Reports from Senior Level

Harlequins change colour and brush Barnhall aside
Belfast Harlequins 38 Barnhall 3
Saturday the 29th of March 2008

A brave performance was never going to be enough for Barnhall to topple Belfast Harlequins in Dearamore Belfast on Saturday. Indeed gaining five points from the game would still require others to play a part for Barnhall to stay in Division two of the AIL. Knowing the odds were stacked against them and facing one of the strongest teams in the division Barnhall still gave it their all in an entertaining and bruising encounter.
In order to progress to Division one of the AIL Harlequins also needed full points and some help from other results. The pressure of the task appeared to be too much for the home side as Barnhall started more positively and were full of purpose at the breakdown and in running the ball at every opportunity. Within four minutes Jamie Kavanagh has popped over a penalty to establish a three point lead. Indeed with Cormack Dunne Snipping at the base of the scrum and giving both David Creighton and Rory Blake Knox a difficult time Barnhall should have been nine points up after only ten minutes and indeed but for a poor final pass Romain Gibert could have touched down and really caused a stir in this highly charged match.
It was not to be a dream start as Kavanagh missed a straightforward kick and a quickly taken penalty by Paul Burke was a wasted effort. After fifteen minutes the home side were fortunate to be only three points adrift.Fortune continued to smile as on seven teen minutes following a well taken lineout Quinns had technical infringement in the line out which was not picked up by Match official Ger English and second row giant Niall McCombe crossed over the Barnhall line almost unopposed. Darren Cave had no difficulty adding to points to establish a slim lead of seven points to three. Barnhall did dig deep and thwarted all attempts by the home side to make any progress. Despite supremacy across the pack Quins were unable to deploy any of the height and weight advantage and appeared unable to control the ball at the base of the scrum. As the half ground to a close Andrew Gilespie, Colin Atkinson and Gareth Rourke were beginning to increase the pressure and dominate in the forward exchanges and but for great tackling from Dunne, Connor Feeney, Danny Martin and Neill Cotter the home side would have taken a hold on the game. The half time score remained at seven points to three.
Both sides have similar colour jerseys and it was decided they were sufficiently different for Barnhall to play in the traditional colours and not change as visiting teams should when a clash of colours arises. For the restart Harlequins changes to a Maroon coloured strip and with the change came a change in attitude and tactics. Quins started the second half at a faster pace and looked to move the ball quickly. Dermot Dunne was on sideline duty for ten minutes and with fourteen men on the field and a more focussed approach from Harlequins Barnhall were under pressure from the start. The second half was only three minutes old when Cotter was faced with a wave of players and in trying to cover the gap the experienced Shane Stewart had no difficulty in stepping inside and touching down close to the posts. Again Cave added the points to make it 14 - 3. Within two minutes of the restart Blake-Knox used quick hands to get the ball to Paul McKinzie who scampered down the wing and cross over for a try close to the corner flag. Cave also slotted the conversion and at 21 points to 3 the game was over as a contest. Barnhall's only hope was to keep the home side in a negative frame of mind and second guessing by staying ahead. Not converting the earlier chances and allowing two soft try's was to be the undoing of the Barnhall plan.
Filled with confidence and realising the Barnhall defence could be breached harlequins piled on the pressure with the back line and the wing forwards all taking up excellent positions to run effective charges at the Barnhall line. It was not long before Atkinson, Gillespie and Creighton all got on the score sheet to make it a miserable day for Barnhall. Barnhall did empty the subs bench and it was good to see so many of the future stars of Barnhall perform well under very difficult circumstances. TJ Ryan, did impress with his contribution as did Cotter who was stretchered off with a knee injury mid way through the second half.
When the dust settled (or mud as the weather was poor and the pitch soaked) Belfast Harlequins did as much as they could but didn't receive assistance from other fixture and so remained in Division two for another season. Barnhall propped up the bottom of the table and along with Suttonians will now drop down to Division three of the AIL for next season.
The final scenes in Dearamore were emotional as Director of Coaching Ian Morgan addressed his squad in the middle of the field when the game was over. All huddled together and holding each other tightly to avoid tears from taking a grip. The kind words of gratitude and encouragement could ease the pain clearly expressed on the faces of the dejected team. The emotion and the disappointment at leaving Division two after so many campaigns was clearly evident, clearly hurting and clearly a feeling will take some time to erase. The large group of supporters were philosophical in defeat. While they consoled the battered and bruised team they looked forward to the prospect of competing and winning again in division three. Some were already planning and mulling over what it will take to return to division two around this time next year.
A final comment from Jack Looby President of Barnhall RFC “On behalf of all of the Barnhall supporters we thank all of the Boy's in Blue for the effort, dedication and commitment they have given to Barnhall in this difficult season and for all of our years in division two”.

Students in a class of their own.
University College Cork . 36 Barnhall RFC 21
Saturday 22nd of March 2008

Barnhall suffered another Division 2 defeat in the Mardyke grounds on Saturday. This latest loss and the inability to secure a bonus point makes rugby in AIL division 3. next year all the more likely for the Parsonstown Blue Bulls.
Barnhall started brightly with the tight forward unit having much the better of the early exchanges. Whether it was inexperience or the pressure of the occasion the Backline made a series of unforced errors which negated the hard work of the powerful Barnhall pack. On eight minutes the home side made a break, somewhat against the run of play. Gavin Dunne appeared to knock the ball on following a tap tackle just inside the Barnhall half. The ref didn't call the infringement and an excellent pick up by Scott Deasey saw him break the cover and score close to the posts. Dunne converted to establish a seven point lead. This was followed six minutes later by well worked try for Peter Shallow the first of his three try's on the day. At 12 points to nil Barnhall were left wondering how they could dominate the forward encounter and end up so far behind after only seventeen minutes.
Sticking to the game plan Barnhall were rewarded for some excellent forward play when Cormack Dunne made a great break and popped to Brian Murray close to the corner flag. Jim Kavnagh added the conversion to restore the game to a contest at 12 points to seven. UCC did make several line breaks and Barnhall were at full stretch to keep UCC at bay. An excellently floated chip by Gavin Dunne was swiftly picked up by Colin Crowley and he crossed close to the corner flag with Dunne adding the conversion to establish a commanding 19 points to seven lead at the interval.
The second half started brightly for Barnhall but again without success on the score board despite great work by Danny Martin who was denied just short of the line. UCC were not long in killing off the game as a contest after a shaky start in the second half. In a ten minutes Spell between the 55 th and 65 th minutes Shallow crossed over the Barnhall line for his second and third try's. and establish an unassailable lead of 31 points to 7. Jim Nolan was given a ten minutes rest by the referee in the middle of the damaging ten minute spell and at that stage the game was over as a contest. Barnhall's Dunne brothers had no interest in giving up and once Barnhall returned to full strength the pack began to dominate again and a try for Cormack Dunne and one for Dermot on the 75 and the 78 minutes gave some hope for a late revival and a possible bonus point as the sides were now 31 points to 21 apart. UCC were not going to let the game slip and to finish off his master class at out half Gavin Dunne again floated an excellent kick over the Barnhall defence and Scott Deasey was again on hand to get the touch down to finish the scoring at 36 points to 21.
Barnhall can take away a lot of positives from the game with a very convincing forward display and with excellent contributions from Danny Martin, Neill Cotter and Conor Feeney. Kavanagh also impressed in his first AIL outing. Barnhall now need a miracle to avoid the drop travelling to Belfast Next week to meet the high flying Belfast Harlequins. Barnhall will need the full five points from the game and they still may not be sufficient to avoid relegation to Division 3.

