Match Reports
Match report 09/09/01
BIRR RFC MAKE
WINNING START IN OPENING FIXTURE
At last rugby is back and with a bang! Last Sunday saw the visit of Buccaneers Junior 1 side to Birr. The men from Connaught were welcomed to Birr with a six-try performance from the lads in green and black.
This season's captain Alan Mc Gee, fresh from his peacekeeping mission in East Timor urged his troops home with a typical tenacious performance.
A decent size crowd was treated to an excellent first display of the season and the crowd got a lovely day for good measure.
Two minutes into the game and Birr's season was ignited by a flowing move from the backline to release Stephen Boyd and Stephen's pace quickly put him past his opposite number to score under the post. Alan McGee, who, was to convert four of the six tries of the day, converted this.
Anthony Gallogly quickly got in on the act scoring a good forwards try following some good mauling. The game was robbed of much of it's bite, when after only ten months uncontested scrums were ordered by the referee after a Buccaneers prop received a slight injury.
Birr's new look front five could have done with the scrummaging practice. Buccaneers countered Birr all through the match and when their centre took a crash ball and burst through Birr's backline a try seemed inevitable.
Michael Lyons starting from three metres behind his man made a try saving tackle inside the 22. Birr countered and Stephen Boyd chalked up another try with his pace seeing him past a floundering defence, which was converted to give Birr a 19-0 lead.
The second half yielded four more tries including one for Buccaneers.
The try scorers for Birr were Michael Lyons, John Kerin and Ronan Joyce. Best for Birr were M. Lyons, R. Joyce, S. Rudd, and A. Lally.
Team: A. Mc Gee (Capt) (4 Conversions), A. Gallogly (Try), B. Molloy, C. Campbell, C. Hogan, R.Joyce (Try) K. Purcell, M. Kenny, S. Rudd, G. Doorley, A. Lally, J. Kennedy, S. Boyd (2 Tries) M. Lyons (Try), J. Kerin (Try), R. Walsh, C. Larkin, J. Fanning, J. Smith, C Kennedy.
