2 November 2019
This was Enniskillen Royal’s third away match against a Tier 1 side
and it was a high scoring cliff hanger which finished 36 points to 35 in favour of the home team. Enniskillen started the stronger, keeping possession and running through multiple phases before flanker, David Stinson, crashed over the try line. ERGS’s out half, Eddie Keys, added the two points and the visitors went into a well-deserved lead.
Enniskillen kept the pressure on their opponents, but a few handling errors stopped them adding to their score before Wallace retaliated. Another handling mistake by ERGS saw the ball go loose where it was hacked on by Wallace deep into the Enniskillen half before going into touch. The visitors made a rare mistake at the line-out and Wallace did an excellent job of patiently retaining the ball and going through the phases until an overlap appeared on the right wing. Inside centre, Nathan Doak fired a long pass to Harry Wallace on the wing who went over the line unopposed. His out-half converted the try to level the score.
On Tuesday’s match, against Terenure, ERGS were penalised six times at the breakdown and when they gave away a penalty for the same infringement in front of their posts it seemed that nothing had been learned. However, although this mistake cost them 3 points, it was their last such transgression in the game.
Enniskillen went back onto the attack and did so with great energy. They retained the ball and recycled it at such pace that gaps soon appeared in the home side’s defence. A break by Sam Balfour put Callum Smyton into space, he timed his pass to Stinson, who came chargig through on another good line. The flanker escaped his chasers and touched down in the corner for his second try. Keys slotted an excellent conversion and Enniskillen went ahead by 14 points to 10.
Although Wallace made another sortie into the ERGS’s half they were unable to add any points and it was a clean break by ERGS’s captain, Robbie Mills, that led to the next score. He off-loaded to his left winger, Stuart Brown, who scorched down the touchline and around behind the posts for a try. Keys converted and the score moved to 21 -10 in ERGS’s favour. From the restart, the ball was caught by Smyton who ran 40 metres and set up a ruck. ERGS pressed forward through backs and forwards and should have scored a try that would probably have clinched the game. Instead, they showed their inexperience by giving away consecutive penalties that brought Wallace all the way down to the ERGS try line. The home side showed greater patience than their opponents and were rewarded with another try through Cameron Doak. Their out half missed the conversion and the teams went into the break with the visitors leading by 21 to 15.
The second half opened with Enniskillen playing positive, attacking rugby. They were completely dominant during this next period, stealing line outs, making line breaks at will and forcing Wallace to defend on their own line. ERGS moved their opponents from side to side and when a chink appeared in their defence scrum half, Matthew Bothwell, made a wonderful sniping run to score an excellent try. Keys converted and it seemed that the game was almost won at 28 points to 15.
Unfortunately for ERGS, the game took a slight twist. Wallace changed tactics from moving the ball through their forwards to attacking along their back line. They were given a timely boost when Enniskillen’s full back, Brown, slipped while collecting a grubber kick on his own try line. In attempting to stop the Wallace replacement centre, Ben Carson, from running through onto the ball, the referee adjudged the visitors to have prevented a certain score and awarded a penalty try bringing Wallace back to within 6 points.
The home side were invigorated by this stroke of good fortune and began moving the ball along their back line with more speed and positivity. They soon worked their way up to the Enniskillen line where the Ulster 18 centre, Carson, crashed over for a try which was duly converted to give them a one-point lead.
Undaunted, ERGS went back to their task. They pressed hard but were hampered by penalties and by handling errors. One such handling error led to a turnover which Wallace quickly turned into a counterattack. Once again, their centres broke the ERGS line and, with excellent support, Nathan Doak scored a relatively easy that gave Wallace an 8-point cushion.
ERGS showed considerable strength of character by going straight back onto the attack for the last few minutes of the game and brought the score back to a one-point difference when Sam Balfour dodged his way through the Wallace defence to touch down. Keys converted to keep his 100% record for the day and the game finished with a win for the home side by 36 points to 35.
It was a very entertaining match, full of speed, skill and physicality. Although the teams were very evenly matched, Enniskillen did most of the attacking and, save a few unforced errors, would have returned home with the spoils. Following this game, they have a two week spell without a major fixture as they prepare for the second of their Danske Bank School’s Cup fixtures, at home, on the 16th of November against Dungannon Royal. The result of that contest will decide who tops their group and moves into the last 16 of the Cup.
ERGS Try scorers:- David Stinson (2), Stuart Brown, Matthew Bothwell, Sam Balfour.
Conversions:- Eddie Keys (5)