Barnhall Unhinged by late surge from Ballinahinch.
Barnhall 0 Ballinahinch 15
3rd of March 2008

Barnhall RFC fought the brave fight with one of the best showings this year only to come up short in the final ten minutes of this entertaining game at Parsonstown on Saturday. After eight minutes it looked like the northern visitors were going to dish out a thrashing as the pushed hard from the kick off. Barnhall could not manage to get a hand on the ball in this opening phase and the Hinch no8 Stuart Lamb failed with two attempts to open the scoring once via a knock on and the second via a try saving tackle by Brian Hennebry.
Hennebry and Cormack Dunne were very prominent in the opening half pulling off numerous tackles preventing the visitors from mounting any decent passing movements. The front five were particularly strong in the set pieces with the scrums working well and the lineout's delivering clean possession. Again Hennebry was impressive at the tail of the line collecting several lineout's. The back line was tentative and the handling errors mounted quickly as the pace of the game quickened.
As half time approached Romain Gibert and Eoin burke were finding gaps in the Hinch defence and a number of fine moves were stopped with last gasp efforts from the visitor's defence. At the close of the half Ballinahinch had an opportunity to register points but committed a foul on the five meter line and the momentum was lost. The half was full of good rugby but it was sprinkled with many errors and poor handling on both sides. Barnhall were somewhat relieved at half time and confidence was high, following the performance of the pack and half backs, that they could pull off a much needed win to help ensure participation in division two next year.
The second half was a similar fare to the opening forty minutes with chances on offer to both sides. Twelve minutes into the half a speculative kick from Aaron McAllese was not collected well and a misunderstanding by Hennebry and Ben McCarthy resulted in Hennebry conceding a penalty on thirty meters. McAleese converted to a narrow leade at 0-3. Barnhall responded well but the loss of both Dermot and Cormack Dunne proved to be the undoing of the Parsonstown side. Both Dunne's picked up injuries and while replacements Greg Boland and Brian Murray did give a good account of them selves the ability to stop moved from developing went with Cormack's departure. Hinch upped the pace of the game and Barnhall had to rely on last gasp efforts again to keep the confident visitors from scoring. A particularly fine effort from Danny Martin stopped a certain try and the resulting play yielded a penalty to Barnhall which allowed the siege to be lifted.
On thirty minutes Lambe spearheaded a terrific move which McAleese orchestrated between forwards and backs to finally put winger Aaron Ferris away for a try mid way between the corner flag and the posts. McAleese converted to open up a ten point gap. Romain Gibert started to move the ball more urgently and the pace of the Barnhall forwards did force a penalty out of the Hinch defence. McCarthy went for the corner flag for a line out and a possible try instead of bagging the three points on offer. Barnhall won the line out but Jean Emmanuelle Cau was driven backwards and with that so too were the hopes of a home win. The heads did not drop and the forwards gave all that was asked in the closing minutes. However the confidence boost from preventing Barnhall from scoring resulted in a fiecre driving move from Hinch and after 12 off loads The Hinch No12 Stewart Megaw crossed over close to the corner flag. McAleese failed with the conversion and the score remained at 0 -15 for Ballinahinch.
It was a deserved victory for Ballinahinch who lost the same fixture two years ago. That loss consigned Ballinahinh to the third division last year and unless Barnhall can find another victory before year end we will be overtaken by the chasing pack

Barnhall put to the sword by Buccaneers.
Barnhall 18 Buccaneers 45
Saturday 23rd of Feb 2008

Barnhall faced a serious uphill struggle in Parsonstown on Saturday with a fixture against a fully fit all firing Buccaneers side. The westerners were fully charged up with recent big wins and very focussed on returning to the first division following last year's relegation. Barnhall have faced high quality opposition in the last three weeks and on each occasion loosing the game has position the opponents at the top of the league table. So to it turned out as conceding defeat with a bonus point had hoisted Buccaneers to the top of the division.
The early kick off time of 1 pm did not impact Buccaneers as they quickly got into a rhythm of play which they sustained for the 80 minutes. The opening display was cautious and measured as the pace of the game appeared slow for the opening fifteen minutes with the two sets of forwards testing each others resolve in the loose and in the tight. Andy Gaughan landed a close range effort after nine minutes. Ben McCarthy took up the kicking duties in the absence of Cathal Connolly and he slotted home from short range to level the score at 3 points each. Within minutes Gaughan had ma second penalty gifted to him from a similar distance to his first successful attempt and he made no mistakes with the opportunity. 3 points to six Barnhall appeared to be well matched to the task of day.
The recent frailties in Barnhall emerged approaching the twenty minute mark and a soft try was gifted to C Watters who willingly crossed over following an intercept. Gaughan converted and the score was 3 points to 13. Barnhall responded with a direct all out attack and upped the game in the pack to gain serious ground withy good handling by the forwards. Brian Hennebury crossed over close to the touchline and McCarthy was unable to add the conversion leaving the score at 8 points to 13. It looked as if this could be the half time score which would have been a confidence builder for the home side. In a series of incidents including the binning of Dermot Dunne Barnhall conceded another penalty which Gaughan slotted home. 8points to 16 and shortly afterwards Alex Hayman touched down following a fine phase of play and again Gaughan added the points to establish a 23 points to 8 lead. The score line did not reflect the effort Barnhall had expended to contain and at times worry the Buccaneers game plan. However the tackle count was mounting against Barnhall and the pressure from the visitors was constant
From the restart it was clear Buccaneers were confident they would win the match and the bonus point was the only issue on their minds. Early in the game Barnhall made changes which altered the shape of the back line completely. Romain Gibert took a knock and Eoin burke moved into the No 9 position with McCarthy moving to Outhalf. Connor Feeney was introduced with Mike Summerell reverting to his normal full back role. Despite the changes no major disruption arose and the introduction of Danny Martin for Jonathon Manu who was having an off day added some much needed pepper into the Barnhall attack. Martin made him self know form his introduction with some excellent tackling and some probing runs at the Buccaneers defence. While the forwards were well in touch with the Visitors pack errors and misjudgements did arise and two more penalties for Gaughan ended the game as a contest. Barnhall conceded four more try's to winger Niall O'Hara, Hooker Gareth Halligan and one for Gaughan with Gaughan converting two of the attempts to establish a 11 points to 45 lead. McCarthy having added a penalty as a result of a driving maul which forced the errors out of the Buccaneers defence. The introduction of Marcus Doyle was a very positive step and he, like Martin, made a very positive contribution from his introduction. Another positive forward display saw Dermot Dunne force his way over the line and McCarthy slotted home the consolation score to give a final tally of 18 points to 45.
Barnhall have suffered a major slide in fortune since the Christmas break. The next engagement will also be at home on the 1 st of March. This fixture represents a key game in the fortunes of the Parsonstown club as it represents the last fixture against a team not in contention for promotion this year. A win in this match is essential to ensure Barnhall can stay in division 2 of the AIL this year.

