked to make it 21.25. Bruff’s ball retention was excellent in the Sligo half all day and this was to prove decisive in the closing stages. The winning score arrived on seventy nine minutes when a Bruff attack ended with Tony Cahill sniping around the side of a ruck to dot down for the try which also yielding the try bonus point. The seniors now have a three week break from the league with an away trip to Navan next up on the 29th of October.
Bruff Team: 1.Dave Horan 2.Johnny Hogan 3. Brendan Keogh 4.Barry Laffan 5.Brian Morrisey 6.Cillian Rea 7.Mikey Cooke 8.Paddy Clery 9.Davy O Grady 10.Tony Cahill 11. Mark Cosgrove 12. Sean Darcy 13. Jack O Grady 14.Kevin McManus 15. Barry Enright 16. Keith Laffan 17. Paddy Clery 18. Paidi Kilcoyne 19 Tadgh O Dwyer 20 Shane Doona
Other Results.
Munster Club U16 Conference 1- Thomond – 17- Bruff – 36
Under 14 SECTION 1- Bruff – 10 Young Munster 27
Munster Club U18 Conference 1- Kilfeacle and District 5 – Bruff 36
Munster Seconds league North- Nenagh 19- Bruff 14
Champions Cup Tickets
Munster play their first home Game V Glasgow on Saturday week. Please contact Mike O Connor for Details.
Fixture’s
Cyril Fitzgerald Plate: Bruff Vs Garryowen 7.30 Friday 14th Oct Kilballyowen
