Posted on: 29 April 2011
At the annual Colours Rugby match held recently in Donnybrook a strong Trinity College side upset their UCD rivals when they edged their way to a 31-22 victory, denying UCD the Division 2 championship and regaining the Colours title. The fixture marked the 59th annual Colours rugby match, the highlight of the rugby season.
Numerous trys and penalty kicks from both sides kept the match close throughout with only a point separating the teams at half time. A controversial late penalty try under the posts and a yellow card for the offending UCD scrum half proved to be the deciding moment of the game, giving the Trinity side the nine point cushion they needed to seal the Colours encounter against their rivals UCD. After a somewhat unlucky season, the Trinity team, who went into the game as the underdogs, proved that they had the skill and determination to compete at the highest levels in the league.
Director of Rugby DUFC, Tony Smeeth said: “The win, made all the hard work that we have put in worth it. The lads were outstanding in their execution of the game plan – it was all about the players”
The match marked the final game of the season and secured Trinity’s position in mid-table, preventing old rivals UCD from securing the Division title which went to Ballynahinch. Despite the agonising defeat for UCD they will move up to play in Division One next season as runner up in the league.
TCD Team:
15 James O’Donoghue 14 Neil Hanratty 13 Ciaran Wade (Conor Colclough 58) 12 Tim McCoy 11 Shane Hanratty 10 Dave Joyce 9 Mick McLoughlin (Sam Bell 62) 1 Ian Hirst (Paddy McCabe 60) 2 Tim O’Mahony (Craig Telford 65) 3 James Gethings 4 Colin MacDonnell 5 Pierce Byrne; 6 Scott LaValla Dominic Gallagher, Johnny Iliff (Alan Mathews 48).
MacDonnell, 5 Pierce Byrne, 6 Scott LaValla, Dominic Gallagher, Johnny Iliff (Alan Mathews 48).
