HOLYWOOD DOWN DONEGAL
Saturday saw Holywood 1st XV take the long journey to Donegal in the search for more league points. They took a sizeable support with them and both the team and supporters returned happy with the points safely tucked up after a beautiful day on a beachside pitch overlooking Donegal Bay.
Donegal kicked off with the sea breeze and low sun at the backs. Holywood’s game plan was obvious from the off as they used deft and quick handling to move the ball straight up the pitch and camp on the Donegal line. A few quick waves of attack were repelled by a strong and resolute Donegal defence and eventually over-eagerness by the Holywood pack gave away a penalty, allowing Donegal to clear their line.
By now the Holywood pack had the travel out of their legs and the team was warming to the task at hand. The forwards were exerting great pressure on the opposition scrum and the backs were tackling hard, not allowing Donegal to break over the gain line. On seven minutes the pressure in the scrum led to a penalty to Holywood which was quickly taken and run back at Donegal. A poor hack through gave away a penalty to Donegal, again allowing them to clear their line.
So strong were Holywood during the early part of the game that it was fifteen minutes before Donegal got to play any rugby in Holywood’s half. Considering the strength of the wind this was no small achievement by the entire Holywood team who played perhaps their best rugby of the season during this spell. Donegal put up a towering up-and-under as they sought to find a chink in Holywood’s armour. No chink was there as full-back Tim Erikson set off on a mazy run which was to take him half the length of the pitch. A short spell of open play saw Holywood set up a number of rucks driving up to the Donegal 22, eventually being awarded a scrum. Davy Hunter saw the Donegal full-back had “deserted his post” and with a sublime chip over the wingers head, allowed Erikson to win the chase for a try right under the feet of Holywood’s roving on-the-spot reporter! Stevie Leyland missed the conversion into the strong wind but a 5-0 lead was well deserved.
Seven minutes later and the scoreboard ticked over again. Great lineout ball from Gareth Hillen allowed Ivan DePledge and Mike Williams to go marauding up the centre of the park. Quick ruck ball moved sharply let Hunter score out wide. Leyland missed the extras but at 10-0 Holywood were starting to open up Donegal’s defences at will. The backs were thriving in the game, in both defence and attack, and after showing great enterprise and a willingness to spread play to and fro across the pitch, a ruck close to Donegal’s line saw the diminutive Erikson take a short pass and dive over in the corner to make the score 15-0. Leyland missed the conversion but the wind was making his task impossible. Holywood scoring in the corners wasn’t helping his cause any either!
Halftime was approaching and this seemed to waken Donegal from their slumbers as they used the wind to pile pressure on the Holywood line. Tackling was strong however and Donegal could find no way through to Holywood’s line. On thirty seven minutes Donegal were awarded a scrum inside their own 22. The ball was not controlled and shot out the side where Ollie Grysmek swooped on it to feed Hunter who in turn fed Gary Stocker who scored in the corner. Leyland missed the conversion but a 20-0 lead at halftime into the wind was nothing less than Holywood deserved.
The visiting supporters now expected to see the flood gates open, looking to see Holywood use the wind to play the entire second half close to the Donegal line. Donegal had other ideas. It was almost ten minutes before Holywood mounted an attack with Hunter doing a reprise of his short kick over the scrum. This time Grysmek knocked it on just short of the line. Donegal went straight back up the pitch and put pressure on Holywood’s line. Clean ball from a scrum allowed Leyland to show that he knew how to use the wind, his kick clearing all the way to inside Donegal’s half. From the lineout Donegal managed to drive up to Holywood’s 10metre line and a resultant penalty attempt went wide and short.
Nevertheless it was seventeen minutes before the Donegal line was breached. Hillen broke through from a lineout and the supporting pack set up two quick rucks allowing Andy Macdonald to power over for the try that his all-round work about the park deserved. Leyland stroked over the extra two points taking it to 27-0.
On twenty five minutes a quick free kick saw Macdonald run and set Erikson off on another trademark mazy run, ending in his hat trick score near the posts. Leyland converted taking the score to 34-0 with 15 minutes left on the clock. Still Donegal refused to give up and again the centre pairing of Stevie Glover and Stuart Cave were called on to repel strong running attacks.
Thirty five minutes had gone whenever clean ball from a lineout was worked wide by the backs and Erikson dotted down for his fourth try. Leyland missed with the kick and the referee blew early leaving the final score 39-0 in Holywood’s favour. Two league points are always welcome and even more welcome was the team’s style of play in the first half. A properly executed and different game plan in the second half would have seen Holywood tot up a cricket score. However, a sound debut by Greg Brown on the wing, an improved display of tackling and seven tries is a hatful of positives to take out of the match. Glover, Cave, Hunter, Hillen, Macdonald and Erikson were all contenders for man-of-the-match but that accolade went to Grysmek for an all action display from start to finish. This Saturday the hunt for league points continues with the visit of UU Coleraine to Kerr Park.
Teams for Saturday 17.11.07
1st XV: home to UUC – kick off 2.30pm
I.DePledge, A. Macdonald, R. Wooley, M. Williams, J.Cooke, O.Grysmek, G.Hillen, G. Stocker, D. Hunter, S.Leyland, G Brown, S.Glover, S Cave, N. Ferguson, T Erikson
3rd XV: home to Malone – meeting at the Club 1.15pm
To be announced
