Buccaneers Notes

Buccs have continued their impressive start to the AIL.

BUCCANEERS 36 RAINEY OLD BOYS 21

Buccaneers maintained their momentum in the Energia All-Ireland League with a clearcut 36-21 victory over Rainey Old Boys at Dubarry Park on Saturday. But, despite scoring six tries in this Hodson Bay Group sponsored Division 2A fixture, this was a far from vintage display by the Pirates. Perhaps it was the biting cold breeze or having no match the previous weekend, but

Buccs rarely got into the flow expected from them in the sunny, dry conditions. The hosts made two personnel changes with Darren Browne starting at hooker and Thomas McGann coming in on the right wing. More notably Michael Hanley was switched to fullback with Ruaidhri Fallon moving to outhalf. The midlanders dictated the early exchanges but poor passes cost them opportunities in promising positions while Fallon punted a close in penalty on the left over the deadball line.

However, some sparkling interplay initiated by Saul O’Carroll down the left flank stretched the visitors and, although Hanley was stopped short of the Rainey line following an offload, Oisin McCormack was swiftly in support to burrow over for a 16th minute try which Fallon comfortably converted.

The visitors finally got some territory and, although a thumping Danny Qualter tackle slowed their progress, Connor Fitzsimons hared away from a scrum just inside the home half to notch a try against the run of play. Scott McLean’s conversion left the teams tied 7-7.

James Kelly made a thundering charge after the waterbreak and McCormack carried the move on but the homesters conceded a penalty within striking distance of the Ulster side’s line. Stephen Mannion then failed to find touch with a second close-in Buccs penalty and the Pirates were soon being made pay for a growing number of errors.

The Magherafelt club made better use of their rarer opportunities and, following some territory on the left, a crossfield kick found Andrew Donaghy unmarked and the Rainey winger touched down untroubled for a 32 nd minute try. McLean converted again and this gave the visitors a 14-7 lead at the interval.

But Buccaneers made a flying start to the second half. McGann’s clever chip ahead caused mayhem and O’Carroll beat Michael O’Neill to the ball which he grubbered ahead and kept his composure to dot down for a 42 nd minute unconverted try. From the restart Ciaran Booth gained possession and rampaged forward from his own ten metre line to score a stunning try. While Fallon’s place-kicking woes continued, Buccs were suddenly 17-14 ahead.

Approaching the hour mark, the Shannonsiders put in a series of impressive mauls to gain ground enabling O’Carroll to break along the touchline to notch his second try. Fallon found his range to land a beauty conversion and give Buccaneers a 24-14 advantage at the second waterbreak.

Despite this, the errors continued. Mannion kicked needlessly ahead when Buccs had a three-man overlap to his right while Hanley’s drop goal attempt from distance was not his wisest decision. However, good pressure by Mannion and Shane Layden forced a Rainey defensive error and that wily try sniffer Layden made the most of his opportunity to touchdown on 67 minutes. Fallon’s conversion pushed Buccs 31-14 ahead.

Spirited Rainey responded with their third try after a home clearance failed to make touch. Calvin Smyth got over the home line and McLean added his third conversion to narrow the arrears. Buccaneers were ringing impactful changes at this stage and Adam Flanagan’s smart offload sent fellow replacement Declan Adamson scampering away toward the Bounty corner for an unconverted try that completed the 36-21 scoreline.

This was a mixed bag display by the winners with far too many errors occurring, many of them unforced, including knock-ons, forward passes, penalties not finding touch and lineouts not on the money. The positional changes at fullback and flyhalf did not work. Fallon, one of the brightest prospects in the club, had one of those days to forget, perhaps due to lack of game time in the pivotal role or possibly nerves. But he is a talent that can and will overcome this below par performance, and he was far from alone in making errors. O’Carroll always threatened when in possession and he was unfortunate to sustain an injury when scoring his second try. Kelly continues to blossom in the front row and McCormack made a busy contribution while Booth capped his AUDI ATHLONE Man of the Match display with that magnificent solo try.

One minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late Amanda Sloane prior to kick-off.

BUCCANEERS:- M.Hanley; S.O’Carroll, S.Layden, S.Mannion, T.McGann; R.Fallon, W.Reilly; J.Kelly, D.Browne, M.Staunton; R.Byrne, D.Qualter; O.McCormack, E.Galvin (captain) and C.Booth. Replacements:- D.Adamson (for Browne, 48 mins), S.Illo (for Kelly, 48 mins), R.O’Connor (for O’Carroll, inj.60 mins), A.Flanagan (for Reilly, 68 mins), F.Galvin (for Byrne, 74 mins) and J.Kelly (for Staunton, 74 mins).

RAINEY OLD BOYS:- M.O’Neill; A.Donaghy, D.McMurray, C.Fitzsimmons, A.Nicholl; S.McLean, R.MacGinty; F.Quinn, M.Nevin, D.McErlain; R.McCusker, M.McCusker; A.Bratton (captain), C.Smyth and J.Bresland. Replacements:- L.Murphy (for Donaghy, 53 mins), A.Browne (for McMurray, 66 mins), L.Montgomery (for McErlain, 74 mins), A.Currie (for Smyth, 74 mins) and N.Hastings.

Referee:- Andrew Fogarty (IRFU).

BUCCANEERS 22 TUAM 18

Buccaneers recorded a narrow but thoroughly deserved Connacht Junior 1A League 22-18 victory over Tuam at Dubarry Park on Sunday. On a murky dismal afternoon, the Pirates crew displayed commendable resolve to see off the dogged and persistent challenge of the visitors in a hard-fought encounter.

There was just a single point between these combatants when they met just a few weeks ago in the Cawley Cup and Buccs had to again roll up their collective sleeves to win this battle in which the lead changed hands on a number of occasions. Tuam opened the scoring with a 7 th minute Killian McDonagh penalty.

The Athlone side responded immediately with Graham Lynch and Harry Hughes combining in a lightening raid that was brought to an abrupt end with a high tackle on Lynch. This resulted in an early visit to the sin bin for Tuam’s Rory Cosgrove. Buccs opted for a scrum at this close-in penalty on the right and quick ball was given to Hughes who scythed through for an 11 th minute try which Andrew Evans converted.

McDonagh was off-target with a 15 th minute penalty but found the range just before the half-hour to narrow the arrears to a solitary point. Within two minutes a swiftly tapped penalty by Lynch yielded a close in placekick which Evans slotted over to restore Buccs lead. They looked like adding to their tally as half-time approached through a series of pick and goes. But they lost patience and did not capitalise on that territory or on a second Tuam yellow card, this time to Sean Maughan, before the break at which stage the Pirates led 10-6.

Tuam made an onslaught on the Buccs line following the change of ends but the home defence stood up manfully and they soon were attacking the clubhouse end where they won a number of penalties. The homesters opted for scrums and gained reward when skipper Brian McDonnell powered through for 47 th minute try at the uprights. Evans conversion put Buccs 17-6 ahead.

But following Sean Doyle’s yellow card just before the hour mark, Buccs were further punished when John Fahy barged over for a Tuam try converted by McDonagh.

The visitors continued to press forward and Hughes was sin-binned for a deliberate knock on. Buccs, now down to 13 players, suffered further when the big substitute Fahy got over for an unconverted try which put Tuam 18-17 to the good with 12 minutes remaining.

However, Buccaneers regrouped and stormed back into the contest. Fergus Galvin and Cedric Fokam led some marauding drives forward and they now laid siege inside the Tuam 22. The pressure told and Darren Touhey drove over for a 75 th minute try on the left. Although Evans conversion was narrowly off target, Buccs maintained their workrate and industry to edge the verdict 22-18.

This victory keeps Buccaneers on top of the J1A League and it was fashioned in the main by the influence of Lynch (surely knocking on the Senior team door shortly), Evans and O’Carroll in the backline with Galvin, Sam Kroupa, Cathal O’Grady and McDonnell doing trojan work in the forwards exchanges.

