After the sad events of last week, rugby returned to Hatrick Park on Saturday as Rainey hosted Ballyclare in a pulsating Bank of Ireland Senior Shield clash. A large, vociferous crowd braved torrential rain to witness a match that delivered drama from the first whistle to the final breath.
The downpour did little to dampen Rainey’s early fire. From a scrum deep in their own 22, scrum-half Quinn sold a dummy and burst through untouched, racing to the Ballyclare 22 before offloading to McMurray. The centre slipped a slick pass to out-half Chappell, who muscled his way over the line. Chappell converted his own score to give Rainey a dream start.
Ballyclare responded immediately, driving over from close range after a well-executed lineout. Their conversion attempt drifted wide, but the visitors were on the board.
Rainey struck again through hooker O’Neill, who peeled blind from a driving maul and crashed over. Chappell made no mistake with the extras, extending the lead to 14–5.
A sickening collision just before the break saw Ballyclare’s outside centre forced off, and the referee called halftime early.
Starting an elongated second half Rainey wasted no time making their mark. From deep in their own territory, Chappell chipped through the defense and centre Hall hacked the ball forward to Ballyclare’s 5-metre line. Though the visitors scrambled to clear, Quinn recovered the kick near halfway and launched a sweeping move across the pitch. Fullback McLaughlin broke a tackle and crossed for Rainey’s third. Chappell’s boot was true again—21–5 and cruising.
But momentum shifted sharply. A late hit saw Rainey reduced to 14, and Ballyclare pounced. Two converted tries brought the score to 21–20. Even with a full complement restored, Rainey couldn’t stem the tide. A penalty and another converted try gave Ballyclare a 29–21 lead.
With ten minutes left, Rainey threw everything at the visitors. Wave after wave of attack battered the Ballyclare line, but the well-organised defence held firm. Then, in the dying seconds, Chappell chipped through once more, dived, gathered, and somehow grounded the ball. His conversion secured a losing bonus point—but the win had slipped away.
Final score: Rainey 28 – Ballyclare 29
