Ulster Carpets Cup 8th April 2017
Scorers: Lawrence(3*Try), Smyth(1*Try), Kearns(1*Conv)
Rainey Old Boys U18s successfully progressed to the semi-finals of the Ulster Carpets Cup with a 22-5 win over a tenacious Omagh Academicals side, including a hat-trick by hooker Christian Lawrence.
Rainey started the game in ferocious tempo, with the forwards carrying and rucking like men possessed. They quickly forced a lineout in their opponents 22m and following a great carry by second-row Molloy, the ball was swung right to Hooker Lawrence who ran strongly and dived over in the corner for his first of the day.
From the restart, Rainey surged forward again, the forwards totally dominant in all aspects of play. Once more they drove into the Omagh 22m and forced a lineout. This time the Tyrone men held firm and managed to clear their lines, but when Prop Smyth stole the resulting lineout, Flanker Evans carried the ball well, and it was fed along the backline. Unfortunately, Kearns’ grubber kick was overcooked and Omagh escaped with a 22m dropout.
Rainey were soon back. A great maul from the 22m line was only stopped short by Omagh players being offside, but they had no answer when the resultant lineout was caught and mauled again, with Lawrence at the tail getting his second. Kearns converted
Any thought the Rainey supporters had that the game was going to turn into a rout were soon proved to be wishful thinking. Finally getting their hands on the ball, strong running from the Omagh backs earned them a penalty and a 5m lineout. Their maul lacked Rainey’s precision, and Kearns was able to temporarily clear their lines.
A great series of carries by the Rainey forwards came to naught when the ball was turned over and once again Omagh were back in the Rainey 22m. They pounded away, with a series of scrums and lineouts, but couldn’t breach the Rainey defences for a full 10mins, before the No8 picked up at the base of a scrum, broke blind and successfully fed his winger for the score. Given the pressure they had exerted, it was no more than Omagh deserved.
Galvanised, Rainey came back strongly, but a couple of chances went begging before the half ended.
Rainey kept up the pace after the restart, with Smyth and Molloy carrying well, and good runs by O’Neill, Hall, Murray and Feathers. The third try came when they forced a penalty 10m out, the forwards drove strongly for the line and the ball was popped left to Smyth on the blindside, who is unstoppable from that distance.
Omagh came back once again and camped in the Rainey half. Although they never came close to scoring, they kept the Rainey defence busy for a long period, before a great clearance kick from O’Neill was collected by winger Young and once more Rainey were on the attack. Again, good carrying by the forwards was to be the source of their final score, as they rumbled up the middle of the park, before showing the backs how it should be done, flashing the ball right for Lawrence to complete his hat-trick.
Omagh refused to quit and the final few minutes were an evenly matched tussle before the ref brought proceedings to a close. Rainey can now look forward to a semi-final away to League winners Armagh on 22nd April.