Ballymena 17 Rainey OB 35
Ballymena started a new rugby season on Saturday with a home game against Rainey OB. This should have been an easy opening game at the park but in a surprising match Rainey ran out easy winners by 35 points to 17. What a shock for the home side and what a headache for the coaching staff. Last season Ballymena got off to a comfortable start in the early part of the season starting with a vistory over Rainey in Magherafelt by 26 points to 17. As the season progressed to the AIB AIL Ballymena were confident of having a good season. As it turned out it was a season of struggle and after a few matches the word relegation was on everybody's lips. Results went Ballymena's way and their AIL future was assured for another season. The AIB AIL is not yet upon us but what a disastrous start.
Ballymena started the match with a very strange team indeed. The front five will probably play most of the matches this season and with a lack of cover in this position hopefully there will be no problems through injuries. The back row was all really second choice but with Chris Henry, who played brilliantly last season, being joined by new signings Matthew Burke, an Irish U21 cap, and Hugh Michell who was signed from Leeds in the close-season waiting in the wings they sdhould form quite a formidable back row. On paper this pack should uphold the good name of Ballymena forwards of years gone by.
As is well documented the reason for Ballymena's poor form last season started at fly half and worked its way all through to full back. What did Ballymena do in the summer to prevent the same problems occurring? The answer appears to be very little. The fly half problem was solved by signing a South African, Donovan Rawe, with lots of Currie Cup experience and who played his rugby in the Scottish Premier league last season. On Saturday, to everyone's amazement, the new fly half lined up in the centre. This was due to a shortage of centres but surely if Rawe is to be the number ten for the coming year then he should occupy that berth when he is on the pitch. Stewart Paul played at number 10 last season and was not up to the mark so why should it be any different this year. The only person in the backs with any AIL experience was Chris Smith and the limitations of the other players showed in a very poor all-round performance. If this side had played an AIL side the final outcome does not bear thinking about.
Ballymena got off to a bright start and took the game to the visitors and could have had a couple of early scores but the old problems of errors at crucial times giving away possession were evident in these early phases. From one such error Rainey got possession and put a long kick into the Ballymena 22. It seemed safe enough but Rainey were up quickly and forced a line-out. They won the ball, moved it quickly and with the Ballymena defence all at sea second row Evan Stewart went in from the edge of the 22 for the first try which Mike Glancy converted. With only 10 minutes gone there didn't seem to be any undue panic from the home side or supporters. Even after Glancy dropped a goal in the 15th minute there was no need to worry but in the 18th minute when Stephen McGuiness got try number 2 and Glancy converted then the gap became 17 points and Rainey were dominating proceedings.
Ballymena appeared to be trying to lift their game but Rainey seemed to be quicker to the ball and kept the home side in their own half. Two more Glancy penalties and a try from Andy Kerr meant that a very poor, disjointed home side were 28 points behind at the interval. Ballymena started the second half like the first but seemed to be more determined realising the enormity of the task ahead of them. For 10 minutes they were camped in the Rainey 22 but resolute defence kept the home side at bay. On the hour Rainey pushed Ballymena back to the half way line but a mistake by the home side lost the ball. Ex-Ballymena player David Pugh was first to react and picked the loose ball to race away and score a try which Glancy converted. At 35 points adrift all the home side could hope for would be a few scores to salvage some pride from a torrid afternoon in which they were completely outclassed by a club which 2 seasons ago was in the junior ranks. Tries did come from Ian Caldwell, John Nicholl and Joel Semple with a conversion from Donovan Rawe. At the end of the day Ballymena were a well beaten side so there will be a lot of hard work from both coaching staff and players before they line up against Ballynahinch next Saturday.
Ballymena: M Banks; J Nicholl, C Smith, D Rawe, J Semple; S Paul, G Fisher; A Kirkpatrick, M Harshaw, S Shawe, I Caldwell, D Best, A Cupples , A McGrugan, D McKee. Subs: R Connor, C Brigl, W McAfee, C Allen, J Taggart.
Ballymena 2nd XV 38 Rainey OB 2nd XV 0
Balymena seconds started the new season with a home game against Rainey OB seconds and as expected ran out easy winner by 38 points to nil. This was a game which the home side dominated from start to finish and were just too good for the inexperienced visitors. Most of Ballymena's side were involved in the recent tour of South Africa so these boys were ready for action and at a good fitness level. Ballymena got on the scoreboard early and totally dominated the proceedings.
Tries came from James Ritchie (2), Richard McCrudden (2), Brian McGookin and Chris Brigl. James Ritchie converted 4 tries to complete the scoring. This was a good positive start for the home club and showed the wealth of talent waiting in the wings to progress to the senior side. Special mention must go to two juniors who were making their first appearance in a senior shirt. Alastair Frazer, who starred in the under eighteens last year, and Richard McCrudden, a recent acquisition from Coleraine Inst, both had superb games and showed ability and thought beyond their years. These are certainly two names for the future.
Ballymena: M Smith; R Maybin, J Ritchie, C Brigl, R McGreer; P Campbell , R McCrudden; A Ferguson, A Boyd, B McGookin, C Allen, K Lamont, A Frazer , W McAfee, S Murphy.
