J2 League Weds 14th November Clontarf 15 Wanderers 15
27/11/2007
J2 League Weds 14th November Clontarf 15 Wanderers 15
This match was rearranged under floodlights for Castle Avenue last Wednesday. It was a tough hard fought match as the score line suggests and Wanderers were somewhat lucky to escape with two points
The match was played at frantic pace as both teams recognised the importance of the game and there was little flowing rugby to be seen . Tough tackling , frantic defence was the order of the day.
Both packs slugged it out over the 80 mins with each having their moments of ascendancy. .
The Wanderers lineout, normally very reliable, totally malfunctioned , with the result that every time they got into the Clontarf half, they turned over possession and had to try and regain field position again, which was not easy against a very tough Clontarf team.
This meant that the backs got very little useable ball in good field position and never got it on a regular basis , and this indeed was the story of the game from the Wanderers viewpoint.
Wanderers points came from the boot of scrum half Dave o Meara and a sweet drop goal from Donal o Sullivan
Clontarf scored 2 tries from rucks close to the Wanderers line and kicked a penalty,
The Clontarf second try was particularly annoying as it came just after we had taken a Clontarf lineout against the throw inside our own 22, and came about from a player being ahead of the resulting clearance kick and then late tackling the fullback when he caught the clearance kick.
All in All, the team was happy to come away from Castle Avenue with two league points having played a tough opponent with so little of the ball.
Best for Wanderers were Bill o Meara, Neil o Keefe, and William Martin Smith in the pack , whilst in the backs , Dave, Enda Kelliher , Steve Duggan and Donal o Sullivan played well with the little ball they got.