Malone Brush Barnhall aside
Malone 41 Barnhall 13
Saturday 16th of February 2:30pm

Gibson Park has proven to be a difficult venue for Barnhall to gain league points and Saturday was no exception. Malone started the game at a cracking pace and from the start the Backline looked like it had strength and pace in abundance. After only three minutes a missed tackle let Andy Lowe in for a soft try which was converted by Gareth Fry the talented no fifteen for Malone. Barnhall had to defend time and time again in the opening fifteen minutes. The loss of Emmet Condon made matters worse for the visitors as his efforts in the opening minutes were a key factor in keeping Malone at bay. Shortly after re-shuffling the back line to introduce John Banal in the centre with Mike Summer ell moving to full back to replace the injured Condon, Malone struck again through the middle of the back line and John Burgess crossed over for the first of his two try's of the afternoon. Fry missed the conversion but after only fifteen minutes it was clear that Barnhall would be defending for the rest of the afternoon.
Cathal Connolly was given a long range opportunity on twenty minutes which he converted with ease. The score of 12 points to 3 was not a cause for celebrations as it was clear that Malone were targeting the centre of the back line and there efforts were well supported by a very effective back row. John Andersen got on the score sheet on the thirty minute mark winning the race after a well placed kick ahead by outhalf Kieran Hallet. Fry failed to add the extra points and the score stood at 17 points to 3. Connolly added a second penalty to give a glimmer of hope and the half finished at 17 points to 6.
The second half continued exactly as the first has finished with Malone running the ball wide and looking to punch a gap in the centre. It was only five minutes into the second half when Barnhall yielded a second soft try with Gareth Fry getting the touch down and adding the conversion. At 24 - 6 it was only a question of the margin of the win for Malone. The bonus point for try's scored was achieved by Malone and changes in the backline p[roved to be just as difficult a task as it had been earlier in the game. Barnhall did dig deep but found little by way of opportunity to make any inroads into the Malone defence. Forcing the game and under pressure Barnhall conceded a penalty which Fry converted to bring the score to 27- 6. On twenty minutes Connolly had to be replaced due to a knock on the leg and Ben McCarthy made his first start of the season Captain Jim Nolan and Philip Furlong were also introduced at this stage. It was a case of all hands on deck as Malone did not let up on the pressure and on thirty minutes of the second half Glen Moore Crossed over and Kieran Hallett converted to bring the score to 34 – 6. Sam McDonald crossed over five minutes later with a forwards move and at 41 points to 6 it looked Like the rampant Malone outfit might make the half century of points. McCarthy had other ideas and an excellent move breached the Malone line and John Bagnall was on hand to carry the ball across the line. McCarthy converted the consolation score and established the 41 points to 13 score line. Malone has another clear chance in the last moments of the game but knocked on with the line at their mercy.
Barnhall now face a serious up hill struggle over the closing weeks of the AIL season. Three of the last four games are against teams all in the shake up to promotion into division 1 where only five points separate the top six teams. It's equally congested at the bottom of the table where only two points separate four teams all looking to avoid the drop to division three.

A minutes magic not enough for Barnhall.
Barnhall RFC 12 Highfield RFC 34

Disagreement over the kick off time (to facilitate the players watching the international game) appeared to have the visitors from Highfield asleep at the kick off of this AIL game in Parsonstown on Saturday. Barnhall gained possession shortly after the kick off and a wonderful break by Cathal Connolly split the stunned Highfield defence and released Romain Gibert (playing at fullback for this game) on a lightening break. Gibert breezed through a narrow gap and left the Highfield defence standing as he crossed in the corner. Connolly missed the difficult conversion and the score after one minute of play was 5-0 to the home side.
The shock of conceding a try so quickly did not perturb the resolute Highfield side. The powerful forward unit and talented backline won possession and moved the ball quickly and with confidence to pressure Barnhall into conceding ground and penalties within the opening twenty minutes. Brian O'Meara was impressive at no 9 for Highfield and he converted two close range attempts in the opening period to edge a point clear of Barnhall at 5- 6 after the twenty minute mark. Shortly after the second penalty a sustained period of pressure saw a simple pop from O'Meara to wing forward Maurice Power cross over for Highfield's first try of the afternoon. O'Meara converting to open up a significant gap at 5 points to 13.
The soft try was a killer blow to a team that were pinned to the collar to keep the visitors at bay. The ease with which the first try was scored gave heart to Highfield. The robust play at this time saw Greg Boland take a knock and the influential Barnhall second row was replaced by Philip Furlong. Before Furlong could get into his stride Highfield picked from the base of a ruck and drove over the line. Asari Koroilogavatu touched down close to the posts and again O'Meara had no difficulty in converting for the additional two points. At 5- 20 and with Highfield brimming with confidence it looked like Barnhall were in for a very high scoring defeat on home soil. The final score of the Half came on 44 minutes when Hooker Mike Essex crossed over from a driving maul to extend the score and O'Meara duly added the points to establish a commending half time lead of 5- 27.
The second half got off to a cracking pace and the movement of the ball by Highfield was impressive. Barnhall were working hard to regain some pride in the game and Emmet Condron, Dermot Dunne and Brian Murray were prominent in pressing Barnhall's case. After a frantic period of play it looked like Barnhall had spilled the ball and with impressive speed Highfield distributed the ball and touched down in the corner. The lines man had seen an infringement on half way and he guided the referee and play was brought back to the half way with Highfield incensed at the disallowed try. The Highfield coach Geoff Moylan made a fool of himself , let his club down and completely unsettled his players with an outburst at the first second and fourth officials over the disallowed try. As Highfield lost shape Barnhall appeared to get a second wind from the reprieve and a steely resolve to prevent a fourth try being scored appeared to be the driver for the remainder of the second half.
The last thirty minutes of this game was a tremendous display of rugby with both teams going at it hammer and tongs. The Barnhall front five were most impressive with Murray constantly looking to make hard yards. Time and time again Jason Van Houte urged his pack on to greater gains and a sustained period of positive play by Barnhall was met with a resolute defence by Highfield. Highfield were faced with last gasp efforts to keep the resurgent Barnhall side at bay.
On 38 minutes Highfield did manage to break free and a passage of play which saw twelve passing movements resulted in Dave O'Brien scoring mid way between the posts and the corner flag. Brian O'Meara added the points to make it 5 points to 34. From the kick off Barnhall forced a turnover and Eoin Burke released the ball to Jonathon Manu who eat up the yards splitting the Highfield defence wide open. A perfectly timed pass was floated to Mike Summerelle who touched down close to the posts with Jason Van Houte in close attendance.
Despite the hefty defeat and failing to achieve the second half objective Barnhall did restore pride and confidence in the second half. The front row stood up to enormous pressure and Dunne, Boland and Furlong all performed well in the second row. The back line also showed true grit in the second period and Connolly and Eoin Burke will have benefited from this level of competition following their lay off through injury. “In a typically defiant mood Dermot Dunne commented after the game that we have nothing to fear in any team if we produce the goods as we did in the second period today. If we react more quickly in support of the ball carrier then we will take a few more notable scalps in the league before long”.

Barnhall blown off course by DLSP.
De La Salle Plamerstown 39 Barnhall 10.

