YOUTH RUGBY REPORTS
Sat 15 Mar 08
U16s v Coleraine
On arriving at Coleraine it was disappointing to find the opposition could only field 11 players but having been in the same position a few times we "lent" them three of Quins finest in each half to ensure the trip was not wasted. On a dreadfully wet pitch, Quins produced several moments of pure quality, tackling like demons and handling better than at most times this season! The forwards looked very sharp and cleaned up most lineouts and although still hit several rucks too high, redeemed themselves with their work rate and determination. In a clinical handling move, Eoin went over for the first try and was followed by Matthew, who converted and Jordan, playing at full back, to make the half time score 0-17. In the second half Quins played with the tide towards the shallow end and applied some great pressure and the direct running of Michael and Matthew opened the opposition defence up to allow Aidan to score. With the ball returned to the opponents half time and time again it was'nt long before Michael found the gap he had wanted all day a went through to claim a well earned try. David was inspirational at scrum half, with a great display of passing and tackling and was rewarded with a solo effort off a ruck to make it 0-32 before finally from a line out, the forwards produced a clinical rolling maul for Ollie to score and Matthew to convert. Final score 0-39. There were some great displays from Paul, Ollie, Peter, Big T who had the flu all week, Jordan and Michael McConnell. Thanks to all of you for turning up and braving Mackies driving on the happy bus; to those who played for opposition my thanks again and thanks also for ignoring the conditions and producing some great passages of play that I will savour. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable games so far.
Sat 8 Mar 08
U16s v Randalstown
Playing into a stiff breeze in the first half, Harlequins found themselves chasing the game after only 5 mins as Randalstown took advantage of the elements (and some sleepy Quins players) to score and convert. A further try in the middle of the half took the scoreline to 0-12 but thanks to several super passages of play by the Quins boys and some very committed defending, the Randalstown team were unable to add to their tally. Playing with the wind and a change of referee, the Quins lads fought bravely and dealt with some minor bouts of ill discipline from their opponents very well. Strong running from Chris, Michael and Matthew, coupled with a man of the match performance from Andrew Gribben saw the lads press for a score on several occasions, however the Randalstown defence held firm and only in the last minute did they cross the Quins line to make the final score 0-17. Thanks to all those who turned up and gave their all. As always we had several great pieces of play; the scrums were superb, taking at least 5 against the head and we now look like we know what we are doing in defence. The committment from all players was again a joy and with training stepping up another notch this week, we can look forward to more displays like this, hopefully with a few scores. This performance shows how far we have come as we were able to compete with a team who finished first in the league above us but eventually ended up second due to an admin technicality!
Sat 23 Feb 08
U16s v Down High School
While the scoreline of 0-37 looks bad and while I have never used excuses in my life for being well beaten by a better side, this defeat needs to be put into context. Firstly, I am confident that we will not play a side of this calibre again this year. Taking nothing away from the Down players, the fact that they had been training together three times a week from the start of the season was evident from the kick off and they played well for eachother; something Quins found difficult to achieve. Down took their scores well and used simple passes to beat a very determined Quins defence. In contrast a few easy try scoring opportunities for Quins were dashed by the pass never being given. It was a great lesson and something that will come from experience. Secondly we arrived at Downparick with 21 players, all of who got on the pitch. Several people played out of position (thanks to them for that) and the sheer determination of everyone not to give up was great to see. There were some very positive aspects to Quins play: the tackling by Richard, Michael, Ollie, Jordan, Colm and try saving man Andrew Gribben was super, Niall Morris had the game of his life, Turlagh now knows he can hook, the rolling maul from a line out works and Jack Fogarty made three tackles (a personal best this year!). Thanks for sticking at it and well done.
