Bective go Top of the Table
Bective travelled out to Cabinteely in confident mood after their recent successes and hoping to continue their great form and to keep the momentum going by downing the league leaders for the second week in a row and take the top spot also. On offer also was a place in the final of the Spencer Cup on the 21st December.
The conditions were not ideal for open rugby as the mist and rain had settled over this green part of Killiney, so the game plan for both sides looked to be who ever controls the exchanges has the best chance of taking the points.
Referee Jack McNeice blew the whistle with Bective facing south with the slight wind at their backs.
The early exchanges were a sign of what was to be , good defences from both sets of players , with space at a premium and a very greasy ball setting the general pattern of play for the rest of the match, Bective threatening early but Seapoint repelling the attacks and showing why there are the league leaders with some good play from half backs Montayne and McLoughlin . The Seapoint scrum was also operating well giving the Bective 8 something to worry about in the opening 15 minutes. Pressure led to a penalty against Bective on the 10 metre line in front of the posts but full back Hurley missed the opportunity.
With that let off for Bective play was brought into the Seapoint half and an infringement on the 10 meter line gave Mikey O’Hare the opportunity to slot the points, 3 – 0 to Bective after 18 mins of play.
Seapoint responded roared on by their big support and through some good phases of play looked like they would carve an opening but were kept at bay by the brilliant Bective defence, which was to be a feature of the game throughout. Unfortunately both sides were down to 14 with a joint yellow for James Gallagher Bective, and Sam Montayne Seapoint. From the penalty on the Bective 22 Hurley popped over the points 3 -3 after 25 minutes and give Seapoint hope for all their efforts.
So it was now nip and tuck and off a Bective scrum in the middle of the park Bobby Holland found full back Tim Carroll lurking , Tim stepped inside the tackler and was gone, as he crossed the 22 he found his ‘Cistercian College Roscrea’ teammate Mattie Keane on his inside to take Tim’s pass and sprint under the posts for a fantastic try , with Mikey O’Hare popping over the conversion, Bective lead 10 – 3 after 30 minutes of play.
Still 10 minutes of play plus injury to half time and our opponents were desperate not to let Bective get their tails up and get some points before the break. Again their set play was working well and from a lineout take by Southern , taken then by the excellent no 7 Liam Foster and rumbled on by prop Gordon Britchfield , play was brought to the Bective line , but phase after phase the Bective tacklers repelled the attacks. With Seapoint opting to take a pick and go rather than the points Bective again stood firm and on the 7thh phase of play the ball was spilled, scrum to Bective , but under the Bective posts. Unfortunately, Bective were to lose influential hooker Scottie Barron replaced by Luke Mion. With the sides restored to 15 it took no 8 James Gallagher to settle matters from the back of the scrum and set up a nice ruck for Bobby Holland to kick a fantastic touch up to halfway and relieve the pressure. Bective have done well to be in front at half time.
Half Time: Seapoint 3 Bective 10.
So into the second half , lights are on and the gloomy weather gets worse as Bective are into the wind and misty rain . Coach Ben Manion decides to rotate the bench as Conor Halpenny joins the fray and rest Bobby Holland.
Immediately Seapoint started where they left off with their influential sub Zac Jungman on in their backrow. From a move in the middle of the park Seapoint backs show their capabilities and winger Oisin McKenny finds space to beat his man and is nearly over in the corner foiled by a last ditch tackle. Bective do well from the lineout and clear their lines but are turned over on the 22 , Jungman is making his presence felt. Seapoint do well on the scrum and win a tap penalty, with carries by Capt. McMahon, Forester and Jungman, Bective still held out, the defence is unbelievable . Opting not to take kicks from 2 penalties Seapoint go direct keeping the ball in the pack, just with a score looking inevitable a fantastic tackle by Jamie Lawless, then another by Gallagher and then Tiarnan McCloskey, for Seapoint to knock on and Bective survived this phase. Unfortunately Jamie’s heroics put paid to his day , replaced by Donagh Lawler. So the Bective rearguard pressure held and Seapoint spilled the ball. With stalwart prop Britchfield now off the Seapoint scrum had lost a bit of its edge. Bective had now soaked up a lot of pressure and were finding another gear. The lineout was working well too with Luke Mion finding his jumpers. A great move off a scrum saw Ollie Foote move the ball wide to find Tim Carroll running a great line, nearly in in the corner just bundled into touch near the Seapoint line. It was now Bective’s turn to apply more pressure, a move brought the play to the Seapoint line . After 3 phases when a score looked certain the ball was moved wide along the backline but good Seapoint defence denied Bective a score and play ended up at the halfway line.
