Men’s Firsts 7 – Buccaneers 20

Galwegians lost their final home game of the Energia AIL Division 2B on Easter Saturday when their provincial rivals Buccaneers put a small dent on their League title party, with a deserved win at a wind- and rain-swept Crowley Park. The heavy overnight rain made conditions hazardous early morning, but hard work by volunteers prior to kick-off and the early morning strong wind meant referee Fergal Brislane was able to declare the pitch playable.

With Storm Dave coming in from the Atlantic, the visitors had the first-half wind advantage blowing towards the clubhouse, and they wasted no time in taking advantage of the elements setting up camp in the Galwegians 22. They would take the lead on 10 minutes when a quick tap penalty by the hugely impressive lock Sam Meecham saw the Buccs captain barge his way under the sticks for the opening try, which was converted by out-half Gearoid MacDonald.

Buccs continued to keep the Blues pinned deep in their half and should have scored a second try soon afterwards when winger Tom Shine crossed the line with ball in hand, only to be miraculously held up by the tenacious Blues captain Dylan Keane. The visitors wisely chose to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and two quick penalties in front of the posts by McDonald stretched their lead to 13 points by the end of the first quarter.

The Blues then settled into their stride and were much improved in the second quarter with both possession and territory, with their dominant scrum giving them a solid platform. However the sin-binning of Keane on the half-hour mark didn't help their cause just as they were threatening the opposition try-line. The hosts were ultimately happy to settle for a 13-0 deficit at the break, as Meecham was held up over the line right on the stroke of half-time.

The Blues immediately went on the attack upon the restart, and within two minutes they opened their account. Having punched their way up the left with good spadework by the forward pack, a perfectly judged cross-kick by former Buccaneer Stevie Mannion found the unmarked Darragh Kennedy who grounded the ball near the right corner for a well-worked try. Mannion struck an excellent conversion to reduce arrears to 7-13, and suddenly the Blues seemed to have all the momentum, with both time and the elements on their side.

However they struggled to make full use of the conditions, and Buccs had other ideas. When a series of attacking phase play near the try-line was eventually knocked on before the hour mark, this would prove a turning point as Buccaneers lifted the siege. The Blues were now being regularly penalised at the breakdown, which provided the visitors with much relief and an attacking platform. On 65 minutes lock Brian McHugo was the second Wegian to go into the bin.

The momentum was now all with Buccs as they cleverly managed the conditions with some excellent ball retention and continuity, with one passage of play lasting over an astonishing 30 phases. The 14-man Blues simply could not find their way out of their own half and when Buccs were awarded another penalty late on, a kick to the corner and a solid lineout take resulted in a series of pick and jams, ending with substitute prop Jack Kelly diving over for the winning try. McDonald converted for good measure, and that was the game.

So a slightly anti-climatic end to their season for Wegians on the day, however this result was a minor blemish on what was an astonishing season for the Blues. They won 16 out of their 18 games, including their first 15 on the bounce, scoring more points and conceding the least of all teams across the five divisions of the Energia All-Ireland League. The result certainly didn't dampen the celebrations, as immediately after the game, captain Dylan Keane was presented with the Division 2B League trophy and medals by Yvonne Comer of the IRFU.