Sat 16 Feb 08
U16s v Larne
On a glorious day for running rugby it was the Larne side who dominated the game scoring 21 points in the first half and 19 in the second. Unfortunatley the Quins players did miss several key tackles and allowed a very well drilled team too much time and space to dictate the play. Three well worked Larne tries let the home team reeling but they did pull one back with Aidan finishing off a good spell of attack. It was much the same in the second half with Larne finding it too easy to run at the Quins defence and find space which should have been closed down. Had it not been for some phenomenal try saving tackles from Andrew Gribben and Aidan the score could have been a lot worse. Andrew did pull a try back but it was not enough to worry the opposition. Despite the score there were as always many positive aspects to the game for Quins. There were a few great individual performances from big Jack in the line out and Michael in the centre who took a lot of tackles well and still stayed on his feet, the scrums were the best this season and th line out worked very well thanks to our last few practices sessions. Overall it was great to see the boys stick at it and as always maintain their discipline and dignity despite being well beaten. For those who care Mackie has recovered from being taken out by a nameless Quins player and will not be seeking compensation.
Sat 26 Jan 08
U18s v Randalstown
Quins kicked off choosing to play against a strong wind and found themselves having to put up a robust defensive display to keep out the opposition. Against the run of play, Quins ran the ball from their own 22. Andi Pollock crossed the half-way line and kicked ahead ably supported by his winger Nathan McKelvey who would have scored but he was taken out leaving the referee with no option but to award a penalty try. Arrron Docherty kicked the conversion putting Quins 7-0 up. The forward battle was fairly even and Quins had one further chance when what looked like a perfectly good try by Mark Malone was disallowed by the slap head ref. The second period was played mainly in the opposition half, but great defence, along with some poor finishing by Quins, left the door open for Randalstown to take full advantage of their time in the Quins half by scoring under the posts. With the score at 7-5. Quins lent Randalstown a kicking tee and we suspect it was a dodgy one as they missed in front of the posts. This game was played in great spirit and many thanks to Alistar Strange and the Randalstown team. (Due to the state of the pitches at Deramore this game was played at Cherryvale)
U16s v Ophir
The 16s played Ophir for the second time this season and ran out 24-0 winners. Captain Chris Hanna chose wisely to play against the elements and in the face of some robust defence from Ophir struggled to find their rhythm. With a few players trying new positions and three debutants in Richard, Michael and Ryan, the Quins lads battled well up front and tackled with more conviction than the 1st half at MCB. This determination was rewarded when, again from their own 22, they moved the ball to Eoin on the left wing who outstripped the defence to score under the posts, Chris converting to make it 7-0 at the break. In the 2nd half a lot of ill discipline from Ophir led to several penalties. From one a ruck formed and the ball made it to Ollie who produced another of his mazy runs (sometimes he doesnt even know where he is going himself, let alone the rest of us!!) to score. The move of the day saw the ball go through numerous hands, a strong run from traitor Gribben (who had begged Mackie to let him back by the way) who then offloaded to Aidan who scampered over 25 yards to touch down much to the delight of the home crowd and the exhaustion of the wee ref. The final minute saw Ollie held back by the Ophir full back leaving the ref no choice but to award a penalty try which was converted by Ollie to end the game 24-0. Thanks to the conditions this was scrappy in some places and exhilirating in others. Good tackling from everyone (especially Chris,Colm and Connor) good running given the conditions (especially from wee Jack, Michael in the centre and Aidan) but more importantly a very credible display of team and self discipline. Great to see so many family members there supporting despite the elements. Please keep it up.
