Today was a must win situation for the Wanderers team and fortunately the team delivered and we walked away with a win and four points in the bag. Trinity have been very competitive this season and even after losing are still above us in the table, therefore this was not a game the team could take lightly. The players applied themselves very well during the week and knew what to expect from Trinity and what was expected from them to overcome the challenge.
As for the game itself we improved on certain areas from the Lansdowne game and ultimately that was why we won the game. Our discipline was superior than our opposition therefore it enabled us to convert our opportunities into points and Daithi Fitzgerald had a perfect day from the kicking tea. In a game that limited scoring opportunities to a minimum we did create the only try of the game through a well orchestrated starter move off a lineout which got us right in behind Trinity and gave us options either out wide or to flood the channel which we just broke through and it was the latter that we chose which led Tomas Hontebeyrie finishing off a move which had the back row trio of Philip Rowe, Alex Byrne and Eoghan Nihill heavily involved. This in the end proved to be the difference in the end score.
All in all it was a win that was badly needed and the work rate of the team throughout the match could not be faulted. In general this season our defence has been excellent, with the odd exception, and today was no difference. The team defended with great tenacity and forced the opposition into more mistakes than they are accustomed too making and therefore as the game wore on they were trying to chase the game and with our defence operating with excellent discipline it made Trinity frustrated which led to a very high error count on their behalf. The team won’t be getting carried away with the victory, as there were areas of our performance which will need improvement if we are to continue winning. The forwards, although working tirelessly, did no eclipse their performance in the set pieces which they achieved against Lansdowne and I know they were disappointed with that, and also our general attacking play needs continual improvement if we are to convert pressure into points.
So to this week and we entertain Instonians in Merrion Road at 2pm. The season for Instonians has not gone exactly to plan for them as they are rooted to the foot of the table, however this is a very dangerous match for the Wanderers team as a team in this position are fighting for their lives in every match, and a wounded animal can be a very dangerous predator. Therefore as this is our last League game before Christmas please come down and support your club and drive your team to another victory.