DLSP fully deserved the high scoring victory and the additional bonus points for tries scored at wins swept Kilternan on Saturday. The home side presented a well balanced side with strong forwards and a well drilled backline that was competent in attack and in defence. Barnhall played directly into the strong wind from the kick off and with DLSP performing well in home games this year and Barnhall starting without a number of first team regulars the challenge was always going to be a though one for the visitors.
Indeed this game ended as a contest after only twenty minutes when DLSP had clocked up twenty points with some ease courtesy of Carl de Chenu and Ken Copeland and a conversion and penalty from Declan Griffin. Barnhall lost two of its more influential players in this period in Eoin Burke and Riann Erasmus both of whom had received head injuries. Burke had only just returned from injury and was replacing Cathal Connolly in the no 10 shirt for the day. With some unconvincing tackling already in evidence the early replacement of the two influential backs added further disruption to the unsure Barnhall back line.
It was an error strewn performance from Barnhall in the opening period and it was some effective last gasp tackling from Jason Van Houte and Emmet Condron that kept the score respectable in the first half. Dermot Dunne and Brian Murray in particular gave their all for the blue shirt with good support in the first half from Philip Furlong returning from injury for his first game in ten weeks. Mike Summerall stepped up to the role of no 10 and at times his kicking and distribution worked well. His lack of match practice in this position and the slow ball coming from the set pieces made it a torrid time and the DLSP backs were able to close down any attempts to move the ball wide. A late penalty brought some cheers from the strong Barnhall supporters but the tight DLSP defence gave little indication that they would yield any easy scores on the home pitch. A second penalty from Griffin left the half time score at 20 points to 3.
DLSP commenced the second half with renewed purpose and the high wind which was now in Barnhall's favour did little to bolster the confidence in the Barnhall effort. Indeed some near interceptions furtherer shook the confidence in along the back line and it wasn't long before Johnney Power and Fran Cooney crossed over for well worked try's converted by Phil de Barra. Barnhalls response was a well worked forward driven effort which Referee John Lacy had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try for persistent infringement against DLSP. The Visitors never looked like making a game of it and with de Chenu adding a second effort in the corner Barnhall were looking at one of the heaviest defeats in the AIL this year.
At one point late in the second half one could be forgiven for assuming the John lacy was an interior designer and not a referee as he flashed cards amongst the players. Seven yellow cards were tendered in all mostly for infringement's and once to calm a touch of hot headed behaviour. The game finished with DLSP scoring a whopping 39 points to Barnhalls 10. It had been suggested that Barnhall would be happy if the league was run off in its entirety before Christmas as over the past few years our post Christmas forms dips. The situation now is that Barnhall must face four of the top five teams in division two over the next few weeks with only four points separating the five teams at the top of the board. The bottom four teams all lost on Saturday and the next two weeks sees the four bottom teams playing each other. The results of these games will decide how much pressure will come onto the Barnhall blues in the run in to the end of season looking to hold on to the division two berth.

Barnhall : Emmet Condron, Mike Summerall, Paul Burke,Riann Erasmus, Eoin Burke, Brian O Friel Romain Gibert, Peter Courtney, Hamish Hodgson, Jim Nolan, Cpt, Greg Bowland, Dermot Dunne, Jason Van Houte, Philip Furlong, Brian Murray. Subs Jonathon Manu, John Bagnall, Eoin O Sullivan, Jean E Cau,

Arm of the law decides close encounter at Parsonstown.
Barnhall 13. Bective Rangers 14.

Barnhall RFC were on the loosing end of the closest of matches against Bective Rangers at Parsonstown on Saturday. The game was always going to be a close contest with the teams starting the match in ninth and tenth positions in the table. In the end a half time discussion between the linesmen and the referee on offside ruling was to be a telling factor in this game.
The game kicked off at a tentative pace on a wet and heavy pitch. There was little between the teams with the Barnhall pack edging the contest and the Bective ranges backline looking confident and dangerous when they had the ball. On four minutes Cathal Connolly opted to have a shot at Goal from inside his half and narrowly missed the attempt. An uncoordinated period of play continued with some aimless kicking by both sides with the Barnhall efforts seldom finding touch.
On 12 minutes Simon Mitchell was gifted a penalty opportunity on 34 meters out and converted to open up a three point lead. Barnhall pushed hard and it was very clear from the robust game that Barnhall were well up for the game and intent on taking full points. On seventeen minutes Barnhall forced another penalty which Connolly again missed and his third attempt from 40 meters in the twenty second minute restored the game to parity at 3 points each. Emmet Condron was contributing significantly in defence with positive tackles and with some excellent clearance kicks. Poor handling by Bective prevented any progress by the visitors in the early stages with Val Byrnes particularly guilty. Barnhall forced another penalty out of the visitors and Connolly made no mistake from 30 meters to leave the score at 6 points to 3.
Then tempo of the game was upped by both sides and the last ten minutes was played at a cracking pace. Dermot Dunne got a yellow card and a ten minute rest at this stage and despite being a man down Barnhall still pushed hard to increase the lead. Bective countered moves very swiftly and a break saw Ed Saul making definite headway for the Barnhall line. Brien O Friel made a terrific man and ball smother tackle on Saul and stopped the move in its tracks. Barnhall has several chances in the dieing moments of the first half but some indecision prevented any improvement on the score line.
At the interval the referee and the lines men had a discussion on the speed of the Barnhall back row closing down the opposition in the set pieces. The linesman suggested the wing forwards were not binding in fully and this needed to be watched.
The Pace of the second half commenced as the first half finished. Little progress was made by either side in the opening ten minutes and then Bective gathered a loose ball and commenced a lengthy rolling maul. The slow ball edged forward sapping energy and achieving little. Barnhall stole possession and from the first breakdown Barnhall moved the ball expertly among the loose forwards and were stopped short of the Bective line. Brian Murray was on hand and he crossed over on the second attempt and Connolly converted to stretch the lead to 13 points to 3. The score proved to be a wake up call to the visitors who upped the efforts to a significant extent. On fifteen minutes and against the run of play Bective made a telling counter attack and moved the ball quickly. A chip ahead on the left wind set up a race between Jamyn Keates and Condron which Condron touched down to the relief of the anxious crowd. Three minutes later following intense pressure Barnhall conceded a penalty for killing the ball and the howls of instruction to the referee were defining. Mitchell converted the penalty from 26 meters and Bective were now 13 – 6 behind with a strong momentum building.
Barnhall pushed hard at every opportunity and again a turnover from poor kicking gave Bective possession and with quick hands the ball was worked wide. Keates found himself bearing down on the Barnhall line with only Condron in his path. Condron put in a big tackle but Keates managed some excellent acrobatics to get the ball to Ed Saul who had little opposition in crossing over for a well worked try. Mitchell missed the conversion and the score was poised at 13 points to 11 with twelve minutes to go. As Bective chased victory it looked like the efforts of Cormack Dunne, O'Friel, Jason Van Houte and particularly Peter Courtney would keep the visitors from claiming a late victory.
In the increasingly wet and dark conditions Barnhall conceded a scrum about 18 meters from the Barnhall line. Van Houte didn't bind with a full arm to the scrum and moved too early for the liking of the referee. After the half time discussion he had no hesitation in awarding the penalty 18 meters out and fifteen meters in from the touch line. Mitchell hit a nervous kick but just converted the penalty effort to establish a one point lead at 13 points to 14. From the restart Bective pushed Barnhall back into the 22 and despite heroic deeds and commitment from the home team Barnhall were unable to venture beyond the 22. Barnhall were left rueing the missed chances in the first half and the lack of execution of the possession they had throughout the game.

Barnhall's wise men follow the stars to victory.
Old Crescent 3 Barnhall RFC 15
Saturday 15th of December 2007

