We started our first year in the Junior Development Cup on the 7th of October in Carlow RFC against Pres. Carlow. It's kind of fitting that our journey ended on the 7th of November in the same location. Four games, three wins, scoring 20 tries, conceding only 14, playing for four hours, with 26 different players representing the school. Not bad, in one sense, but crushingly disappointing in another.
Scoil Conghlais had the home advantage in this semi-final, but the fact that it was on in Carlow RFC, the site of our first victory in the cup, meant we felt very comfortable heading down there. The team from Baltinglass were able to push kick-off back until 2.30, but we were determined not to be put off at all, and we made sure we were down in plenty of time to get a good warm-up, but also to show how comfortable we were travelling.
Scoil Chonglais kicked off and Charlie Clarke (flanker) secured possession for St Mac Dara's through some strong rucking. We kicked for territory and forced them back for a lineout in their 22. They won their lineout, but our pressure forced them into making errors and conceding a scrum. Jake Miller (scrumhalf) used a boxkick to make them respond to our play, rather than create some of their own. The pressure paid off with Conor Ryan (Outside Centre) scoring a try after just four minutes. All of the play had been in their half and we had been dictating the play right from the start. It was time to be cautiously optimistic.
Again Charlie Clarke put in great work on the restart (perhaps inspired by his dad & grandad on the sideline) and contested well for the ball. We were the ones responding now unfortunately and their number 15 crossed to score just two minutes after our try. Both trys were unconverted however, so we were still level pegging. Our restart was gathered up by some of our loose forwards but in doing so we knocked the ball on, conceding a scrum. The ref awarded us a free-kick however as Scoil Chonglais were feeding the ball incorrectly. The scrum would be another area of dominance for us throughout the afternoon, and something that the opposition became very wary of.
We were soon awarded a penalty which Jake Carroll (outhalf) drove up the line for us. Our lineout was good, but we fumbled the ball, conceded a scrum and gained a free-kick because of another crooked feed. Once again we were the ones creating play and soon Conor Ryan crossed for his second try. Shortly after the restart we noticed how Cillian Smith (front row) was being penalised repeatedly by the referee for crooked throws into the lineout. We're not sure about whether to buy Cillian a ruler, or the referee some glasses! In the space of five minutes the referee penalised us
twice for our throw into the lineout! While our lineouts weren't a source of possession for us, the scrum was, even when it was a defensive scrum for us. We won another on our put-in, and gained another free-kick after a third irregular feed from Scoil Chonglais. This time the ref warned of a potential yellow-card if this happened again!
Play continued and we made great territory through a break from Jake Carroll, but unfortunately we conceded a penalty in the ruck, Scoil Chonglais were able to regain all of that territory and break through our lines. The ref judged their effort at scoring a try to have been held up however. Within two minutes we had struck at the other end, with Mark Ryland (winger) giving us a ten point lead at half-time. A two-score lead, with a dominant scrum and a strong bench to introduce. Reasons for confidence.
Dylan Hamilton (tighthead prop) came off at the end of the half to allow William Kelly take a place as hooker in the front row. We were confident going into this final half of the semi-final, but after just three minutes Baltinglass had scored and converted their try, bring the lead down significantly and leaving us just three points ahead. While play got scrappy for a while, with bothe teams conceding penalties and forcing some scrambling defense, we were still able to exert some pressure. Luke Hill (lock) made way for Luke Alford, who introduced himself to the Scoil Chonglais team with a huge tackle that forced their ball carrier into touch. Shortly afterwards Andrew Hayden (number 8 & captain) carried the ball over the line and placed it securely down, but the referee judged it to have been held up. Frustrating, but we tried to keep our composure. Ten minutes into the half we conceded another try, and for the first time in this competition, after three hours and forty minutes of play, we went behind on the scoreboard. 15 - 19, and twenty minutes to go.
We restarted and soon gained a penalty at the breakdown, but the resulting try was again judged to be held up. (Just for the record, not a single try from any team we played, or from ourselves, had been judged to have been held-up before today. In this match THREE tries were called as held-up. Two for us, and one for them. Just saying like) After eight minutes in deficit Conor Ryan secured his hat-trick and put us back in front. Jake converted this one, despite the tricky side-wind, and we were up by three points. We were happy to be in the lead, but this team has always attempted to defend a lead by extending it and we continued to probe and attack. Dillon Ritchie, Jake Carroll and Conor Ryan kept attacking their lines while we kept an eye on the time. Then, with two minutes left in the game, we let them through and they scored. The try was not successfully converted and we were trailing by just two points with two minutes to go.
We attacked. We scrambled. We won a line-out but we were not able to break through. Time ran-out. We lost.
Sometimes it's easy to lose. You don't mind losing if you feel that you didn't deserve to win. If the other team had hockeyed you off the pitch and had run away with it, you can't really moan and complain. We lead for 48 of the 60 minutes of the game. We didn't lead in the last minute though, and that's the one that counts.
Congratulations to all of the squad members of the Junior Boy's Rugby team. Everyone from the first year players who ran on with water bottles, played defenders in drills, cheered, supported and substituted, through to the grizzled veterans with their thousand-yard stares, helped take this team through to the semi-finals of the Development Cup in our first year taking part in that competition. It's the commitment and team-spirit of these boys that brought this team to where it is today, and that will help us build on this year and get more success over the years to come.
To every one of you; thank you.
