Match Result
- Result: Galwegians U21 35 - Thomond 13
- Venue: Crowley Park on Sat Feb 25th 2012
- Competition: SW Conference League
Match Report
Galwegians kept their playoff hopes alive with a hard fought, in every sense of that word, bonus point victory over Thomond on Sat in Crowley Park.
Wegians were out the blocks like a rocket when wing David Quill brilliantly fielded a garryowen from Darragh Leader leading to Wegians piling down into the visitors 22. Thomond defended the initial surge but from the resulting scrum No.8 David Doherty crashed over as the Wegians front row demolished their opposite numbers, as they would do for the rest of the match. 7-0.
Thomond brought a lot of physicality to the match but Wegians defended stoutly. Wegians lifted the siege and scored an extraordinary try when flanker Isaac O'Grady did a brilliant impression of a pinball as he bounced from one potential tackler to the next from the 22 to the try line. 14-0
Thomonds direct play was causing the home team difficulties, but not enough to stop them extending their lead when some good handling from the back line set centre Gary O'Brien free to slalom through the defence and touchdown. 19-0
The game now took on a different hue at this point with most of the action occuring a fair distance from where the game was taking place.
The home team were unsettled by this change of focus and with a number of defenders tied up in extra curricular activity, Thomond made use of the space and scored an excellent try. Game on. 19-7.
The home team were struggling to keep their focus on the match and decisions starting going against them on a regular basis and it eventually led to the yellow carding of O'Grady as he felt compelled to defend himself at the bottom of a ruck.
Wegians coped well without the marauding kiwi and worked their way into Thomond territory as half-time approached, forcing a penalty which Darragh Leader cooly converted. 22-7 HT.
A stern lecture from the coaching team ensured Wegians got their heads back in the game but they continued to lose out on all the 50-50 decisions and Thomond worked themselves back into the game with 2 early second half penalties. 22-13.
The game was now in the balance but the substitutes Wegians had brought on at the end of the sin bin period now began to get up to the speed of the match and a fluidity was now running through the sky blues despite some very forthright defending from the visitor.
The momentum was back with the home team now and they slowly turned the screw as they dominated possession but Thomond were still defending ferosciously. However they eventually cracked and O'Brien swooped and swerved his way through to score the crucial bonus point try. 27 - 13.
Wegians were now well on top and dominated the remaining minutes of the match. Leader popped over another penalty and O'Grady finished off the scoring as he finished off a multi-phase move to dot down under the posts. 35-13 Full-time.