New-look Letterkenny RFC still have woes on the road

Letterkenny travelled to Ophir on Saturday with five changes from the previous week which included four players making their first start for the firsts this season.

Even allowing for the changes in personnel this was a missed opportunity to pick up points on the road.

The first play of the match set the tone for the afternoon which was error strewn and lacking in intensity for more than a few minutes at a time. Letterkenny kicked off with the breeze behind them and the ball dropped in towards one of the Ophir second rows who volleyed it fully 40 metres up the pitch.

The lack of willingness to secure the ball on the muddy pitch by the visitors allowed the kicker to make a tackle well inside the Letterkenny half and put the pressure back on Letterkenny.

Letterkenny soon settled in to the game and started to play some smart rugby but inaccuracies at the lineout and communication breakdowns were letting them down.

Debutant James-Lee McLaughlin, who was excellent in attack and defence all day, stole ball at the breakdown which led to a great break by Ben Mortimer. Unfortunately the supporting John Anthony McFadden wasn’t released on the outside for an almost certain try and the ball was knocked on in a desperate lunge for the line.

Verbal indiscipline towards the referee before the resulting scrum cost the visitors a very promising field position and several plays later conceded a try from a poorly defended lineout maul. With the number of changes to the starting team Letterkenny’s play lacked much cohesion and struggled to get quality lineout possession.

Letterkenny conceded an off-side penalty shortly after the restart which was converted. Scrum half Conal Sheridan had to leave the field injured before half time which didn’t help Letterkenny’s offensive structure and the Ophir No8 also retired injured leaving both teams with 14 players.

In the second half Ophir’s intention was clear. Pin Letterkenny down into the corner using the breeze and then try and score using the maul. The visitors found it difficult to exit this corner and were faced with a lot of defensive duties which by and large were carried out well with good line speed.

However, the lineout maul was the undoing of Letterkenny. With a lineout just outside the 22 Ophir caught and set up their maul. Letterkenny disengaged sending Paul Madigan round to tackle the ball carrier at the back of the maul. Somehow the ball was re-transferred back to the catcher and he turned and galloped untouched over the line for a converted try.

Within five minutes of the restart Ophir again mauled the ball over the line for an unconverted try on the left to make the score 20-0.

Letterkenny had some good periods of pressure in the second half with Sean Deery doing very well in the scrum-half role and McFadden hungry for action but too often handling errors and a lack of sharpness securing loose ball would allow the home side to ease the pressure.

Letterkenny still struggled to cope with the Ophir maul and Michael Foy was binned for trying to stop the maul illegally.

With 13 men Letterkenny defended heroically and when Foy returned they unfortunately lost Gary Canning to injury but held out to deny the home side a bonus point. Ultimately it was a game where intensity was largely lacking and Letterkenny will rue not capitalising on those early opportunities to establish a lead.

This Saturday Letterkenny host neighbours Strabane at Dave Gallaher Park, 2.30pm.

Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8.30pm. All are welcome.

Letterkenny Rugby Club in association with main sponsor Kelly’s Toyota, Port Rd., Letterkenny.