Plenty of positives despite loss
WICKLOW RFC’s challenging start to the season continued with a loss away to Bernard Jackman’s Bective Rangers in Donnybrook on Saturday.
Wicklow have had a disrupted start to the campaign with a lengthy injury list and player unavailability.
This has stretched both the firsts and seconds squads to the limit over the early games. With some light appearing at the end of the tunnel, on the injury front, the club are confident that the results will start to come right in the coming weeks.
Bective started strongly at Energia park and were soon on the scoreboard with an early penalty. The first try came soon after with a well worked move down the left. The score was converted and the home side led 10-0.
Wicklow hit back with a well worked try from Wes Wojnar who drove over after some good work by the pack. Ben Porter’s conversion made it 10-7.
Wicklow had come back into things and started to hang on to the ball and put some phases together.
Bective upped the ante and began to exert some pressure on Wicklow.
Three quick penalties in succession from the accurate Elliot, stretched Bective’s lead to 19-7 and the Dubliners went into the break at half-time with a comfortable lead.
Wicklow needed to score first in the second half but a good break by Jamie Stone saw Oisin Lennon go over under the posts for Bective.
The simple conversion was added and Wicklow were in trouble at 26-7.
Another try followed soon after Bective kicked a penalty to the corner and drove over from the resulting lineout to stretch their lead to 31-7.
Wicklow to their credit didnt give up and spirits were raised with an excellent try out wide by Alex Porter to make it 31-12. With ten minutes to go another try by the returning Liam Gaffney made it 31-19 with ten minutes remaining.
For a while the unlikeliest of comebacks looked on the cards but unfortunately it was not to be and Bective finished the game with a try in the last play of the game.
Wicklow will have been disappointed with the result and the performance.
While there were real signs of green shoots and some excellent play, the defence was too porous and the penalty count against Jack McKenna’s men was too high.
These are things that can be addressed and easily fixed. A crucial fixture against Seapoint at home on Saturday is next up.
This is looking like an eight pointer so the club would like as much support as possible up to get behind the team.
The club will be open on Saturday for the Ireland v New Zealand RWC quarter-final. All are welcome for what should be a fantastic day of rugby in the club.
The club’s senior women resume their league campaign with a tough trip away to Tullamore on Sunday afternoon. Kick off is at 1pm
TEAM: Neil Dickenson, Jack McKenna, Mark Cullen, Stephen Swan, John Jenkinson, Andrew Doyle, Wes Wojnar, Michael Doyle, Cormac Fenton, Mark Higgins, Alex Porter, Billy Ngawini, Ben Armstrong, Ben Porter. Seamus O’Brien, George Naoupu, Liam Gaffney, Hugo Wojnar, Adam Quinn.