AIL 4th October 2023
Scorers: A.Montgomery(1*Try), O'Neill(1*Try), McLean(1*Conv, 3*Pen)
Rainey’s trip south to face Dublin side Malahide in the AIL was a victim to the aftermath of Storm Ciaran. With the Malahide grounds at Estuary Road being unfit to play due to flooding the venue was switched to Belvedere College. Despite a great comeback home side eventually ran out 27-21 winners.
Rainey were in trouble right from the off, as a handling error from the kick-off gave Malahide a 5m scrum. A great Rainey scrum got them the turnover and they forced their way back over the halfway, only to concede a penalty. A fantastic 51m kick from the Malahide centre gave first points of the day to the home side.
A high tackle gave out-half McLean the opportunity to even the game, but they were then lucky not to go behind as the Malahide kicker sent a more straightforward kick wide.
A lovely steal by lock R.McCusker took play to the Malahide 22’ where Rainey won the lineout, but the home side escaped when the referee awarded a bizarre free kick against hooker O’Neill for delaying the throw as he was drying the ball.
They were soon back, thanks to an inch-perfect kick from McLean, but yet again, a penalty gave Malahide the chance to break out. Thankfully, the intervention of a touch judge saw the penalty reversed and McLean slotted over the kick to give Rainey the lead.
It didn’t last long. Some intelligent work by Malahide saw them create an overlap in the backs and feed their winger on the Rainey 10m line. Darting down the wing, he had the benefit of some ineffective Rainey tackling to allow him to dive over for the game’s first try. The kick was good and another penalty for a scrum infringement saw them widen their lead.
Rainey pressed hard from the restart, and forced a penalty which McLean duly sent to the corner. They went through the phases, winning a series of penalties, but without really troubling the Malahide line, before a knock-on gave the home side the chance to clear and end the half.
A probing Malahide kick sent the Rainey defence scurrying back to their line, and when they were unable to clear, Malahide won a scrum and a scrum penalty. Tapping quickly, they forced their way over the line for another converted try.
With a 14-point deficit, Rainey finally had some luck when Malahide fumbled the restart and flanker Lee was quick to grab the loose ball. Rainey set up a ruck, but when the ball came back slowly, scrum-half Quinn eschewed going left to his waiting backs and instead pivoted right to the waiting R.McCusker. He fed Lee and the wiry flanker was able to dart inside, making 20m before being hauled down just short of the line. Keeping the ball alive, he popped it up to his supporting No8, A.Montgomery, who dived over for the score. McLean added the conversion.
Suddenly, Rainey were firing on all cylinders, a great charge by Montgomery from the restart setting the tone. They worked their way downfield until McLean was taken out late on halfway, and from the resulting penalty he kicked deep into the 22’. There was no mistake this time, and the Rainey pack executed a clean catch and drive for hooker O’Neill to get the score. Unfortunately, McLean hit the post with the kick.
Continuing the momentum, they forced Malahide into a series of mistakes, culminating in a charged down kick being carried back over the line by Malahide. Winning the scrum, they pounded the Malahide line, but the defence held and a penalty eventually allowed the home side to clear their lines.
With only a 2-point difference, the rugby became frantic, a period of intense back-and-forth, including a 40-yard volley from Malahide, only ending when the home side flanker spotted a chink in the Rainey defensive line and darted through to run in unopposed under the posts.
With time running out, McLean landed another penalty, and Rainey worked themselves into the home 22’ on several occasions, but they eventually had to settle for yet another losing bonus point.
TEAM: A.Nevin, D.O’Neill(c), A.McSwiggan, T.Hutchinson, R.McCusker, M.McCusker, M.Lee, A.Montgomery, L.Quinn, S.McLean, J.Hastings,C.Fitzsimmons, A.Brown, M.Mulholland, M.Faiva.
SUBS: M.Nevin, S.Rutledge, S.Hastings, L.Montgomery, A.Donaghy