Match Report: 1XV vs Tullow

On a damp cold Donnybrook day, Bective had Tullow as visitors to kick off the first match of 2024 and most importantly the first leg of 3 big January matches. A big crowd of supporters turned out for the match and the Pre-Match Lunch to roar on the team.  Included in the Tullow line up was ex. Leinster, Ireland and British & Irish Lions, Sean O’Brien playing at No. 10. Bective were at full strength but for injuries to Jamie Lawless and Daithi Murphy. 

The game kicked off refereed by Berney White of Enniscorthy RFC, with Bective playing with the light northly breeze towards the Wesley end.  Both sides traded a few kicks when Tullow decided to take the ball into contact on halfway.  Bective were to be delt a huge blow when Captain Mattie Keane failed to surface and was carried off with a serious ankle injury and substituted by Tiarnan McCloskey.

While the players were recovering from the disappointment of losing their Captain, Tullow took full advantage with No. 10 Sean O’Brien dictating the play with some smart passes and carries. This continued for the opening quarter with Bective on the backfoot and were lucky not to concede a try, with Tullow taking a wrong option with an overlap, while also missing a kickable penalty. 

After a fantastic turnover by Shane Ryan and kick into space by Matthew Gilsenan finally lifting the siege, leading to a lineout inside the Tullow 22. A great leap from Ger Warde, then quick hands from Conor Halpenny for Connie Campher to burst over at the posts, alas for Tullow lock Frank Murphy to get his body under the ball, no try.  Play was now in the Tullow 22 and further good play by backs and forwards led to a disallowed O’Hare try for a forward pass. Bective kept up the pressure with 4 scrums and 4 penalties in the Tullow 5 yards zone with no points to show for their efforts, but Bective kept up the good work. Further pressure by Bective and a yellow card for Tullow No. 13 Oran Farrell, led to a further opportunity for Bective but still no return. Finally, from another good scrum inside the Tullow 22, after a great break from Matthew Gilsenan, then recycled out left for a super flat pass from Tiarnan McCloskey to put Shane O’Meara over in the corner, with the difficult conversion slotted over from Mikey O’Hare.

Bective 7 – Tullow 0

So Bective kept up their good defensive work and after another good scrum on halfway Conor Halpenny released Adam Leavy running a great line, to Shane O’Meara to pass back inside for Conor up in support to touch down, with the difficult conversion missed.

Bective 12 – Tullow 0

With half-time approaching it looked like the scoring was over. However, after some scrappy play on halfway with Tullow disrupting the Bective ball, somehow Bective moved the ball across the line with forwards and backs combining for Bobby Holland to Adam Levey finding Scottie Barron running a great line out wide to put Shane O’Meara over for an outstanding try, again with the difficult conversion missed.

Half Time | Bective 17 – Tullow 0

So Matthew Gilsenan restarted and after a few mistakes by Tullow, Bective were on the attack inside the Tullow 22. After a great rip from Tiarnan McCloskey, the ball was moved wide to Scottie Barron on the touchline, who chipped in behind the Tullow defence for Conor Halpenny to gather and touch down in the corner for his second try and the bonus point 4th try for Bective, with the difficult conversion out wide missed by Mikey O’Hare.

Bective 22 – Tullow 0

Credit to Tullow, they were not going to lie down and again took the game to Bective punching a few holes up the middle with big carries from their pack with Smith, Murphy and hooker Hickey always prominent, where their excellent scrum half Fitzgerald fed Sean O’Brien and a class flat pass put hooker Fionn Hickey in the clear only to be held up short of the Bective line yielding a penalty, from where O‘Brien went for the corner. A good lineout and a maul led to that man Hickey touching down with the difficult conversion steered over by O’Sullivan Magne, Tullow’s tails were up with just 10 mins gone in the 3rd quarter.

Bective 22 – Tullow 7 

With Tullow coming more into the game, Bective were having to up their tackle rate with Tullow going through the phases using their big ball carriers with Stephen Smith and Fionn Hickey the main threat.

That said Bective were unlucky not to have a score after another great run from deep by Tim Carroll into the Tullow 22, with the chance unfortunately thwarted. Bective were also using the boot to good effect, with some good line kicks by the Bective half backs Conor and Matthew pushing Tullow back and keeping the Bective pack going in the right direction. However, as the match entered the final quarter, Bective could not find the extra score to put some daylight between the teams as a combination of bad luck and dogged Tullow defence kept it at a 15 point game.

Tullow continued to live dangerously, with Sean O’Brien throwing out some great passes trying to open up space. Another chance for Bective out wide was unluckily called back for foot in touch by Shane O’Meara. Still a 15 point game .

Bective were not having their own way in the scrums either, with the Tullow pack giving a good account of themselves. On a Tullow scrum deep near their 22, referee Berney White penalised Bective harshly. This lifted the siege for Tullow giving a lineout inside the Bective half.  From the lineout, scrum half Fitzgerald kept the ball moving at pace and with their excellent recycling game, mainly through that man Sean O’Brien, brought play to the Bective 22. Bective were having to work their socks off now. A further attack was stopped by great Bective defence, yielding a Bective scrum on our 22.  But a strange turnover by Tullow on Bective’s scrum inside the 22 led to the ball moved wide and from the ruck the big No. 8 Stephen Smith got the touch down with Sean O’Brien converting from way out, it was going to be a nervous last 10 minutes for Bective.  8 point game now.

Bective 22 – Tullow 14

After another penalty at the scrum against Bective in the Tullow half and our opponents were able to gain territory inside the Bective half.

A good lineout from Tullow, a maul and some good carries, all of sudden brought play into the Bective 22, unfortunately an attempted intercept gave the penalty to Tullow. Sean O’Brien decided to take the points, however, the kick was missed and Bective survived. Tullow were not done yet and another penalty to the right of the posts on the Bective 22 was missed again, this time by Oran Farrell. Tullow still gave it their all to the whistle but could not secure a score for a losing bonus point. All credit to the Bective players for a great defensive shift. We will take the 5 points and move on. A good game to have which will stand the team in good stead for Seapoint next Saturday.

Final Score | Bective 22 – Tullow 14