Sat19 Jan 08
U18s v MCB 4XV
This was a great game of rugby, enjoyed by all who either watched or played in it. Due to illness Quins played most of the game with 14 players. The two packs of forwards were well matched, but in the backs MCB had an abundance of pace and skill and chose to run the ball from everywhere testing the Quins defence. In contrast (due to no out half) Quins played 9 man rugby with Josh Mckee hoisting the ball high for the Quins forwards to get under. In the 1st half both teams failed to take some good chances, but the MCB pressure and extra man eventually told when they scored just before the halftime whistle, putting them 7-0 in front. The 2nd half was much like the first with great Quins defence keeping the MCB backs out. Jonnie McEwan’s tackle on the line was typical of the commitment shown by the 14 Quins players. Garth Eynon (Quins 2nd row) was twice tackled just short of the MCB line but to no avail. As the game progressed, MCB got stronger but it was only in the last few minutes that they scored their second try, again taking advantage of the extra man and to go over in the corner. This was quickly followed by a penalty to make the final score 17-0 to the Methody boys.From a Quins view this was a great performance from 14 players. The pack were outstanding, especially in their tight play, producing several fantastic driving mauls. At scrum half Josh kept them going forward, (a bit like Ashley Armstrong). What the backs lacked in ability they made up for with great heart especially in defence. All in all it was an excellent game of rugby refereed very well by a student and played in a great rugby spirit.
U16s v MCB 5XV
The 16s took a while to settle in the 1st half of this match against a very well organised MCB side who tackled and outrucked the Quins forwards for the first time in a while. It was possibly the lack of match practice that was to blame but at the end of a very exciting period Methody led by 12-0. Turning round after the break (and after the spirit lifting half-time speech from the coach as usual!) the Quins boys decided they had had enough and decided to push a bit harder (scrums were brilliant), actually hold on in the tackle and ruck like they know they can. This was followed by some brilliant line-out throwing by Peter McLoughlin and catching and driving from big Jack, Ollie and Mr T. Unfortunately MCB did score another try but at least the lads kept out the treacherous Andrew Gribben who was appearing for the opposition. While the strong runners from MCB tried their best to increase the score the Quins lads showed a spirit similar to any Munster team at Thomond Park putting in some phenomenal try saving tackles (especially from Chris Hanna, Ollie and Connor). The Quins boys should have scored in the latter part of the game but the MCB defence held strong and the match finished 19-0. The game was played in a great spirit and was enjoyed by all those on and off the pitch. While obviously disappointed, the boys played a great game (when they decided to) and showed coach and spectators what they can do. The players have really started to develop individually and as a team and once they realise that they have to tackle and ruck from the first to the final whistle then the results will come. Well done to all players and subs for your sheer determination. The signs are very encouraging for the rest of the season.
Sat 15 Dec 07
U18s v Ballymoney
Having finished runners up in the league last week this game was very flat, not helped by the reduced numbers travelling from Ballymoney. This resulted in Quins showing little interest in the game and doing barely enough to win. Full credit to the Ballymoney boys who fought hard the entire game. For the record a Lee Fraser try and conversion by Michael Cree made the half time score 8-0. In the second half Quins sat back and held their lead but with 5 minutes to play Ballymoney scored and unconverted try to leave the supporters biting their nails until the final whistle. Final score 8-5. Our thanks to Craig White from Ballymoney for taking the game a short notice.
U16s v Ballymoney
The U16s produced a determined display to overcome a talented Ballymoney side by 36-26 in a very thrilling friendly. In a great opening spell Ollie McDonald did what he does best and ran from deep within his own half to score the first try, converted by Chris Hanna. Unfortunately he damaged a hamstring and came off the pitch for 10 minutes rest only to go back on and produce a replica of the first try. Not to be outdone the Ballymoney side (with 3 Quins players) came back to go 12-14 ahead. To the delight of the crowd Quins continued to score freely thanks to some excellent covering tackling and direct running by man of the match Connor Aldworth. He thoroughly deserved his try in the second period but some lapses in concentration allowed Ballymoney back into the game. With further tries from Jordan Porter, Andy Gribben and Aidan McCorry, (2 converted by Jack Lavery) the game was over as a contest with 5 mins to go. All credit to Ballymoney for travelling and the Quins boys who played for them. Well done to Michael Newitt and Ryan McAuley on their debuts and a special mention must go to the new "tackling Jack Fogarty"! A great game to watch but not great for the wee mans nerves!!