Following the disappointment of last weeks performance away to Suttonians Barnhall made the much longer journey to Rosbrien in Limerick to face an expected abrasive Old Crescent team. In addition to the confidence sapping recent performances the history of the encounters with Old Crescent is that in all previous games the home team has won.
On a dull day and in the week before Christmas a larger then expected crowd turned up at Rosebrien looking to support the home side who have been on the wrong side of several of the previous close encounters in division two this year. The game opened up at a cracking pace and from the off Mark Ryan the burley no 8 and Aidan Purcell gave ample signs of the kind of pressure Barnhall could expect from Old Crescent. Unlike the previous games Barnhall started the game full of purpose and looked to impose a game pattern from the off and not wait to react to the home sides tactics. The resulting spectacle was thrilling as counter attacks from Old Crescent indicated the type of danger they possessed in a competent back line.
The opening excitement however came from Barnhall who appeared to have a more cohesive forward unit then the Old Crescent pack. After a series of phases of play Eoin Burke spun out a quick pass to Cathal Connolly back in the no ten shirt and Connolly slipped past his man and headed for the line. With the line almost at his mercy Connolly fired a long pass out to Mike Sommerelle but was adjudged to have pushed it forward. Old Crescent relieved the pressure but only for a brief spell as within five minutes another flowing move had the ball making its way to Romain Gibert playing at no 14 on the wing instead of his normal no 9 berth. Fabulous, elusive running brought Gibert passed his markers and his excellent speed gave him a touch down beside the corner flag. Despite a helping strong breeze Connolly was unable to convert and the score after twelve minutes was 0 – 5 in favour of Barnhall.
Cormac Dunne was very prominent in the loose from the start of the game and he was a total menace to all attempts by Old Crescent to get into the game. His efforts in tackling and supporting all forward movements was a shining example to the rest of the team. On sixteen minutes another back line move saw the ball again reach Gibert. Varying the play Gibert chipped past his opposite number and the old Crescent full back Paul McDonough came rushing in with a cynical tackle that was so late it almost missed Christmas. The yellow card was issued and Old Crescent were reduced to fourteen men. Barnhall dominated from this position for the next ten minutes with the forward running rampant over the home side.
Dermot Dunne found him self on the fringes of a fourth phase of possession and a pop up from Burke gave the bulky second row a relative easy drive for the line. Dunne touched down close to the posts and Connolly had no problem converting to establish a twelve point lead (0-12).
Old Crescent did not lie down and for the rest of the first half they peppered the Barnhall defences looking for a gap. Restored to fifteen men and feeling like a score would come there way Old Crescent pushed hard. Billy Leahy was on a clear break when Summerelle ploughed into him and he was awarded a yellow card and a ten minute break for his clumsiness. With eight minutes of the half remaining it would be difficult to hold out being reduced to fourteen men against a determined effort from the home side. Much to the delight of the Barnhall team and following hold out they did in a tense end to a fine first half of football.
The pep talk for Old Crescent must have been a roasting as the started the second half with a strong wind and major gusto behind them. Mark Ryan was prominent as was Jack Dooley and lock Sean O Sullivan. Alan Purcell was also directing the flow of the game and it was clear Old Crescent were looking to resume the pressure they had at the end of the first period. The reward came after three minutes when the forced a penalty out of the Barnhall defence about eighteen meters out. Purcell converted and the confidence grew in the home side. With the wind assisting Purcell changes the tactics of the game and this proved to be the undoing of the Home effort. Time and time again Purcell went the ariel route dropping high balls onto Emmet Condron at full back. Condron who performed well in the first half gave a display of the role of the no 15 with a superb performance in catching kicking and clever running whenever it was required. Again a player took up a mantle and shone brightly in almost every aspect of his game and this inspired his team mates to high performance. It was not long before Brian Murray was chipping in with his best game in the blue jersey since the opening game of the league.
As in previous encounters Barnhall's response to a score was to up the effort and within five minutes of the Old Crescent score Connolly was presented with a close range effort into a strong breeze. Connolly delivered to make it 3 points to fifteen. This was the only time in the opening twenty five minutes of the second half Barnhall made in roads into Old Crescent as they continue the ariel assault. Cormack Dunne had to make way for Greg Boland early in the second half as the star of the opening session succumbed to a series of heavy tackles. Baggo's introduction had an immediate impact and helped to keep the raging Old Crescent pack at bay. On twenty five minutes Condron extended the master class by pulling off an amazing interception of an almost certain try and cleared his lines in front of the supporting Old Crescent pack. The subsequent follow up play saw quick hands moving the ball to Johathon Manu making his first appearance in the AIL replacing Gibert. Manus explosive speed and strong running left Old Crescent in his wake. Despite his introduction at half time this was the first time Barnhall could go on this kind of offensive and Manu's efforts had a devastating impact on Old Crescent. This new threat coming on top of Condron's defence buoyed up the rest of the Barnhall unit and as Barnhall again confidence so did the confidence of the home side drop.
The game remained competitive right through to the final whistle but the stuffing was knocked out of the home side and they never really threatened the Barnhall line again in the half. The trip back to Parsonstown was a happy event with a squad savouring the best performance of the year on this outing.

Suttonians Surprise Sluggish Barnhall
Suttonians RFC 30 Barnhall RFC 15
Saturday the 8th of December 2007

Atrocious overnight weather with thunderstorms and torrential rain did not impact this encounter in Sutton on Saturday. The natural soil on the pitch is sand based on the drainage allowed for a good contest of rugby with some very entertaining running and try scoring.
Suttonians belied their bottom of the table position and put up a very determined display on a wind swept day. The table showing no wins out of five matches and only a single bonus point to show for the efforts. The home side has had a series of injury worries and the return of scrum half Darie Higgins and captain Adrian Kearney added confidence to a side urgently in need of points.
The opening ten minutes saw only one team playing rugby with the home side looking to make amends for the early disappointing results. A powerful forward surge did see Suttonians cross the Barnhall try line only to be adjudged to have knocked on over the line. Shaken by the early onslaught Barnhall upped the pressure and the response was for Suttonians to concede a penalty on half way. Cathal Connolly who started at centre stepped up and slotted home an excellent penalty kick to open up a slim margin somewhat against the run of play.
The home side quickly resumed the pressure play and it was noticeable how closely the big home side pack worked well in carrying the ball in the loose. It was also noticeable that the second tackle put in was telling as often in the early stages the first tackle was missed. Captain Jim Nolan and Jean Emanuel Cau were busy putting g in sterling defence around the fringes at this time. After about six minutes of hard fought effort Suttonians made a break to the right hand side following several phases of possession. Mick O Shea stepped inside and made the break which sent Marno Myer in for a try close to the corner flag. The conversion was missed against the strong breeze that supported Barnhall in the first half.
As with the early miss by Suttonians, Barnhall restarted with fire and passion and drove the ball well in the forwards. At the breakdown on the Suttonians 22, Romain Gibert flew a high pass to Eoin Burke who collected and distributed quickly. Riaan Erasmus, who had a quiet game by his standards, off loaded to Connolly whose jink and change of pace caught the Suttonians defence napping. A neat pass to Paul Burke, back in his normal position saw him with ten meters to cover to score. Despite being grounded Paul picked up and crossed close to the right hand corner offering Connolly a very difficult conversion attempt. As he has done so many times this year Connolly converted to give Barnhall a five point lead at ten points to five after thirty minutes of the game had passed.
From the kick off Suttonians piled on the pressure. Higgins who was so telling earlier in the game with many mischievous sniping runs has quietened down somewhat after taking a heavy knock. His passing and general direction of the game gave impetus to a willing pack and Barnhall had a ten minute spell of intense pressure. Full credit to Barnhall as last gasp defence kept the home side at bay. If Barnhall could hold out to the end of added time they could face the second half with a lot of confidence. The pressure told and the line was broken with Mick O Shea crossing for a well taken try to level the scores on forty minutes. The conversion was missed and the disappointment on the faces of the Barnhall team was evident having toiled so well for so long.
The restart was a disaster for the visitors as Barnhall did not apply any pressure and the ball was moved wide quickly with tons of forward support. The result saw Paddy Maguire cross over under the posts where he easily converted to establish 17 points to ten lead... Within the space of three minutes what had been a very closely contested game took on a very different guise.
From the restart and with the confidence of the two late scores and with a gale behind them, Suttonians tore into the restart bursting with confidence and a determination to gain maximum points from the game. The second half was only five minutes old when Marno Myer crossed over for his well worked second try. The conversion was again missed but Suttonians had a bonus point. Five minutes later Mario Corvis proved he could emulate Cathal Connolly and a penalty attempt from the halfway line extended the Suttonians lead to twenty five points to ten.
It was not long before Ben Reilly bulled his way over the line almost unopposed for the fifth try of the afternoon for Suttonians and established a thirty points to ten lead and a score line that represents the best league performance of the season so far for the north Dublin team. The picture looked gloomy and an absolute trouncing was on the cards. The Barnhall spirit however did emerge and a big effort by Nolan, Peter Courtney, Eoin O Sullivan and Richie McDonough all helped to stem the tide. Better tackling by Cormack Dunne also acted as inspiration and McDonough crossed over for a consolation try with about ten minutes to go. Suttonians had the work done and the late stupidity of Magnus Coetzer got him a yellow card and a ten minute rest which quietened the game down. The superb flood lights could not lift the gloom for Barnhall as the game ended. The harsh words spoken by Nolan fell on a number of ears that had not found their form in the blue shirt on this occasion.
Next week sees a long journey to Limerick to face the third low flyer in the league in Old Crescent. The intensity of the game last week and the skills displayed by Suttonians serve as a stark reminder of just how competitive this division of the AIL really is.