With 21 minutes gone and the match now on a knife edge Seapoint were awarded a scrum in a good attacking position near the Bective 10 meter line , the Bective 8 timed their move to perfection to unsettle the Seapoint scrum and win a penalty. Bective are now playing in the Seapoint half and looking like the next side to score.
Another great move by Bective after Donagh Lawler had punched a few holes up the middle but alas that man Jungmann saved the day for Seapoint with a good turnover.
Good play by Craig Cantwell and Tim Carroll nearly yielded a chip ahead try but Seapoint survived. The Seapoint drop out is blocked and full back Hurley does well to dodge Mattie Kean’s tackle on his goaline and Seapoint survive.
15 mins still on the clock and still a scoreless 2nd half. From a kick that bounced kindly for Seapoint around halfway, quick thinking by Montayne with a kick to the Bective line and Tim Carroll denying winger Oisin McKenna.
Back Bective came and after nicking a Seapoint lineout on halfway, then carries by Lawler, Gallager , Gav Kelly and Tim Carroll joining in it was all Bective now , with the Seapoint defence creaking Capt Tiarnan McCloskey was through , but a dangerous looking tackle broke his sprint although he reached the try line a fantastic tackle by Hurley denied him a deserved score.
With Bective still in front 10 -3 who would score next. Bective were now in control but could not find the score to close out the game. With 7 minutes on the clock now Seapoint were throwing caution to the wind and a move up the touchline gave McKenny space and an dubious short forward pass inside released his brother Matt , to race over, but to everyone present including referee McNeice , scrum Bective, forward pass, nonetheless close thing.
Still time for either side to score and from the Bective scrum it was Gallagher off the back making the hard yards finding Gilsenan on his shoulder to bring play into the Seapoint half, but with the greasy ball mistakes were still happening to both sides. Seapoint were still fighting and realising with the whistle approaching they needed to hold the possession, recycling the ball from left to right with impressive hands, looking for that opening or a penalty that would give them a lifeline but after Seapoint centre Cronin was brought to ground just inside the Seapoint half, it took a great clamp turnover by Matthew Gilsenan to finally end the contest. So, with referee McNeice indicating time up. Mikey O’Hare did his usual to send the long range penalty between the posts and end an absorbing contest. Another amazing shift by the whole squad as Bective go top of the league.
Full Time – Seapoint RFC 3 (0) Bective Rangers FC 13 (1)
Bective Rangers 1XV: 15 Tim Carroll, 14 Mikey O’Hare, 13 Craig Cantwell, 12 Matthew Gilsenan, 11 Shane O’Meara, 10 Oliver Foote, 9 Bobby Holland, 1 Rory Mulvihill, 2 Scott Barron, 3 Conor Kelly, 4 Jamie Lawless, 5 Ger Warde, 6 Matthew Keane, 7 Tiarnan McCloskey ©, 8 James Gallagher.
Finishers: 16 Luke Mion, 17 David Kealy, 18 Donagh Lawler, 19 Gavin Kelly, 20 Conor Halpenny.
Scorers: Bective: Tries: Mattie Keane – 1 ; Cons: Mikey O’Hare -1; Pen: Mikey O’Hare - 2 Referee: Jack McNeice LB IRFU.