BUCCANEERS:- E.O’Carroll; H.Hughes, D.Mulvihill, A.Evans, H.Balsiger; S.Doyle, G.Lynch; S.O’Connell, T.Thompson, C.Fokam; S.Kroupa, F.Galvin; C.O’Grady, R.Flanagan and B.McDonnell (captain). Replacements:- D.Touhey (for Thompson, 46 mins), N.Harney (for O’Connell, 46 mins), S.O’Connell (for Fokam, 55 mins), J.Scouler (for Flanagan, 55 mins), R.Flanagan (for O’Grady, 61 mins) and J.Nagle.

TUAM:- C.Marsden; O.Halion, K.McDonagh, B.Ruane (captain), R.Cosgrove; S.Browne, A.Tierney; G.Connolly, S.Maughan, N.Carney; D.Cunningham, A.Finnerty; C.Gleeson, E.Sweeney and O.Morrin. Replacements:- D.Noone, S.Leo, J.Fahy, P.Canavan and D.McWalter.

TULLAMORE 0 BUCCANEERS 26

BUCCANEERS U-20’s recorded their fourth successive victory when defeating Tullamore 26-0 in their J.P.Fanagan Leinster League Premier 3 match at Spollanstown on Sunday. Their bonus point victory leaves just a single point behind leaders Naas with a game in hand.

BUCCS HOME TO MU/BARNHALL

BUCCANEERS have a second successive home game when they face MU/Barnhall in round seven of the Energia All-Ireland League at Dubarry Park on Saturday. This Division 2A game has a 2.30 p.m. kick off.

MU/Barnhall’s last visit to Athlone was literally the very last AIL game played by any clubs prior to the pandemic lockdown. The visitors came out on top 23-10 in a rescheduled floodlit encounter that was closer than the scoreline suggests. At that stage, MU/Barnhall were top of the league table and on course for promotion. Covid-19 put paid to their progress then but the west Dublin club would have been warm favourites to set the pace this season.

That belief seemed appropriate when they won their opening three fixtures but, since then, they have lost their subsequent four matches to slip to 6th place on the league table. But with players like Sean Sexton, Conor Lacey and Garreth Murray in their ranks as well as an able placekicker in Adam Chester, the Blue Bulls should not be ruled out of the promotion race yet.

However, Buccaneers will face them with confidence on the back of their winning sequence. This has been achieved despite Buccs not always firing on all cylinders but their youthful squad is developing nicely with full potential still to be reached. Consistency is another facet that can be improved but there is solid belief and talent in the Pirates ranks.

With more balanced performances, second placed Buccs have the ability to prevail in what is likely to be a ding-dong tussle.

SECONDS AWAY TO MONIVEA

BUCCANEERS travel to Monivea on Sunday for a Connacht Junior 1A League tie that pits top against bottom club. The Co. Galway outfit may be struggling but on their own Castle Grounds they will be doughty battlers so Buccs can expect a similarly searching challenge as that posed by Tuam last weekend. If the Pirates avoid an arm wrestle, they have the pace and skills to maintain their winning start to this league. Kick off is 2.30 p.m.

WOMENS TEAM HOME TO SLIGO

BUCCANEERS WOMENS team host Sligo in the Connacht League at Dubarry Park on Sunday when the action gets under way at 1 p.m. Both teams are in mid-table so an even joust is anticipated in which the Buccs ladies must make home advantage pay.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congrats to David Heffernan on his 150 th Connacht Senior cap. Indeed well done too to Connacht, captained by Jack Carty, who put in a memorable display in atrocious conditions to trounce the Ospreys 46-18.

CONDOLENCES

Heartfelt sympathy is extended to Diarmuid Sloane and family on the death after illness at too young an age of his wife Amanda. A well-attended Guard of Honour by club members and young players was provided by the club at St. Peter & Paul’s

Church prior to Amanda’s funeral mass. May the Lord grant her eternal rest.