First XV v Queen's University Match Report
AIL 2A Round 15
vs Queen's University Belfast RFC
04.03.2023 - Stradbrook
Queens regain pole position in Div. 2A after coming from behind to snatch a late one point victory in Stradbrook.
Following a sellout lunch, attended by a host of Ex. Irish and Lions stars, a crowd in excess of 250 people made their way pitch-side in anticipation of this top-of-the-table clash.
We started the better. Peter ‘Kicker’ Quirke opened the scoring with a penalty on eleven minutes, before Chris ‘Rollers’ Rolland added a try which Kicker converted.
Dave McCarthy made a break, passed to Rollers, who sprinted in to dot down under the posts.
15’
10 : 0
Queens hit back with a converted try of their own to get on the scoreboard.
Rollers was back in the middle of the action on twenty seven minutes. He made a break up the sideline on the dugout side, chipped infield, right into the path of the oncoming Hugo Godson-Treacy who gathered to score another try under the posts. Kicker, once again, added the extra two.
For the remaining minutes in the half, both teams defended well and we headed to the break up by ten points.
HT
17 : 7
Three minutes into the second half we were awarded a penalty try after the ref. had seen an infringement in an attacking maul close to the Queens line.
43’
24 : 7
Queens fought back with a converted try on fifty two minutes to make it a ten point game once again. On the hour mark, Kicker slotted a penalty to increase our lead.
60’
27 : 14
Four minutes later, Queens scored. Their back line was on fire as they whipped the ball out wide and raced into score a converted try to reduce the margin to six.
64’
27 : 21
On seventy four minutes, Queens landed the knock out blow. They moved the ball smartly across their back line. Despite the best efforts of our defence, Queens went in to score and get a try bonus point. The extra two were added by a very good conversion from near the sideline and the Belfast outfit led for the first time in the match.
74’
27 : 28
Try as we did to gain ground and get into a position to score, the visitors held on to take the win by a single point.
FT
27 : 28
This result sees Queens back on top of the table with 54 points. We drop to third place with 52 points. Nenagh Ormond, also on 52 points are ahead of us on points difference after a 34 : 24 win at home to Ballymena. MU Barhall lie fourth on 51 points, eight ahead of Cashel in fifth with 43.
The AIL is on a three week break and we will resume our promotion push with an away trip to Old Crescent on Saturday, March 25th.
With only three games left in the regular season, we’ll need all the support we can muster and that support is noticed and appreciated by the lads on the pitch. We ask you all to make a special effort to come along and get behind the team.
Remaining games
Rd. 16 - March 25th Old Crescent (A)
Rd. 17 - April 1st Dolphin (H)
Rd. 18 - April 15th Ballymena (A)