U15s suffer heavy defeat in top of the table clash Share
BANBRIDGE U15s 0 Carrick 52November 19, 2011
Bann U15s trained hard in the bad weather to prepare themselves for the visit of the very strong Carrick side. Prior to this meeting the two teams had been unbeaten in the league but Carrick's winning margins had been much higher than Bann's. The reason soon became evident as the physically superior visitors imposed themselves on the game from the outset, eventually running in four tries in each half to stake an emphatic claim to the Ulster Premier League title. Following Keelan McCambridge's late withdrawal from the Bann team due to illness, a quick reshuffle saw William Wilson move into the centre and James Curry onto the wing. Early on in the game Bann lost their influential playmaker Cameron Cromie to injury. This upset the backline again and resulted in more players playing out of position. Samuel Mount came onto the wing and the two most versatile players on the pitch, James Curry and Josh Cromie, went into the important positions of 9 and 10. Overall Bann will learn more from this defeat than any win. Rucking needs to be quicker and lower with more awareness of where the open spaces are. The backs were up against it from the start with losing two important players, but they need to work on their positional and spacial awareness. On a positive note the whole team did battle right to the end. Adam Cromwell and once again Alex Megaw were the pick of the pack while in the backs Josh Cromie and James Curry stood out despite having to move out of their usual positions.. The Bann squad was:- Jake Dennison, Jake Chambers, Adam Cromwell, Jonny Bates, Matthew Taylor, Ross Haughey, Robin Hewitt, Alex Megaw(C), Josh Cromie, Cameron Cromie, William Wilson, Jason Jardine, James Curry, Wayne McCurry, Jordan Mullan, Lee Jackson, Samuel Mount, David Waddell, Max Buller, Nathan Moffett, Andrew Harvey.
Carrick's superior rucking and power in the scrum troubled Bann all day and allowed their impressive No 8 to score 3 tries. In the forwards their hooker also scored from a quick penalty. In the backs their out-half was controlling things superbly, with little kicks over the defence and working little switch moves to leave the Bann defence in disarray. He picked up two tries and set up two for his centres, adding six conversions for good measure.
The best player in a Bann shirt on the day was Wayne McCurry. His tireless work and ferocious tackling against bigger opponents were an example to all, especially as he played with a heavily strapped ankle.
Training continues on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6.50 to 8.30. All 3rd and 4th years welcome.