U20 Friendly 8th November 2017
Scorers: Andrews(3*Try), Hastings(1*Try), Lawrence(1*Try), L.Quinn(1*Try), Mulholland(1*Try), Smyth(1*Try), Lloyd-Evans(1*Try), McLean(5*Conv)
On yet another wet Wednesday night, Rainey OB U20s entertained City of Derry in the latest monthly game, running out eventual 57 – 0 winners. Fielding their strongest squad to-date, Rainey took a while to gel after a quick opening score, but when they did, the results were devastating. Although Derry, to their credit, refused to give up, they had no answer to the power and skill of the Magherafelt men.
Rainey started in ominous form, the front row of McSwiggan, Gordon and Quinn providing a great platform for a series of driving scrums, before the backs were released. After a couple of phases, No8 Hastings crossed the line despite the attentions of three defenders. Fullback McLean, who was in fantastic kicking form, added the extras from out wide.
From the restart, Derry attacked strongly, their pick and go game driving Rainey back before they were halted on the 22’. The game see-sawed evenly for the next ten minutes as Rainey absorbed a lot of Derry pressure, while their own attacks broke down on several occasions, due to poor passing and decision making. Gradually however, as the team began to settle into a rhythm, they began to impose themselves on the game. Second-row Andrews bulldozed his way over between the posts, and a few minutes later, flanker Lawrence popped-up to take a feed from the base of a ruck and dive over in the right-hand corner.
As half-time approached, Rainey pressed again strongly with good carries by Hunter and Brown. Out-Half Hall was unlucky with the bounce when he chipped ahead and wing Walker had to retire after a dubious tackle. The pressure finally told and Andrews crossed for his second try of the evening. McLean was again on target with the extras.
If the first half had been good from a Rainey perspective, the second proved to be even better. Introducing even more power to the forwards in the shape of Macintosh, Millar and Smyth, Rainey began to run riot to the evident delight of the home spectators. First, scrum-half L.Quinn scythed his way through the defence following a scrum on the Derry 10m line. Next, Mulholland scored out wide on the left following a delightful build-up in which McSwiggan and Millar were prominent.
At this stage, the forwards were running riot, with McSwiggan, F.Quinn, Macintosh and Smyth seemingly in a competition for the most outrageous play. In a display to put the backs to shame, they drove, dummied, side-stepped, spun and off-loaded in the tackle to the cheers of the home crowd. In fact it was Smyth who added the next try when the ball was fed left after good driving up the middle by Lawrence. The unlikely conversion even came close, the ball rebounding from the crossbar.
Lloyd-Evans’ introduction at scrum-half brought a new vigour to Rainey, and the ball started to be spun wide even quicker than before. A great attack down the right flank by prop F.Quinn was only just halted, and from the ensuing scrum, Andrews crashed over to complete his hat-trick. He was also unlucky to push his own conversion attempt a few feet wide.
Rainey added their ninth and final try when Lloyd-Evans was released by L.Quinn into space around the Derry 10m line. He outpaced the cover to score under the posts and complete another memorable night under the Hatrick Park lights.