Stillorgan 8 - Bective 15
J4 Friendly - Nov 30, 2003
The Leinster branch referee failed to arrive for the first league game of the season for the J4 Team, and some of the Stillorgan squad also took his lead and didn't show up either. As Bective arrived with a full squad, we decided to play a friendly.
1st Half
Bective started off the game by scoring an easy try two minutes in, but failed to convert it. This seemed to give resolve to the Stillorgan forwards, and they worked very well as a unit to release the pressure from the backs, and bring the game down the Bective half of the pitch. This pressure resulted in a well deserved penalty before the Bective posts ten minutes into the half, which Luke converted. Stillorgan again put the pressure on from the restart, and forced another error from Bective which gave an opportunity to add to the tally, but Stillorgan failed to convert it. The rest of the half was played between the 22's with both teams holding out well, and Stillorgan defending very well as a team with excellent discipline. Half time score: Stillorgan 3; Bective 5.
2nd Half
Again Bective had a dream start to the half and scored a fairly easy try against the run of play five minutes after the restart, and converted it. Stillorgan continued to apply the pressure, but could not make the crucial breakthrough that would allow them to cross the Bective try line. Twenty minutes in, a fairly dubious refereeing decision (something about over the top by four Stillorgan players) gave Bective a penalty within the 22, which they converted. Undeterred by this blatant travesty of justice, Stillorgan battled up the pitch, and the endless pressure by the pack paid off when Niall went over in the corner for a well deserved forwards try in the dying
seconds of the game. Final Score; Stillorgan J4 - 8; Bective J4 - 15.
All in all a very spirited performance by the J4 team, who are doing most things right in fairness. On another day, we would have taken the laurels. Let's hope that other day is when we have to replay this match later in the season. Everyone played very well, but as it traditional to pick some shining starts after the games; Niall and Ronan in the forwards; and Guillaume and Luke putting in excellent tackles in the backs.
Many thanks to Johnny O'Dwyer for refereeing. Thanks to the supporters who shouted and roared encouragement and expletives to the Stillorgan team/Bective/the referee from the side line.
The J4 Team:
1 Mark "how many tickets can you sell" Fitzpatrick
2 Brian "I have a bad neck so I can't hook" Nugent
3 Tom "anyone see me Grecian 2000" Treacy
4 Gerry "anyone want a lift" Cregan
5 Keith "me mother told me not to be long" Hegarty
6 Niall "follow me" Merrigan
7 Ronan "catch this" Casey
8 Dave "useless" Keegan
9 Gavin "watch my spinning pass as I dive" Downs
10 Alan "Milky / I'll go down when you whistle" McDonnell
11 Fidel "up the revolution" Davila
12 Donnacha "I'm a forward" Cleary, and Owain "I'm late, but at least I'm here" Davies
13 Luke "I can kick the ball you know" Davis
14 Guillaume "can someone pronounce my name at all in Ireland" Vailie
15 John "serious" Lynch