Grand Slam Weekend for Old Wesley
Ireland’s hopes of a grand slam may be a distant memory but it was a rewarding and successful weekend for Old Wesley with all five adult teams in action and all recording wins in their respective leagues.
Metro League Div 9 (5ths) – Old Wesley 24 AIB 12
The 5ths banked a win against AIB to move up to mid table in their league. Old Wesley still have a glimmer of hope of a Top 2 finish but with only one game left and others ahead of them having a match in hand they rely on an unlikely set of other results to reach the play off. This match even featured a cameo appearance by Lazarus himself. Yes the Oldest Winger in Town, Dave Priestman togged out for 10 minutes to line out beside his son David, but not before the amazed coaching team ensured the match result was in no doubt and cardiac services were on standby.. Click here for photo
Metro League Div 6 (4ths) – Old Wesley 24 Dublin University 3
The 4ths gained some revenge for the disappointment of the previous week’s senior result with a solid win over Trinity. Old Wesley are clear league leaders and have at a minimum reached the play off stages with two matches remaining. See below for an entertaining and scholarly report by Mark Toal-Lennon. See photos by Kevin Scott
Metro League Div 4 (3rds) – Old Wesley 24 Skerries 12
The 3rds travelled to Skerries where they came away with a deserved but tricky win. The 3rds are 10 points clear at the top of the league and barring a bizarre set of results will have a home draw in the playoff. See report below by Conor Boyd.
Metro League Div 1 (2nds) – Old Wesley 36 MU Barnhall 6
The 2nds recorded a much needed win over MU Barnhall. The Leixlip side won the same fixture earlier in the season but Old Wesley well and truly made up for this time around with a six try bonus point win. The Old Wesley try scorers were Alan Jeffars (2), Gary O’Brien, David Poff, Billy Henshaw and Muiris Stack. This is a very tight league and a win or a loss could mean the difference between a play off or relegation. With two games remaining and currently lying 5th out of 8 a mid table finish will be very satisfactory considering five of the participating teams are from AIL Division 1A clubs.
And of course to top it all the Seniors won the flagship match against Dolphin. Click here for report.
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(26th February) Strong 1st half performance seals victory for Old Wesley
Skerries 12 Old Wesley 24- Metro Division 4, by Conor Boyd
We were greeted with a typically blustery evening in Skerries after a long journey for many in Friday night traffic. The troops arrived a bit weary but were ready to go by the time kick-off came around. Old Wesley elected to play into the wind in the first half, a bold strategy, but it paid off.
The ever bossy Copeland at scrum half was marshalling things well and Old Wesley’s early dominance was rewarded with a try after a brilliant solo effort from the lanky Fitzgibbon down the left wing. Kenny McLaughlin converted, 7-0. Wesley’s backs continued to shine and were rewarded with another try not too long after, with Paddy making a clean line break through the Skerries leaky midfield. He found Fitzgibbon with a sublime pass and he cantered over the line; another conversion put Wesley 14-0 up. Another five points were added not too long after when a lovely first phase back move but Boyd over in the corner. The wind began to have an impact on the game as Skerries crept further and further into Wesley’s half. The defence held firm due a huge effort put in by the forwards but eventually the pressure was too much and Skerries crashed over. The first half finished 19 -7.
With the wind at our backs we expected to kick on in the second half but this proved not to be the case. Skerries brought on a number of reinforcements including a centre with incredibly quick feet. The second half proved to be much tighter and had it not been for Skerries poor handling on occasion Wesley might have been in trouble. Wesley’s only score came from a try after Copeland dinked a little box kick over the Skerries defence and into the deadball area. Boyd rushed past the chasing defenders and dived on it just in time. With the bonus point secured Wesley continued to defend well and had other opportunities to score. Fitzgibbon had a chance to complete his hat-trick but spilled the ball over the line and Monty nearly crept in in the corner after a hand off Lomu would have been proud of. Skerries managed to score a late consolation try towards the end. The game finished 24-12, job done, place in the league final almost guaranteed, and onto St Mary’s next Friday where a win should seal a home final.
