Collidge returned to winning ways with this hard fought-for victory at a stormy and very wet UCD Bowl on Saturday. Playing with storm Denis first half tries from Tommy O’Brien and Stephen McVeigh (both unconverted) put Collidge 10-0 ahead. A rare UCC visit to Collidge’s 22 just before half-time produced a try to reduce the deficit to just 5 points (10-5).
Now playing into the teeth of the storm and a deluge of rain, the five-point Collidge lead seemed precarious to say the least. However, in the only incisive second-half attack (51 mins) on the UCC line Emmet Burns somehow managed to squirm through and ground the ball under a pile of bodies. James Tarrant missed the conversion (15-5).
The remainder of the half belonged to UCC as the camped in the UCD half of the pitch and their pressure was rewarded with a converted try on 69 minutes (15-12). Thereafter they threw everything at Collidge in the final 10 minutes and, despite being awarded a succession of penalties inside the 22, they found the Collidge defence resolute and impossible to breach. The match ended after Collidge had put together 26 phases of very disciplined “pick-and-go’s” before Paddy Patterson gleefully kicked the ball dead.
With this win Collidge stay in 3rd place before next Friday night’s visit to Terenure.
UCD: 15 David Ryan; 14 Adam Byrne; 13 Gavin Mullin; 12 Tommy O’Brien; 11 Josh O’Connor; 10 James Tarrant; 9 Paddy Patterson; 1 Rory Mulvihill; 2 Richie Bergin; 3 Emmet Burns; 4 Jonny Guy (Capt); 5 Bobby Leahy; 6 Dan O’Donovan; 7 Alex Penny; 8 Stephen McVeigh. Replacements: 16 Ronan Loughnane; 17 Sam Griffin; 18 John Fairley; 19 Jack Ringrose; 20 Tim Corkery.
Next match: v Terenure (away) Fri 21/02
UCD Rugby offers a great opportunity for sponsors to get behind our club, team, players and the wider University community. There are many sponsorship opportunities within the club, across teams, pitches and events. Contact us for more info.