Provincial League Div 1 12th October 2019
Scorers: McElain(1*Try), N.Hastings(2*Try), McIntosh(1*Try), J.Hastings(1*Try), B.Hall(2*Try), Shaw(2*Try), Kearns(7*Conv)
Photos

In a top-of-the-table clash at Orangefield, Rainey II demolished Grosvenor II 12-59, scoring nine tries to open up a six point lead in Provincial 1.  The home side simply couldn’t cope with the visitors’ forward power up front as Rainey chalked up their fifth bonus point win of the season.

Rainey opened their account when prop McErlain, never an easy man to stop, powered over from short range, with Kearns adding the first of seven conversions.
Their second came following a great drive up the middle of the park by lock McElroy.  The ball was recycled quickly, driven on by prop Smyth, who slipped a lovely reverse pass to out-half Kearns.  Flanker Doherty made some more hard yards, before almost sending No8 N.Hastings in for the score.   However, prop McIntosh crashed over a few seconds later following more good work by the pack.

The next came straight from the restart.  Grosvenor kicked long, and flanker B.Hall won the aerial challenge.  McElroy thundered out of the 22’ and set up a ruck.  Scrum-half Campbell spun it to centre G.Hall, who burst through the defensive cover and sprinted off down the pitch, before drawing the defending fullback into a tackle on the 22’ and releasing J.Hastings to dive over in the corner for a spectacular try.

With the forwards running rampant, it was only a matter of time until the next score came.  From a lineout, Kearns emulated his forward colleagues by rumbling up the middle, and offloaded to B.Hall in support, who had a simple run in between the posts to secure the bonus point.

A great run by Doherty as the second half opened, took Rainey close, but despite strong pressure from the forwards, the home defence held, and they managed to force their way back into mid-field.  Playing their best rugby of the day, Grosvenor slowly pushed Rainey back upfield, coming close on a couple of occasions, before the speedy left-winger finally crossed the whitewash to get their first score on the board.

Rainey’s response was immediate and emphatic.  They pinned Grosvenor into their 22 from the restart, and when the home side were forced to kick downfield, McElroy took it straight back at them, storming through tackles.  McErlain in support did likewise, and when they were eventually held up, Kearns fed centre Shaw, who burst through to score in the corner.

Grosvenor then had another good spell of play, but failed to dent the Rainey defence.  A great turnover by McElroy released Doherty, who hared downfield, but was unable to get a clean pass away.  As the support tried to catch up, a Grosvenor player won the ball and went the length of the pitch to score their second try of the day.
Again, Rainey’s response was immediate. The forwards won the ball at the restart, and hooker O’Neill broke two tackles before reverse passing to flanker B.Hall in support, who went over between the posts for his second of the day.

Grosvenor’s day got worse, when following an altercation at a ruck, their flanker was binned.  Rainey simply kicked for touch, won the lineout, Kearns fed Shaw and he twisted between two defenders and scorched in for his second try.  

Gamely, Grosvenor kept throwing everything they had at Rainey, but it was to no avail.  From a 22-dropout, Shaw fielded the ball, fed O’Neill who drove forward.  He got the ball to McElroy, who made another devastating run, before feeding N.Hastings for a simple run to the posts.  Hastings then added a second a few minutes later following great drives from McIntosh and Andrews to bring Rainey’s scoring exploits to a close.

Team: C.Smyth, D.O'Neill (c), D,McErlain, J.McIntosh, D.McElroy, A.Doherty, B.Hall, N.Hastings, S.Campbell, R.Kearns, S.Nelson, G.Hall, E.Shaw, M.Mulholland, J.Hastings, 
Subs: J.Higgins, T.Andrews, A.Hamilton