(27th February) Old Wesley Wyverns beat Trinity Bantams
Old Wesley 24- Dublin University 3, Metro Division 6, by Mark Toal-Lennon
It began like any other Saturday, with the morning mist subsiding into noon a select few of the team happened upon one another at a city centre tea house to discuss the week’s events over numerous Americanos. A young spritely Mr. Alan O’Connor in particular enjoying his 6th of the morning, whilst making the most of his infrequent dip in uncharted South Dublin waters and settling the jitters before what was set to be a significant clash. The venue, none other than the esteemed College Park. A venue surrounded by living history, architecture and scholarly greatness – some of whom were to become spectators upon the epic encounter between the Trinity Bantams and the Old Wesley Wyverns. Notable attendees including Maximilian Lane’s recently official lady friend, as well as a plethora of weekend tourists in town. The pitch itself was as firm as the stern hand of Mrs. O’Connor, but the grain which covered it was as coarse as her son’s table etiquette. The match itself was unfortunately destined to be soon forgotten, the events of which blown into the foreboding abyss along with the trivial sands of time.
Conditions on the day were perfect to allow for an expansive game of running rugby. Alas this was not to be the case as the encounter between the two sporting gentry giants proved troublesome from the outset. A giddy nervousness and potentially overstimulated energy seemed to engulf the side as Old Wesley began the first half with a calamity of handling errors. Following a tirade of pressure deep in the Trinity half, Old Wesley eventually managed to cross the whitewash with a simple try to the left of the posts following the capitalisation of an opening in the Trinity defence. The sure boot of Mr. Andrew Hancock converted with ease, like a man of his endowment so often and so casually does. 7-0 Old Wesley
The disjointed opening half continued with some redeeming phases of adequate play, unfortunately outweighed with all too many unforced handling errors as the Wyverns struggled to get a grip on the restless game. Old Wesley’s discipline wavered, as Trinity were awarded a penalty which the home side managed to convert. 7-3 Old Wesley. The crowd began to disperse as the first half drew to an abrupt close.
The latter half arrived with the reluctance of reality and with it too came a series of injuries, alike unwelcome urchin guests to a high society shindig. Following some substitutions as well as the ejection of a Mr. Mark Toal-Lennon due to a wrist injury, the brave Wyverns trudged on into the frustrating second half, weary, disorientated, punch drunk and longing for the final thrust. Luckily for the remaining spectators, the, to this point, under-utilised legs of a fast footed Mr. Coughlan had not yet been unleashed and thus proved the injection of main-lined mysticism this match so desperately needed, with a series of darting returns from the fullback position ultimately resulting in a spectacular try. 12-3 Old Wesley. Further excitement was assuredly provided by the forever tumultuous but indeed titillating talent and voyeurism of the infamous Mr. Michael Glynn, who continued to exploit the Trinity defence throughout the second half like he does so many of his unsuspecting and naively hopeful suitresses. In this case he traded heart for line breaks in an utterly salacious performance, only a young Mr. Marquis De Sade could hope to emulate, ultimately awarding him the much coveted but truly well-deserved man of the match award.
Further injuries were suffered at the surprisingly brutal hands of the Bantams, as our protagonist Mr. Alan O’Connor was also sidelined following an injury. Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time before Mr. O’Connor’s untrained dishevelled shoulders gave way to the weight of posed pretension and shaky social decorum amongst his aristocratic pitch mates. Trinity’s tempers began to teeter late in the latter half resulting in a penalty try, which Mr. Hancock again slotted seamlessly. Further phenomenal play from the prancing practitioner Mr. Coughlan, resulted in some awe inspiring darting detours through the Trinity defence, culminating in clinical execution by the powerful Mr. Flower. Final Score 24-3 Old Wesley
And as the afternoon was greeted by the cool bite of early evening, the final whistle sounded and so too resounded the impotent onlookers.