Creggs First team kicked-off their Connacht Junior Cup campaign V NUIG Rugby Club, on the 4G in Creggs last Sunday afternoon. A good sized crowd saw an entertaining game in lovely sunshine.

The Creggs First Team Squad v NUIG last Sunday. Missing from the picture is Eoghan Cahill.

After the narrow loss in the League Final a week earlier, Creggs also had to test the depth of their squad, being down seven players with flu and injuries from last week’s team. This included Sean Og Higgins who was injured in the warm up. However, this provides opportunities to other players to put in good displays.

Brian Donohue takes the ball in the line-out from Maurice Buckley’s throw

Thomas O’Brien stepped up to make his First team start and had a great game as loose head prop. Eoghan Cahill also stepped up to the challenge with a great performance in the front row and in open play. Tom Oates returned from a long-term injury and Chris Duignan also returned from injury.

NUIG started quickly kicking a penalty from 30 meters out. Fortunately Creggs then took hold of the game and had four tries scored by half time leading 26 to 16. The Creggs tries were scored by most people’s candidate for man of the match, Brian Diffley, plus Brian Donohue, Ciaran Corcoran and Ronan Dowd, with Shane Purcell converting three of the four.

Aodha Hession gets the ball away to Shane Purcell v NUIG

Creggs opened the second half in a positive manner. and scored a try within five minutes. The Creggs try scorers in the second-half were Eoghan Coyle, Shane Purcell, a brace from Maurice Buckley and Shane Purcell converted all four. This crowned a very good win by 54-29.

While scoring eight tries is excellent, the normally miserly Creggs defence was breeched once too often for the coaching team’s liking, with some work to do in that area this week in training.

Creggs Tommy O’Brien making his First Team debut get the ball away v NUIG

Great work from the forwards again with massive carries from Brian Diffley and Aidan Leech in particular, helped set up some great tries. Maurice Buckley in particular deserves a mention – as he has been inspiring with great tackling. All told, it was fine performance and other than a couple of uncharacteristic defensive lapses, Creggs are looking strong across the park.

Shane Dowd runs at the NUIG defence

Home Quarter-Final Next Sunday

The draw for the next round was made live on radio on Sunday evening with Creggs playing their quarter-final at home V Buccaneers RFC. The winners of this tie, will also have a home semi-final, so this is a very important game that no one will want to miss.

Creggs played Buccaneers a fews weeks ago in the league in a well contested game and just came out on top on the day. Please support the lads next Sunday in Creggs (KO: 2.30) in the Connacht Junior Cup Quarter-Final.

Creggs Rugby: Tommy O’Brien, Maurice Buckley, Aidan Leech, Brian Donoghue, Ciaran Corcoran, Ronan Cahill, Tom Callaghan, Brian Diffley (Capt.), Aodha Hession, Shane Dowd, Ronan Dowd, Mark Purcell, Eoghan Coyle, Mikey Dunne, Shane Purcell, Eoghan Cahill, Tom Oates, Pete Lohan, Brian Cleary, Chris Duignan.