Fixtures for this weekend.
Saturday 22nd January
AIL U-21 Southwest Conference: Dolphin v Bruff, Musgrave Park. Time TBC.
3rd XV Friendly: Bruff v UL Bohemians, Kilballyowen Park. Time TBC
Sunday 23rd January
All Ireland Cup semi-final: Bruff v UCD, Kilballyowen Park, 3.00 Extra-time if required.
Please note the following draws:
Munster Junior Cup: Bruff v Shannon
Webb Cup: Bruff v Galbally, winners away to winners of Clanwilliam v Thomond
The 3rd’s Recorded a 15- 8 win over UL Bohs in Bruff on Saturday Afternoon. Playing down the hill in the first half Bruff Lead 10-0 at half time with a Try from Number 8 Mike McCarthy, converted by Richard McAuliffe who also landed a Penalty in the opening 40. Bohs got off the mark soon after Half time with a penalty and added a try with 10 mins remaining in the game. From the restart Bruff gained some territory and after numerous phases of play Alan Kilcoyne touched down under the Bohs Posts.
The Seniors had an 11-5 victory over Cons today in Bruff also. Report and Pictures to follow.
AIB Cup:
It was a game that Bruff could have done without, perched in the gap between two important AIL games, but nevertheless the First XV made their way to Templeville Rd. for their first game ever against St. Mary’s Rugby Club on Saturday. While they came into this game with a 100% record in Templeville Rd., (it was the location of their first Division three final win two years ago) this time around the opposition was of an extremely different character, coming as it did from Division 1A and in the form of one of the oldest and most respected clubs in the country.
This turned out to be the definitive game of two halves.
Three minutes in St. Mary’s laid down their marker and were awarded a penalty which Gavin Dunne knocked against the vertical but the ensuing melee in front of the posts eventually allowed try number one for Mary’s.
It appeared that it was just going to be one of those days for Bruff, wave after wave of attack ground down the very under-strength Bruff side and the Mary’s lineout created the opportunity for the on form No. 10 Dunne to break the defence for try Number 2, converting himself for the extras to go 14 points ahead. Two more tries before the break with the only reply from Bruff being two good penalties from Brian Cahill meant that Bruff went into the break at the wrong end of a 34 points to 6 scoreline.
Whatever went on in the huddle at half time, the second half was a complete turnaround. Right from the off, Bruff decided that they weren’t going down without a fight and suddenly the pack took a stranglehold on the game. They found their strength and attack in the breakdown, completely dominated their opposition in the scrum, and after spending most of the opening quarter in the Mary’s 22, after the third attempt at a pushover try starting at eight meters out, Bruff were eventually awarded their first try of the day courtesy of the referees whistle when St. Mary’s were adjudged to have collapsed the scrum for the third time. A major change-around had taken place and with two more tries for each side (the Bruff ones coming from winger Patrick Thompson, one a really nice individual effort) the eventual 46 points to 27 point scoreline was well deserved against such strong and well respected opponents. Bruff have many positives to take from their first game against this old well respected club, not the least being the manner in which many of the squads newer players put up their hands and took up the challenge when their backs seemed to be against the wall.
Bruff: D. Horan, C. O’ Regan, S.Foster, R.Wall, M. O’ Connell, D. Gardiner, A. White, D. Keogh, Backs: P. Thompson, N. Riordan, A. Cashman, G. Leonard, J. Malone , B. Cahill, E. Maher.
Subs: K. Laffan (R. D. Horan), G. Bolger(R. Wall) , S.Daly (R. G.Leonard), P. Dempsey(A. White), A. Gahan (R. B.Cahill).
Scores: B. Cahill, 2 Pens, 3 Conv., 1 pen Try, P. Thompson 2 tries.
With the end of their run in the AIB cup for the season, this team could do with time to recuperate, however next weekend sees a return to more familiar territory and opposition in the form of Div. 2 rivals Old Crescent in an AIL local Derby in Rosbrien. All adult teams with the exception of t
Young Front Row
he U21’s are out next weekend and they all play against Old Crescent.
Friday Night: 16th Oct.
Shannon V Bruff U21, Coonagh, 7:30pm under lights.
Sat 17th Oct.:
St. Mary’s V Bruff, Templeville Rd., 2:30pm.
Sun: 18th Oct:
U9 Blitz, Bruff, Newcastle West, Newport, Kilballyowen 10:30am
U13, U14’s and U15’s have friendlies, all at 11:30, I’ll confirm teams and home/away status later on today.
Click Here for the Photos.
A Tough bruiser to start the season off, that’s about the best description of Saturday’s encounter against Clonakilty in the AIB Cup.
Within six minutes of the off, Bruff were down by three points but after that quickly took a stranglehold on the game. With Bruff playing all of the rugby, there was wave after wave of attack on the Clonakilty line, ring rustiness rather than the Clon defence and the referees whistle the only things keeping Bruff away from the Clon line. Scores were levelled by the first of the successful Bruff Penalites on 13 minutes courtesy of Brian Cahill, and they took the lead within 8 minutes with a second. Clon then, against the run of play, touched down for their one and only try of the game, with a block down of a Brian Cahill clearance, the blocker chasing to catch and touch down, then it was duly converted to give them a 4 point lead. Bruff returned to camping within the Clonakilty Twenty Two , two line crossings disallowed before finally they returned the favour with former captain Cathal breaking through the ruck to touch down on 29 minutes, Brian Cahill converting again to give them a three point lead for the second time. They would hold the lead from there to the finish. Play continued with Bruff attacking the Clon line right until the break, Scrum after scrum given to Bruff for constant infringements at the ruck byt he home side who were left trailing 13 points to 10 at the interval despite a one man advantage due to a yellow card for John Shine for slapping the ball from the Scrum-half’s hands five minutes before the whistle.
The Second half began in much the same mode, Bruff doing most of the attacking but the occasional handling error providing relief from the onslaught for Clon. The Bruff Scrum was on top enough to nullify the extra man in the scrums but on his return they had a fifteen minute golden period. 6 minutes in Bruff outhalf Brian Cahill crossed beside the posts to extend the Bruff lead to ten points when he converted a minute later.
Despite their dominance however they failed time and again to put away their opposition and despite their dominance Clon managed to come within seven points with another penalty. Clonakilty then seemed to knuckle down and the Bruff defence was tested by waves of Clon attacks before Bruff closed the game out with a final Brian Cahill penalty.
Final score Clonakilty 16, Bruff 26.
Bruff: Backs: P. O’ Brien, P. Thompson, G. Leonard, B.Deady, J. Moore, B.Cahill, T. Cahill, Forwards: S.Foster, C.O’ Regan, G.Ryan, M. O’ Connell, R.Wall, A.Bourke, J.Shine, M.Carroll.
Subs:A. Whyte (For R. Wall), D. Horan (P) (For Foster), G. Bolger (H), (For M.Carroll), N. Riordan (For J. Moore), E.Maher (For P. O’ Brien).
Scores: C. O’ Regan (T), B. Cahill, (T), (2xConv), 4 x Pens.
Opposition in the next round comes in the form of our very first ever game against St. Mary’s in Templeville Rd., where we won the Division Three Final three years ago.