Down High U14 A's 52-7 Banbridge Academy U14 A's
Down travelled to Banbridge looking to start the New Year with a win. Banbridge had beaten a weakened Down High team last season and this made winning all the more important.
Paddy Browne began the first half with a drop-kick deep into the Banbridge pack which was taken and carried well. As the two teams were just back from a Christmas break, they both had trouble holding onto the ball at the beginning of the match. This soon disappeared as the players got back into the swing of things.Marcus Graham was the first to score for Down, after smart off-loading skills from his fellow backs Jonny McCoubrey and William Annett. Browne converted this score.
Graham scored another try after a great break from Zac Ward who was only metres away from the try line when he was tackled brilliantly by a Banbridge player who had managed to catch the explosive flanker. Marcus had followed this play and was there to take the ball from Ward and power over the line for Down High's second try. Paddy Browne soon converted making the score 14-0.
Banbridge kept up the pressure and they played well on the ball as well. Their pressure paid off especially at scrum time when their pack had the edge on a lot of the scrums during the match. But the Down High forwards were dominant in rucks, turning over possession with great rucking from Matthew Porter and Lewis Canning in particular.
Harry Hitchens scored his opening try of the season after a couple of phases from the Down pack. Browne failed to convert but they were beginning to build up a comfortable lead against the home side.
The tries kept coming as Jonny McCoubrey got over the line for Down's fifth try and Browne converted.The half concluded with Banbridge slowly making ground towards the opposition's try line. A smart move from the Banbridge backs, which caught the Down High defence off guard, resulted in their first score.
Down High started the second half strongly with Marcus Graham scoring his third try of the match after brilliant vision from Paddy Browne, who spotted a gap at the back and used his accurate kicking skills to place the ball just into Banbridge's 22, which gave Marcus an easy pick up and another score.
Banbridge didn't give up though, still trying to battle their way through the Down back line. But aggressive tackling from Down High, in particular Claytan Milligan and Jonny McCoubrey, meant that Banbridge couldn't get over for another score. This heavy tackling eventually paid off with Paddy Browne completely startling his opposite number with a dummy pass and scoring another try for Down right underneath the posts. He converted his well earned try and the score 38-7.
Down High kept up the pressure and they soon found themselves on the opposition's 5 metre line, going through phase after phase with strong carries from Mathew Porter and Zac Ward. This soon resulted in the Down backs spreading the ball wide to winger, Harry Hitchens for his second score.
As the match came to an end centre Jonny McCoubrey made a break up the wing and off-loaded to Marcus Graham leading to the final try of the match which Zac Ward converted.
Man of the match : Jonny McCoubrey.
Down travelled to Banbridge looking to start the New Year with a win. Banbridge had beaten a weakened Down High team last season and this made winning all the more important.
Paddy Browne began the first half with a drop-kick deep into the Banbridge pack which was taken and carried well. As the two teams were just back from a Christmas break, they both had trouble holding onto the ball at the beginning of the match. This soon disappeared as the players got back into the swing of things.Marcus Graham was the first to score for Down, after smart off-loading skills from his fellow backs Jonny McCoubrey and William Annett. Browne converted this score.
Graham scored another try after a great break from Zac Ward who was only metres away from the try line when he was tackled brilliantly by a Banbridge player who had managed to catch the explosive flanker. Marcus had followed this play and was there to take the ball from Ward and power over the line for Down High's second try. Paddy Browne soon converted making the score 14-0.
Banbridge kept up the pressure and they played well on the ball as well. Their pressure paid off especially at scrum time when their pack had the edge on a lot of the scrums during the match. But the Down High forwards were dominant in rucks, turning over possession with great rucking from Matthew Porter and Lewis Canning in particular.
Harry Hitchens scored his opening try of the season after a couple of phases from the Down pack. Browne failed to convert but they were beginning to build up a comfortable lead against the home side.
The tries kept coming as Jonny McCoubrey got over the line for Down's fifth try and Browne converted.The half concluded with Banbridge slowly making ground towards the opposition's try line. A smart move from the Banbridge backs, which caught the Down High defence off guard, resulted in their first score.
Down High started the second half strongly with Marcus Graham scoring his third try of the match after brilliant vision from Paddy Browne, who spotted a gap at the back and used his accurate kicking skills to place the ball just into Banbridge's 22, which gave Marcus an easy pick up and another score.
Banbridge didn't give up though, still trying to battle their way through the Down back line. But aggressive tackling from Down High, in particular Claytan Milligan and Jonny McCoubrey, meant that Banbridge couldn't get over for another score. This heavy tackling eventually paid off with Paddy Browne completely startling his opposite number with a dummy pass and scoring another try for Down right underneath the posts. He converted his well earned try and the score 38-7.
Down High kept up the pressure and they soon found themselves on the opposition's 5 metre line, going through phase after phase with strong carries from Mathew Porter and Zac Ward. This soon resulted in the Down backs spreading the ball wide to winger, Harry Hitchens for his second score.
As the match came to an end centre Jonny McCoubrey made a break up the wing and off-loaded to Marcus Graham leading to the final try of the match which Zac Ward converted.
Man of the match : Jonny McCoubrey.
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