Club Notes 27.01.17

Seniors Vs Rainey Old Boys

The seniors returned to UBL action on Saturday when they made the 250 mile trip to Maherafelt to play Rainey Old Boys in round 10 of the league. The sides had met 6 weeks earlier when Bruff took the spoils with a 15-11 win on the 3^rd of December at home in Bruff.

Rainey dominated the early exchanges and were 7-0 up after six minutes with a converted try from a maul close to the Bruff line. Bruff replied with a penalty on 14 minutes for a high tackle in front of the posts and added a second penalty after 19 minutes to reduce the lead to 7-6. Bruff were enjoying a purple patch and scored a try after 28 minutes when they choose to take a scrum inside the oppositions 22 instead of kicking the penalty which had been award for dangerous play. The gamble paid off and the Bruff pack walked the ball over the line for scrum half Tony Cahill to dot down for the try make it 7.11.  Cahill kicked his 3^rd penalty of the day on 39 minutes to make it 7.14, but Rainey were able to reduce the lead to 10.14 on the stroke of half time with a penalty from long range.

Rainey started the second half in similar fashion to the first scoring a try after just 4 minutes to take a 17.14 lead. Bruff had to wait until the 25^th minute of the second half for their only score of the 2^nd period, another penalty from the boot of Tony Cahill. Bruff were lucky from the restart when Rainey went on the attack only to knock on a certain try over the Bruff line. Rainey continued to dominate and got the all-important winning score with 10 minutes on the clock when they kicked another penalty which proved to be the winner.

Bruff’s next game is this weekend when they take on Bangor at home in Kilballyowen. Bruff had the upper hand when the sides met in November, winning 13.6 away in Upritchard Park.

Team: 1-15

Dave Horan, John Hogan, Keith Laffan, Sean Hartigan, Brian Morrissey , John Clery, Cillian Rea , Danny Keogh, Tony Cahill, Dave O Grady, Kevin McManus, Sean Darcy, Jack O Grady, Liam Tracey, Graham Whelan

Subs, Paddy Clery, Brendan Keogh, Mike Cooke, Maghnus Collins, Conor Fitzpatrick

U20’s on good run

The u20’s are on a good run of form accounting for Cork Con, UCC and Young Munsters in their last three outings.

Young Munsters were the visitors to Kilballyowen last weekend with Bruff coming out victorious on a score line of 42-24. Bruff had two tries each from Tom Quigley & Liam Barrett with Mattew O Dea, Fergal Cooke and Anthony Foley scoring 1 each. Bruff Also had a penalty try from a scrum and a conversion from the boot of Mattew O Dea.

7 days earlier saw them travel to play unbeaten UCC who have been the pacesetters so far this season under the watchful eye of former Munster & Ireland Senior head Coach Declan Kidney. UCC were first to score and led 3-0 for most of the first half but it was Bruff who went into the break 3-7 to the good thanks to a Liam Barrett try after thirty seven minutes which Kevin McManus converted.

Bruff started the second half as they had finished the first and were on the score board again shortly after half time when Brian Bulfin was on hand to touch down for a second Bruff try after a driving maul inside the homesides 22. Kevin McManus added the conversion which put Bruff into a 3-14 lead. UCC hit back with a converted try of their own to make it 10-14 which made for a tense finish. Bruff put the game to bed in the seventieth minute when Kevin McManus touched down for Bruff’s third try which he converted to make it 10-21.

The previous week the u20’s had another great win beating Cork Con 27-14 at home in Kilballyowen. Bruff hads two tries each from Jack O Grady and Liam Tracey with Kevin McManus kicking 7 points from the boot.

The three wins have moved Bruff into third position in the league up from eight pre-Christmas.

Squad

Brady Day, Thomas Quigley, Jack Fitzgerald, Tadgh O Dwyer, Cian Mulqueen, Brian Bulfin, Paul Treacy, Sean Hartigan, Niall Byrnes, Cian Clifford, Liam Treacy, Jack O Grady, Conor Fitzpatrick, Liam Barrett, Kevin McManus, Shane Breen, Darren O Farrell, Gareth Cooke, Matten Lockart O Dea, John Bulfin, David Maloney, Thomas Breen, Fergal Cooke, Dylan Reeves- Wasik, Adam Sheehy, Stephen Dunworth, David Moloney, Anthony Foley.