Escape to Victory for Barnhall.
Barnhall 13 Clonakilty 12
Saturday 1st of December 2007

Clonakilty made the long journey to Parsonstown with fear and trepidation as a result of a seriously depleted squad of players due to injury. The hope according to the supporters and club committee was that they could hang on to Barnhall's coat tails and manage a bonus point from a close encounter. The win appeared to be beyond the visitor's capability. The journey home for the visitors was one of disappointment despite achieving a bonus point but Clonakilty clearly left the winning four points behind following an inept performance in the final minutes in this closely contested match.

The game plan for Clonakilty was clear from the kick off. Move the ball wide and keep it far away from the bigger and stronger Barnhall pack. In the opening ten minutes Barnhall did not get to see much of the ball and the visitors plans appeared to be working. Might prevailed and a stronger scrum and more effective line out set up a platform to attack the Clonakilty line. Progress was slow as hand to hand ball movements were the only effective way for Barnhall to progress in the face of a gale force wind which at that time was blowing straight into the home team's faces. A spirited effort from the forwards and a clever kick to touch by Cathal Connolly resulted in a Clonakilty line out about ten meters out. Clonakilty won the line out but were muscled off the ball by a determined Barnhall back row and the ball was spun out to Riaan Erasmus. Erasmus broke through three tackles and popped up a superb ball to Brian O'Friel running a great line to take the pop and grounded for a try under the posts. Connolly converted with ease and it looked like an easy afternoon was in store for the home side.
With Barnhall dominant in set pieces and in the loose the next score looked like a formality. On twenty five minutes he tide turned (or twisted) against the home side as Romain Gibert, who was a powerhouse of all activities in the first twenty minutes, twisted his ankle and took no further part in the day's events. His absence upset the rhythm of the team and Clonakilty quickly pressed an offensive which resulted in a Barnhall line out about six meters from the Barnhall line. A clean line out and a slow ball to Connolly allowed Clonakilty no 8 John McCarthy to block down Connolly's clearance and he dropped down on the ball for an opportunistic try. Within five minutes a game that looked like a comfortable outing for the home side took on a different complexion.
Barnhall responded quickly with a concerted effort from the front five and drove the ball all the way to the Clonakilty five meter line. While making progress the maul collapsed and strangely a penalty against Barnhall was awarded for bringing the maul down. Barnhall collected from the follow up line out and in the breakdown that followed Clonakilty conceded a penalty for preventing the ball from coming back. Connolly opted to shoot at Goal from 38 meters into a gale. Connolly made full amends for the earlier blocked down kick by slotting home this impossible effort and thus restored Barnhall into a 10 - 7 lead. Barnhall pressed strongly with substitute scrum half Cormack Dunne impressing both in the loose and in tackling all attempts by Clonakilty. On 43 minutes of the first half with no gaps emerging from several phases of play Connolly opted to drop kick from close range and secure an additional three points to establish a lead of 13 points to seven at the interval. All kin all a good and solid performance against a strong breeze.
The second half got off to a bad start for Barnhall as a slick move by Clonakilty afforded a great opportunity to Noel O Sullivan for crossed over for a try with only three minutes of the second half elapsed. Again Barnhall responded magnificently and dominated the game in the loose and in tight for the next twenty minutes. Unfortunately for the home side Barnhall never capitalised on the procession, nor did we use the high winds to establish a platform close to the Visitors line. Time and time again passes went astray and inexplicably Connolly appeared to lengthen the distance between himself and Cormack Dunne with the result the ball bobbled several times before coming to hand. In all cases momentum was lost and if Colin Murphy had been up to the task Clonakilty could have capitalised on this poor passage of play.
Some key changes in personal saw the introduction of Eddie Knowles into the front row for Clonakilty and immediately the Clonakilty platform improved. Confidence grew and the speed of the back line and the elusive running of Gary Cribb stretched the Barnhall defence to the limit. Jason Van Hout, Richie McDonough, Erasmus and the newly introduced Brian Murray (for Barry Dunne) all contributed handsomely in preventing the visitors from progressing. Some poor handling from the visitors also helped the home team cause at this time. Clonakilty could not find any way through the determined defence. Robbie Glennon made several good solo runs to keep the visitors honest but the last twenty minutes of the game appeared to be all one way traffic from Clonakilty. Superb discipline by Barnhall denied any penalty chances to the Clonakilty side that looked desperate for their first win of the season.
Barnhall were now on the receiving end of some excellent scrimmaging and in the dieing moments were seriously disrupted by the lively and resurgent Clonakilty pack. With handling difficult, McDonough made a terrific clean pick up at the base of the scrum and set up a ruck which gave Connolly the platform for a relieving kick. As the clock ticked away into the fifth minute of injury time a rare indiscretion gave a penalty to Clonakilty on twenty five meters out some ten meters in from the left hand side of the pitch. With the wind abating and also coming from the left hand side of the field it looked like a formality for Gary Cribb to kick a penalty and secure a victory. Bizarrely and much to the dismay of the vocal visitors support, Cribb went for a tap and run with the ball. Perhaps to secure a further ten meters or possibly due to a lack of confidence with the boot, either way his decision was fatal as the ball spilled or the game ended. Barnhall escaped with the narrowest of victories but with a lot of pride in an effort that displayed tenacity, discipline and a very strong will to win.
Overall it was a very good weekend for Barnhall as the second team had a very impressive win over De La Salle Plamerstown in Kilternan by 35 points to 15. This continues the winning sequence of the second 15 and its makes for the most successful league campaign in Barnhall's history. The victory was based on a very solid performance from a strong Barnhall pack and by touches of brilliance from Emmet Condron who had one of his best ever performances in the Barnhall jersey.

