2nd XV lose to Coleraine

Monday, 14 February 2011 14:17

Coleraine 3rds V Academy 2nds  (12-Feb-2011)

In the early exchanges, Academy had a fair amount of possession, but kicks to the opposition backs and turnovers at lineouts meant they played a lot of rugby in their own half. Coleraine broke the deadlock, from a scum in Academy's 22 they move the ball wide to the right, back to the left, then right again to score (7-0, 25 mins).
Near the end of the half, Coleraine's hooker retired with a shoulder injury. From the uncontested scrum, again in Academy's 22, Coleraine's outhalf chipped the ball over the Academy defence and their centre won the race for the touchdown (14-0,  38 mins).

Academy fared no better in the second half. A penalty kick found touch in Coleraine's half, but when Academy cut the lineout (even though the opposition were  a man short) the lineout ball was turned over and coleraine kicked to touch in Academy's 22.
Another lost lineout, a couple of quick rucks and a dummy from the outhalf gave coleraine a 3rd try (21-0,  48 mins).

In Academy's next attack on the halfway line, the ball was knocked on, Coleraine picked up the loose ball, and half a dozen passes later scored in the corner (28-0,  53 mins).

Academy played much better towards the end of the match, as they changed tactics. Instead of kicking penalties to touch and then losing the lineout, they took quick tap penalties (not so quickly) but kept posession. Form a scrum in Coleraine's 22, scrumhalf G.Adair made the break, centre J.Kelly drove the ball upto the line, with hooker A.Slone missing the ruck but opted to appear in the backline for a consolation score (28-7,  74 mins).

the observer.