RS Dungannon 7 v Coleraine GS 34
Clinical Coleraine Dominate in Dungannon
Following last week’s heroics against MCB, Coleraine Grammar School 1st XV were on the road again to County Tyrone to take on Royal School Dungannon. On
a cold, wet and blustery morning, it was the Coleraine men who started strongest. Excellent game management from scrum-half Ryan Gillan and accurate
kicking from the boot of out-half Calum Smyth forced Dungannon deep into their own half from the outset. With only 5 minutes on the clock, Coleraine
were able to turn pressure into points with impressive back rower Hugo Mawhinney barging over the try line to open the scoring. Smyth coolly added
the extras leaving the score line at 7-0 in Coleraine’s favour.
Shortly after the restart, Coleraine continued where they left off and soon found themselves back inside the opposition half. Props Christy Hamilton and
Mac O’Neill provided a solid platform at the scrummage which allowed Coleraine’s back line ample time and space to show their lethal attacking potential
with speedster Thomas Lavery touching down in the corner. RSD 0 – CGS 12.
Again, Coleraine rallied after the restart and put multiple phases together with Messrs George McKeag and Peter Wisener making inroads into the Dungannon
defence. From a penalty, influential captain David Greatorex threw caution to the wind and opted to kick to touch. From the lineout, the formidable
Coleraine pack formed a destructive rolling maul from which Mawhinney crashed over for his second try of the game. RSD 0 – CHS 17.
Coleraine continued to show their dominance when, with 28 minutes on the clock, they were awarded a scrum on the opposition 22 metre line. Once more, the
Coleraine pack drove forward as one giving the backs another opportunity to attack. A dizzying combination of intricate running lines and handling
tore Dungannon’s defensive line apart with winger Alistair Telfer touching down in the left hand corner to increase Coleraine’s lead to 22 points.
Despite falling behind on the score board, Dungannon refused to give up and after a lengthy stoppage, the home side rallied and put multiple phases together
inside the Coleraine half before their replacement tighthead prop barged his way over the try line from close range. The home side’s scrum-half added
the extras leaving the score at 22-7 at halftime.
The second half proved to be a scrappy affair with most of the rugby being played in the middle third of the pitch. Consequently, it wasn’t until the 60th
minute when Coleraine’s standout centre Matthew Norris grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and used his size and strength to force his way over
the opposition’s try line. Smyth’s conversion dissected the uprights leaving the score at 29-7 in Coleraine’s favour.
With minutes left on the clock, Coleraine raised the tempo of their game and forced their way back into the opposition half. After numerous phases, the
ball found its way once more to the hands of the illusive Telfer who used to dazzling feet to weave his way through Dungannon’s hapless defence to
touch down for his second and the final try of the game. Final score: RSD 7 – 34 CGS.
All in all, another clinical performance by CGS who are proving to be a side to be reckoned with this season. Flanker Hugo Mawhinney stood out in the pack
and Matthew Norris and Alistair Telfer showed their class in the back line. A special thank you should go to James Carson who refereed the game to
a very high standard and to Royal School Dungannon for their kind hospitality. The question is: can CGS make it four wins on the bounce when they entertain
Belfast Royal Academy next weekend?
CGS 1ST XV: C Hamilton, D Greatorex (C), M O’Neill, M Bailey, M Mooney (J King), P Wisener, H Mawhinney, G McKeag, R Gillan, C SmIth, A Telfer, M Norris,
N Cameron, T Lavery, A White (M Welsh).
In other results, the 2nd XV and the Medallion ‘A’s both lost out to RSD, however the U14s and the U13s both recorded hard fought victories. Well done
to all the CGS rugby players who did their school proud today and thank you to all the rugby coaching staff who continue to work tirelessly for the
betterment of their respective teams.
Mr S.J. Douglas