Young Munster 16 Barnhall 6
A.I.L 2 Saturday the 17th of November 2007

Lashing rain and high winds were always going to dictate the style of play in this keenly contested league encounter in Clifford Park limerick on Saturday last. A large contingent of high spirited Barnhall supporters were not dampened by the weather and much was expected from the impending forward tussle. Young Munster has always had a formidable pack and this year was no exception. Much was expected by the local support of the home team back line that has not conceded a try so far in this league campaign. However it was also clear from the outset that the weather would ensure the scoring opportunities would be few in number.
Young Munster started well and the opening passages and coped with the conditions more readily then the Barnhall side. Indeed the opening twenty five minutes would see only one intervention by Barnhall into the Young Munster half and this as a result of an up and under which Mark Connolly did not cope with too well. Unfortunately for Barnhall this was a one off error by the normally reliable full back and further attempts at high balls all were returned with interest.
After eight minutes Barnhall had not performed well in line outs or scrums and the home side were gaining in confidence. A driving maul pushed Barnhall back some 20 meters and close to the five meter line before Greg Boland brought the maul down. Greg received an early rest of ten minutes for this yellow card offence and the early shaky Barnhall scrum became very unstable in Greg's absence. Munster's opted for the scrum and an early drive was picked up by Darragh Payne who released the 6”7ins Shane O'Neill to drive to the line. Cathal Connolly was left as the last man and despite his best efforts could not halt the big man's progress. Tom Wells the Young Munster no 10 missed from close range into a stiff breeze but Barnhall were clearly facing a step uphill battle.
The next fifteen minutes was all one way traffic with Young Munster rampant. Barnhall continued to loos line outs and scrums even when Boland returned to the fray the scrum did not settle. After 18 minutes tempers did flair a little and a penalty on 25 meters out in the middle of the park proved to be a straight forward penalty for Wells to convert. At 8 points to nil the score board did not reflect the dominance Young Munster had over the game. It was primarily due to good defensive play by the back row and Romain Gibert that the home side did not make deeper inroads. At this stage when all looked ominous for Barnhall the front five upped the efforts and slowly the tide turned. Connolly stopped the aerial bombardment and instead chipped a grubber kick between the out half Wells and the Cian Clohessy forcing Mark Connolly the Munster full back to chase a wet and bobbling ball. Connolly made a bit of a hash of his defence and conceded a five meter scrum. The scrum was lost but the sense of a possible revival by Barnhall was evident in the strides for the Barnhall pack. The pressure was maintained and Barnhall were rewarded with a penalty effort on halfway and with the wind assisting Connolly converted to bring Barnhall within reach at 8 pints to 3. Just before the half time whistle Barnhall made another fine forward drive only to be found guilty of crossing and thus ended the entertaining and bruising first half.
The second half commenced with a flourish from Young Munster. Munster gathered the ball from the kick out and made some slow yards before releasing Wells. A very strong elusive jinking run was the result and wells touched down half way between the posts and the touch line to stretch the lead to 13points to 3. Again Wells missed the kick and a sense of de ja vous was felt after two similar tries were conceded the previous week. The lapse in concentration and effort was quickly dispelled by a fine period of domination by Barnhall. Connolly made several probing kicks in the drenching conditions and Young Munster spilled a lot of possession to compound the pressure on there line. The reward was a second penalty attempt for Connolly which he converted with some ease from 28 meters to bridge the gap to seven points at 13 points to 6.
With only twenty minutes of the second half gone the light faded badly and the lashing rain was changed into a cold and blustery monsoon. It became difficult to see the play and the already difficult conditions become impossible. Any side that won possession almost immediately gave it away again as the ball become impossible to handle. Young Munster did manage to string a series of quick passes together and looked dangerous in this attack but never mounted a serious back line move for the rest of the afternoon. They did force a penalty out of the Barnhall defence from about twenty five meters out but Wells missed this effort by a mile. Both sides pressed ahead relentlessly to the admiration and appreciation of a well soaked crowd. At no time did this keenly contested match spill over into a bad tempered affair and all 30 players and subs should be congratulated for the commitment shown in this game.
Barnhall did install a strong sense of urgency in the last ten minutes but were unable to shift the Young Munster defence. The speed of the efforts by Romain Gibert paid no dividends as the ball spilled time and time again. Passes went astray and the impetus was lost. With only two minutes remaining in the game Barnhall conceded another penalty which wells made no mistake in converting to extend the score to 16 points to 6 and thus deny Barnhall of a bonus point.
Again Barnhall dug deep and pushed for a final score to bridge the gap but were foiled by a combination of weather and stout defence by the home side. Young Munster did concede a penalty three minutes into injury time in the middle of the field straight in front of the posts. Connolly checked the time remaining and he adjudged the distance too far for a goal kick attempt into the breeze and ran the ball out the line. The wide passes ended in a spilled ball and thus ended the game with no bonus point to show for a heroic performance.

Barnhall RFC 11 Dublin University Football Club (Trinity College) 18
Saturday the 10th of November 2007
Noel Dillion Reports

Sleepy start ends victory trail for Barnhall.

Two moments of madness from the home side gifted the points to a mediocre Trinity college side at Parsonstown on Saturday. Barnhall followed up two solid winning home performances with a narrow defeat at the hands of the students who made amends for a serious thumping that Barnhall had meted out to them in college park last year.
Barnhall had the worst possible start to this difficult encounter and after only ninety seconds on the clock they were seven points down. The students collected the ball from the kick off and moved the ball quickly along the line to Killian Stafford who waltzed past the Barnhall cover to touch down a little to the left of the posts. Johnny Watt had no difficulty adding the conversion. The score was registered well before spectators and some team officials had taken up position. On ten minutes Barnhall had regained some composure and from the first pressure they put on the visitors the yielded a penalty which Cathal Connolly slotted home from the half way line.
Trinity had much of the possession in the opening phases and ran the ball out as wide as possible away from the Barnhall Pack. Despite all the possession and flashy running the college boys made no progress against stout defence from the back line and particularly from Cormac Dunne and Richie McDonough. Several chips ahead failed to deliver a breakthrough and Watt appeared uncomfortable with his kicking out of hand. A little beyond the mid point of the first half Trinity did push close and Barnhall yielded a penalty on the 22. Watt Opted for a kick to the corner instead of adding points which he would normally be relied on to deliver. Trinity failed to get possession from the line out and Romain Gibert hoofed the ball down the field to the Trinity 22. The siege was lifted and after a series of kicks back and forth Barnhall ran the ball in a forward drive with the pick and go well directed by Gibert. Progress was halted on the five meter line and an epidemic of knock on prevented scores being achieved.
On 31 minutes Trinity were adjudged to be killing the play and Connolly (playing at second centre) attempted a long range kick at goal and failed to make an impression. The follow up play looked promising but again handling errors prevented scoring good opportunities. Dunne halted a strong break by Trinity and was adjudged to smothered the ball. A penalty from 35 meters out directly into the strong wind was no problem to Watt and while he brought the score to 3 – 10 it added to the query over not attempting the earlier opportunity from the 22.
Trinity did look the stronger and more organised in the closing stages of the first half and following some good work by Stafford and Paul Gilespie the found themselves within meters of the Barnhall line. An infringement gave the initiative to Barnhall and Connolly boomed his kick down the line but unfortunately not out of touch. Watt collected the kick and flashed the ball out to Shane Hanratty who repeated the opening move and crossed over for a great solo effort. Watt failed with the conversion and the half closed with trinity leading 3 – 15.
The second Half started with a flourish for trinity and the piled on the pressure again flashing the ball out wide. But for very good defence from the Burke brothers McDonough and the three Dunne brothers (Dermot, Cormac and Barry) the game could have been over as a contest in the ten minutes of play. At this time Mc Donough saw a yellow card and Eoin Burke and Peter Courtney both took heavy knocks and were replaced. Jean Emmanuel Cau and Emmet Condron joined the fray and Philip Furlong and Jason Van Hout were introduced. On fifteen minutes of the second half Barnhall had asserted themselves in the pack and the tide began to change. Barnhall forced a penalty out of the Trinity defence and despite the positive indications by the linesmen the penalty kick was over ruled by the referee. McDonough rejoined the play and the force of the pack crossed over twice and again no tries were awarded. Connolly converted from 13 meters at this time to bring the score to 6-15.
Barnhall were in command up front but swift tackling on Connolly and Paul Burke resulted in turnover ball time and time again. Furlong, Dermot Dunne, Van Hout and McDonough all played big parts in winning possession and the trinity cause received another dent when their influential no 8. Richie Morrow went to the bin for stamping. The Trinity pack crumbled and Cau and Captain Jim Nolan squeezed the life out of the front row with the Trinity pack racing backwards in the set piece. A series of excellent drives followed and Dermot Dunne was the final hand on the ball after a great drive again controlled by Gibert. Connolly was unable to convert the difficult conversion and the score was now a tantalising 11-15.
It was only through heroic defence from the Trinity back line that Barnhall failed to capitalise on the possession and go forward ball that was presented to them. At the close of play Barnhall conceded a penalty on half way and watt delivered the points with a fine kick. At 11 18 it did not look like we could over turn the lead and a single bonus point seemed scant reward for the efforts of the pack.