Sat 1 Dec
U18s v Virginia
The 18s were reduced to the bare bones as a result of several serious injuries sustained over the last two weeks and took the field with only 14 players. The unwritten code of youth rugby is that teams field the same number of players as each other to encourage clubs with fewer players at certain age groups to fulfill fixtures but Virginia chose to play 15 against Quins 14 however the 14 Quins lads played the shirts off their backs. Against a strong wind in the 1st half Quins kept the ball in hand and chose to run when possible. This resulted in tries from Kyle Montgomery and Nathan McKelvey, Aaron Docherty kicking the conversions. Virginia came close to scoring on a couple of occasions but the defence held out to leave the score 14-0 at half time. In the 2nd half Quins forwards took on their pack with Michael Cree creating problems every time he had the ball. The Virginia defence held out until a strong drive set up Stuart Leckey who crashed over for a 3rd try, the Doc kicking another goal to make the final score 21-0. The win puts the 18s in 2nd place in their league taking 18 points from a possible 21. Both coaches Alan Benson and Baldy Alan are very proud of the players who wanted to play for the shirt and to finish 2nd in this league is a great achievement as most of the boys will be back next year. Well done.
U16s v Virginia
Playing against a stiff breeze in the first half the U16s started well, rucking and running just like they did against Ophir. From a penalty 10 metres out, David Hopkins popped the ball to Turlough Convery who gracefully lunged over the try line to make it 5-0, Chris Hanna converting. After some mistakes the boys got their act together and kept running at their opponents from everywhere, ending with Ollie McDonald scoring yet another try to make it 12-0. Using the wind the Co Cavan boys came back at Quins and scored two tries to make it 12-10 at the break. With the wind, the boys piled on the pressure. Some great running from Aidan and great support play by the forwards allowed sub Andrew Gribben to score just right of the posts. In the final minutes Jordan Porter was rewarded for his good running performance with a try under the posts. The conversion by Chris ended the game for Virginia and left the final score 24-10. All round it was a good display with some great tackiling by Chris and Ollie and excellent commitment from the younger players (Colm, John and the two Jacks). Niall played very well in the first half after being ill all week and Connor Aldworth is definitely looking the real deal at wing forward. The front row were immense in scrums helped by Paul in the 2nd row. Once again the coach would like to thank those who came to support and hopefully we can get a few more games before taking a well earned rest at Christmas.
U18s
Sat 24 Nov v Limavady
With the points already in the bag, the U18s agreed to make the long journey to Limavady playing the game as a “friendly”, but perhaps in hindsight they should not have bothered. Losing hooker Willie Pauley and second row Garth Eynon to injury in the first half was a big blow, but worse was to come with flanker Ian Boyd suffering a possible broken nose and scrum half Josh Mckee rupturing ligaments in his wrist. With 2 league games left, the 18s were on track to finish runners up, but given the injuries sustained yesterday and in the previous few weeks this could be in some doubt. For the record and despite our supporters witnessing the expression “home town referee” being taken to new levels, Mark Malone continued to add to his try tally using his pace and strength to touch down twice and Garth Burns, returning to the side after a short break, completed Quins scoring for the day. The final score Limavady 17 Quins 15. I wish to thank the boys for their discipline throughout the game. For those supporters who witnessed the extreme provocation both on and, more disgracefully, off the pitch, you will agree that the way the players reacted to everything was a credit to them. On behalf of the coaches, I would like to thank all the parents who made the long journey to Limavady and who continue to support the team each week. Without your help this team could not function and we are greatly indebted to you.
