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U18s surge through to Ulster semifinal
Letterkenny Rugby19 Apr 2017 - 21:59
Letterkenny power and skill destroys a huge Malone team in Quarter final.
Letterkenny u18 produced their best performance of the season to date
with an emphatic 38 to 3 home victory over Malone RFC. The Belfast
outfit arrived at the Glebe with a physically impressive squad
determined to reach the cup semi-final. The visitors started brightly
and soon had 3 points on the board after Letterkenny were off side at
the ruck. The home team soon settled into their game and dominated the
remainder of the half. The first try came from a great tackle by
inside center FIonn McGarvey on his opposite number forcing a knock
on. The ball was scooped up Letterkenny's outhalf Matthew Faulkner who
put his winger Ben Scott into space. The flying farmer then fed
Faulkner with a nice inside pass who then proved he had fully
recovered from injury by beating the Malone defence to score in the
corner. Try number two soon followed when Peter Scott, the big farmer,
broke from an attacking scrum on the Malone 22 and was well supported
by Connon Cannon. Quick ruck ball allowed team captain David Ward to
score at the base of the post. There was no let up from the home
forwards and constant pressure at scrum time produced try number
three. The Letterkenny front row of Ward, Chriss Green and Stephen
Gibson had the measure of their much larger opponents and forced a
turn over to allow Gibson score a well deserved try. The second half
saw Malone come back into the game with phase play in the Letterkenny
half but the home team's defence was impresive lead by man of the
match James Roulston. The pressure was lifted when Matthew Faulkner
took a pop pass from Peter Scott off the base of the scrum on the
Letterkenny 22m line and showed his speed and evasive running to beat
the entire Malone defence and score under the posts. Letterkenny
continued to dominate after this and soon ran in try number five which
was the best team score of the day. Concerted pressure from ball
carriers Joshua Fulton, James Sweeney and Connor McMenamin had Malone
on the back foot which allowed Scott and Faulkner to break through mid
field and put full back Bailey Loughlin in for a well deserved try.
Peter Scott finished off the scoring when he was quickest to react to
a penalty and drove over from 20m out. This victory now sets up a
repeat of last years home semi final against Virginia RFC on Saturday
week. It is hard to see where Letterkenny can improve as the pack were
dominant in all exchanges and the back line were posing constant
danger to Malone throughout. The second row partnership of Fulton and
McMenamin has improved with each game and Coach Gordon Curley believes
that both players are starting to play to their undoubted potential.
The key to Letterkenny's performance on Saturday was the high work rate
in defence by the entire team and the game control by Faulkner at 10
and Scott at 8. He also added that Fionn McGarvey had realy impressed
with his first game at 12. The afore mentioned Roulston was singled
out for special praise from the coach for his outstanding line out and
defensive work through out the game. Team: David Ward (capt), Chris
Green, Stephen Gibson, Joshua Fulton, Connor McMenamin, James Sweeney,
James Roulston, Peter Scott,Jack mcGarvey, maythew Faulkner, Ben
Scott, Fionn mcGarvey, Eunan Henry, Connor Cannon, Bailey Loughlin,
John Fogarty,Kieran Aitken, Jack Smeaton, Josh Carr and Owen
Stephenson.
with an emphatic 38 to 3 home victory over Malone RFC. The Belfast
outfit arrived at the Glebe with a physically impressive squad
determined to reach the cup semi-final. The visitors started brightly
and soon had 3 points on the board after Letterkenny were off side at
the ruck. The home team soon settled into their game and dominated the
remainder of the half. The first try came from a great tackle by
inside center FIonn McGarvey on his opposite number forcing a knock
on. The ball was scooped up Letterkenny's outhalf Matthew Faulkner who
put his winger Ben Scott into space. The flying farmer then fed
Faulkner with a nice inside pass who then proved he had fully
recovered from injury by beating the Malone defence to score in the
corner. Try number two soon followed when Peter Scott, the big farmer,
broke from an attacking scrum on the Malone 22 and was well supported
by Connon Cannon. Quick ruck ball allowed team captain David Ward to
score at the base of the post. There was no let up from the home
forwards and constant pressure at scrum time produced try number
three. The Letterkenny front row of Ward, Chriss Green and Stephen
Gibson had the measure of their much larger opponents and forced a
turn over to allow Gibson score a well deserved try. The second half
saw Malone come back into the game with phase play in the Letterkenny
half but the home team's defence was impresive lead by man of the
match James Roulston. The pressure was lifted when Matthew Faulkner
took a pop pass from Peter Scott off the base of the scrum on the
Letterkenny 22m line and showed his speed and evasive running to beat
the entire Malone defence and score under the posts. Letterkenny
continued to dominate after this and soon ran in try number five which
was the best team score of the day. Concerted pressure from ball
carriers Joshua Fulton, James Sweeney and Connor McMenamin had Malone
on the back foot which allowed Scott and Faulkner to break through mid
field and put full back Bailey Loughlin in for a well deserved try.
Peter Scott finished off the scoring when he was quickest to react to
a penalty and drove over from 20m out. This victory now sets up a
repeat of last years home semi final against Virginia RFC on Saturday
week. It is hard to see where Letterkenny can improve as the pack were
dominant in all exchanges and the back line were posing constant
danger to Malone throughout. The second row partnership of Fulton and
McMenamin has improved with each game and Coach Gordon Curley believes
that both players are starting to play to their undoubted potential.
The key to Letterkenny's performance on Saturday was the high work rate
in defence by the entire team and the game control by Faulkner at 10
and Scott at 8. He also added that Fionn McGarvey had realy impressed
with his first game at 12. The afore mentioned Roulston was singled
out for special praise from the coach for his outstanding line out and
defensive work through out the game. Team: David Ward (capt), Chris
Green, Stephen Gibson, Joshua Fulton, Connor McMenamin, James Sweeney,
James Roulston, Peter Scott,Jack mcGarvey, maythew Faulkner, Ben
Scott, Fionn mcGarvey, Eunan Henry, Connor Cannon, Bailey Loughlin,
John Fogarty,Kieran Aitken, Jack Smeaton, Josh Carr and Owen
Stephenson.
Further reading