Limavady Chronicle - Sports - Grammar prove too strong for Larne

Sports

Grammar prove too strong for Larne

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Limavady Grammar School..................17
Larne Grammar School..........................8
WE had to play our first competitive rugby game for Limavady Grammar and everyone was ready to take on the challenge. We never faced Larne Grammar before but we were hopeful. We started the game emitting immense pressure on a good Larne defence but eventually it broke and they conceded a penalty within kicking distance of the posts but a difficult and an acute angle, for 15 Scott McLean, caused it to glaze past the post.
The disappointment didn't last long when our centre Alexander Hill made an excellent break and had one man left to beat but had an untimely slip and had to set it up for Scrum Half Sam Kerr to make a pass to our winger Oran O'Kane who made the best of a small chance using some silky footwork and good speed to score in the corner.
The difficult kick went unconverted but we were not disheartened as we ran the ball back straight from the kick off and got a penalty right in front of the post.
Our hooker Ross Hamilton took it quickly but didn't make it to the line but he did set up a platform for Out half Jack McCool to power his way through two tackles to stretch over the line and set us up under the post, where it was converted easily.
We returned another kick off through a great break from Scott McLean with an excellent off load, to set up Oran for another try that went unconverted.
Larne applied good pressure that resulted in a penalty that they put over the posts to make it 17-3 at half time.
Larne's pressure continued into the second half but our defence was equal to it thanks to excellent work from prop Caolán Crampsie, the second rows Connor Stevenson and Alan Wilson and the wing forwards Stephen Fallows and Owen McCloskey who all showed no regard for their on safety and put their head in where it hurt. Alas something had to give way and it was Alan Wilson who was injured and replaced by Darren Corrigan an under 14 who made the step up for the match.
Our defence was in disarray after losing a vital player and they scored from a free kick which we conceded from a scrum. Larne again pegged us back in our 22 but an excellent clearance kick from none other than our prop Jack Martin who got us out of the 22 and saving us from conceding again and winning us the game 17 - 8.
We are now looking forward to the 3rd Round game in the weeks to come. A special thanks must go to Gavin Hill, Ian Gallagher and Mr S Bogle our coaches who have given up their time, rain or sunshine, usually rain, to help us develop as a team.