Barnhall 13 Wanderers FC Rugby Club 9
Saturday 3rd of November 2007
Venue Parsonstown

After a short ping pong of kicks between David Fitzgerald the Wanderers outhalf and a several of the Barnhall back line the home side made an early drive at the Wanderers pack and after four minutes Cathal Connolly had his first penalty attempt of the afternoon. From the half way line Connolly slotted between the posts and Barnhall were 3 points ahead.
From that point and for the next twenty minutes of the game it was all Wanderers. The visitors owned possession and but for stout defence the score line would have changed significantly in this period. On 11 minutes the visitors forced a penalty which Fitzgerald narrowly missed. The continued to torment Barnhall with wave after wave of attack but Paul and Eoin Burke Riaan Erasmus and the entire back row played a major role in keeping the Barnhall try line safe from invasion. On twenty five minutes Brendan o Brien the lively Wanderers no 9 snipped to great effect only to be pulled down four meters pout from the line. The ball was recycled quickly and this time Paul Burke pulled of a fantastic smother tackle to deny Ray Niland of Wanders. Romain Gibert picked up the loose ball and cleared from the Barnhall try line down to half way with a thunderous boot.
The siege was lifted and Barnhall began to play in the Wanderers half of the pitch. A little unwanted chat with the referee by Connolly gifted a penalty to Wanderers and they willingly accepted the offer and Fitzgerald slotted the penalty to open the Wanderers account.
The first half ended with Barnhall continuing to contain the Wanderers backline. The rain began to fall and the Barnhall Pack did appear to have the measure of the two sides with more to offer in the loose play which was developing as conditions became a little slippery. The first half closed out at 3 points each.
The restart saw Wanderers owned the ball but they did not appear top be able to make the line breaks to cause a concern. The ball was passing slowly across the Wanders line particularly at no 10. On 11 minutes of the restart and against the run of play Connolly intercepted Fitzgerald's pass and won the race to the line crossing over five meters left of the posts. The conversion was straight forward and Barnhall were 10-3 in front. Barnhall began to dominate proceedings and Wanderers got a penalty against the flow of play and Fitzgerald converted to make it 10-6. Almost immediately after the restart Connolly again broke the line and this time was well supported by the Burke brothers to make great progress to the wanders 22. Wanderers conceded a penalty for off side Connolly converted to bring his tally for the day to 13 points with wanderers trailing.
Barnhall brought on Cormack Dunne (Jason Van Hout) Philip Furlong (Brian Murray) and Jean Emmanuelle Choy for the injured Peter Courtney and all played well from their introduction. The changes did not disrupt proceedings and again Barnhall appeared to be more comfortable in loose forward exchanges and in the wet conditions. The constant pressure did force another penalty out of Wanders again on the 22 meter line slightly to the left of the posts. Connolly did not connect at all with this effort and this gave a lift to the bedraggled visitors.
The visitors converted a medium range penalty and the score sat at 13 points to 9 with ten minutes to go. Barnhall dug deep and kept the effort and the energy levels high to keep Wanderers at bay. It was the Wanderers back line that gave the greatest cause for concern as the looked determined to wrestle a win out of this close match. A series of first class tackles from Paul and Eoin Burke set the tone which was quickly picked up by Connolly and in particular Richie McDonough who made a fantastic move stopping effort on the Wanderers Centre David O Keefe. Gibert made life miserable at the base of the scrum for wanderers and his snipping jostling and fly kicking prevented clean possession in the final period. In what proved to be the final move of the game Wanderers did manage a last gasp push for the line only to find Brian O Friel coming off his line to snuff out the move with a fantastic smother tackle. The final poor possession for Wanderers resulted in a knock on and the end of an entertaining and exciting game.

Barnhall best in forward battle
Barnhall versus Thomond 27 th October 2007
Venue Parsonstown

Result: Barnhall 16 Thomond 9

With the recent history of very close encounters and a very high wind dictating much of the play, both Barnhall and Thomond commenced their first All Ireland league match of the season with caution. Much of the first twenty minutes of this encounter was error strewn and had little flow about the efforts of both teams. Both packs of forwards were formidable in size and in the opening exchanges they tested each others resolve with direct driving runs and the back lines were confined to defensive play.
Thomond started the game with the strong wind in their favour and curiously elected to run the ball in the forwards for much of the first half. The Thomond outhalf Declan Cusack give no indication of any kicking prowess nor did he look to move the ball out along the back line at any stage in the first half. His kicking for touch did look a little suspect in the opening minutes. The Thomond lineout did not fare too well either and with a constant stream of balls called on Colin Liston at no six for Thomond. Barhnall's Jason Van Hout had a field day disrupting the Thomond ball and twice stole the possession.
It was not until the 22 minute that Barnhall opened the scoring in this tight game with a well taken penalty by Cathal Connolly. Romain Gibert had released a quick ball which Connolly moved swiftly along the line with the tremendous ground being gained by Riann Erasmus before Thomond conceded the penalty. Connolly had narrowly missed his first attempt from the half way line into the strong wind. This his second attempt from 27 meters found the target with ease.
On 32 minutes Cusack levelled the score with a fine penalty kick from 30 metes out in the middle of the park. From the restart Barnhall dug deep and made several strong runs with Gibert and Connolly combining well. Gibert snipped quickly and opened up gaps in the Thomond defence. On 38 minutes Gibert put Connolly away and a terrific break bringing play to the Thomond five meter line only for David Guirin to commit a professional foul to prevent a try close to the posts. Connolly converted with ease from the awarded penalty and Guerin got a ten minute rest to accompany his yellow card. The end of the first half was dominated by Erasmus, Dermot Dunne, and Richie McDonough with the lineout's going very much in Barnhall's favour and the big Thomond front row looking troubled by the Barnhall stalwarts. On this evidence, more of the same from Thomond in the second half would return nice dividends fro the home side.
The second half started brightly with Gibert continuing to disrupt Thomond at the base of the scrum. Within eight minutes of the restart Thomond replaced Pat Fitzgerald the giant No 8 and front row Eddie Faraher. They also changed the approach to the game and started to run the ball out to the back line where Mark Cosgrove and Darragh O'Neill looked very elusive. The pressure created by the Thomond play yielded a penalty on twenty minutes and Cusack levelled the scores at 6 points each. Again the Barnhall Pack stepped up to the pressure and Barry Dunne who had replaced Van Hout put in a number of big hits to halt the progress of the Thomond just as they began to grow in confidence. Ben McCarthy, Jean Emanuel Choy and Philip Furlong were introduced into the play. In a move that started deep in the Barnhall 22 by Erasmus the forwards combined well to eat up the ground all the way to the Thomond five meter line. A second professional foul was committed which the referee called just as Erasmus grounded the ball in the right hand corner. The conversion from the penalty try was from under the posts and Connolly added the points to being the game to 13 6 with five minutes to go.
Thomond pushed hard to get back into the game with Cosgrove continuing to menace Barnhall with his running. Connolly had two near misses with drop goal attempts and was awarded a penalty as he kicked the second attempt. Connolly converted the penalty to leave the score at 16 points 9 and a deserved win for the home side was secured.