Derry look to bounce back

Both teams suffered defeats last weekend and will be hoping to kick start their AIL campaign this weekend with victory.

City of Derry had an ignominious defeat at home against University College Cork last Saturday, while Seapoint on the other hand were mugged with a try from the last play of the game in a local derby against Old Wesley at Donnybrook losing 23-18 last Friday evening.

The Judges Road men don’t have a great record against Sepoint since they first met in season 2009-2010.

They have played one another four times with the Dubliners victorious on three occasions and Derry’s only victory being in their inaugural meeting in the All Ireland Junior Cup first round winning 19-14.

Seapoint defeated Derry at the end of that season 2009-2010 in the first round robin fixture at Judges Road, but both teams went on to get promotion to AIL Division 3.

Seapoint defeated Derry again in AIL 3 the following season in Dublin and despite Derry having 85 per cent the visitors lost 9-6 possession.

Derry’s consolation was piping them to claim the AIL Division 3 League title on points difference with both team promoted again to AIL Division 2A.

Seapoint once more narrowly defeated Derry 29-20 last season at Judges Road in AIL Division 2A.

Seapoint will be disappointed at loosing to Old Wesley last Friday. Brian Keegan their outstanding out half kicked a penalty going into injury time to put his team 18-15 in the lead with everyone thinking they were assured of victory.

Old Wesley had other ideas and got themselves back in the Seapoint half and levelled the game with a 40 metre penalty. Seapoint had settled for a draw but when the referee blew the whistle 6 minutes into injury time for an indirect penalty 35 metre out, the big Wesley second row tapped to himself and galloped in for a converted try with everyone thinking the game was over.

City of Derry players and coaches will have been disappointed with the team’s performance against UUC last Saturday. The attitude may not have been just right going into the game on the back of five outstanding victories in the Ulster League.

The fact that UCC had lost 16 of their 18 league fixtures last season and were relegated would have lead to the mindset that their confidence was low and they were vulnerable.

However with their new coach David O’Mahoney they produced some of the best rugby performances ever seen at Judges Road from an away team to win comfortably.

Derry will be hopeful of turning things round this weekend with a more committed performance where first up tackling will be the order of the day. Derry should have Chris Cooper back in the pack along with Chris Barber returning to the backs from injury also available for selection.

It is hoped that full back Peter Henderson will also return to the team for the trip to Dublin. Mark Nicholl and Ashley Blair will be hoping their forwards can dominate the set piece and produce quality go forward ball for their exciting back line to reproduce some of the quality rugby they have done so far this season in the Ulster League.

City of Derry Squad: Chris Shields, Cathal Cregan, David Ferguson, Gareth Beattie, Sam McAuley, Paul McFeely, Steven Jefferson, James Fawcett Brian Prue, David Houston, Adam Bratton, Tom Patton, Stephen Corr, Richard Baird, Andrew Semple, Richard Peoples, Adam Parke, Richard McCarter, Simon Logue, Ryan Campbell, David Funston, Josh Lewis, Peter Henderson, Jack Caithness.