Tries: M Malone (2) G Burns
U16's
Sat 24 Nov v MCB
A depleted U16 side came very close to defeating a well organised MCB team at Pirrie Park. Due to illness and injury (I refuse to mention another bit of player theft), only 13 players could attend and, after borrowing an MCB winger, played the 1st half with 14 men. After some serious MCB pressure they used their overlap to great advantage and scored a well worked try, converting to make the score 7-0. It may have been the early start or serious late night activities, but the boys found it difficult to recreate the same buzz as last week and conceded another try, Methody again using their overlap to good effect. Although looking tired the team spirit lifted when the flying second row, Ollie McDonald, took off from his half way line and devastated the MCB defence with a mazy run to score in the corner. Playing in his comeback match, Jack Lavery produced a beauty of a drop kick for the conversion much to the delight of the coach and supporters. The half time score 12-7. After the break (and with another willing MCB pupil evening up the teams) the rucking improved to allow Jordan and Andrew more space at 10 and 12. They used the ball well and the team produced some of the best rugby of the game. Despite some Quins pressure MCB scored under the posts thanks to a series of half tackles and converted to make the score 19-7. Once again the boys dug deep and fought back; the ball was moved to Ollie who took off yet again scoring just right of the posts. With the conversion missed the score at the final whistle was 19-12. Although it was a lacklustre performance, the resiliance to keep coming back at MCB and the discipline could not be faulted. Again it was a great learning experience for the coach and players and has provided some points that we can work on at training. Thanks to all the parents and friends for supporting. It does the players the world of good to have encouragement from the side lines and keeps Mackie quite reserved!
Tries: O McDonald (2)
Cons: J Lavery
Sat 17 Nov - v Ophir
In a phenomenal display of running, attacking rugby, the U16s (captained by Chris Hanna) recorded their first win of the season and in doing so produced a record scoreline of 47-10! Playing against the wind in the first half, the forwards (depleted by injury, illness and theft of a number 8 by the U18s coaching staff) rucked Ophir out of the game which allowed the centre pairing of Andrew Gribben and Declan Fields to run at the Ophir defence with extreme confidence and great direction. Backed by the speed of Ollie McDonald and sheer power (weight) of Turlagh Convery, this resulted in three tries by Declan, Ollie and Connor Aldworth who had a great game out of position at No 8. Ophir did respond and despite some rugged defence from Owen and Connor on the wings and Chris at full back, scored a try to make the half time score 19-5.
After the usual visionary comments by the coach during the break (eg Get into to them etc) the boys again decided to run everything and in doing so killed off the game. Second tries for Declan and Ollie and a super sprint by Owen on the left wing left Ophir reeling. The socreline increased further as Aidan McCorry took a pass from Paul Mogey straight from the kick off and ran under the posts to the delight of the home support. Ophir did respond quickly with a well worked score but it was a bit too little too late for them. The final score 47-10.
Tries: O McDonald (2), D Fields (2), C Aldworth, A McCorry, Owen
Cons: C Hanna (3), O McDonald (3)
U18s
Sat 17 Nov v Ophir
Against a gutsy Ophir team, Quins took an early lead when, from a ruck on the Ophir line, Stuart Leckey pounced on a loose ball to score giving Quins a 5-0 lead.
For the first time this season the Quins backs looked to run with the ball and as a result, Mark Malone and Nathen McKelvey scored 2 further tries to make the scoreline15-0. Ophir made a spirited come back forcing Quins to defend for the last 5 minutes of the first half and although they crossed the Quins line twice they failed to touch down.
The second half saw Quins produce some of their best rugby of the season and resulted in a further two tries from 2nd row Gareth Eynon and Mark Malone. The removal of super glue from some of the backs hands certainly helped in their passing. A lot of credit must go to Ophir who on another day would have scored 2 or 3 tries. This is our third league win in a row and gives us a credible 12 out of a possible 15 points to date which should put us in joint second place in the league. The final score 27-0.
Sun 18 Nov v West of Scotland
Quins played hosts to W O S youth team, going down 15-24 in what was a great game played in good spirit with a great home support. W O S out-scored Quins 4 tries to 3 with Mark Malone (2) and Stuart Leckey the scorers. It is hoped that Quins will travel to W O S before the end of the season.
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