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DACC
Afternoon,
A couple of small raiding parties are making our way over to Galway tomorrow morning, looking forward to the game and having the odd pint or 12 on what should be a fantastic trip

Cheers, Dai

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I see the future, and it's Green again...

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seanin4711
but they need to turn the screw when they have a team at their mercy!

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ummm,
I don't think I was the only one surprised by Bibo last night

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I see the future, and it's Green again...

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LDTT
Wasn't Bibo signed as a Fullback/outhalf/prolific penalty kicker?
Regardless, I do think he's out second best winger at the moment.

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I see the future, and it's Green again...

Quote:

Sea_Point

Quote:

LDTT
Wasn't Bibo signed as a Fullback/outhalf/prolific penalty kicker?
Regardless, I do think he's out second best winger at the moment.

Fullback/Winger/Very prolific Penalty Kicker for club in Oz.

Think he's filled in at 10 a few times for Buccs this season alright...

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packie

Quote:

Sea_Point

Quote:

LDTT
Wasn't Bibo signed as a Fullback/outhalf/prolific penalty kicker?
Regardless, I do think he's out second best winger at the moment.

Fullback/Winger/Very prolific Penalty Kicker for club in Oz.

Think he's filled in at 10 a few times for Buccs this season alright...

I doubt it seeing as he's contracted to wegians

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Bucaneers Match Report
GALWEGIANS 25 BUCCANEERS 17
September 21st 2009


GALWEGIANS retained their Connacht Senior League title when defeating Buccaneers 25-17 in the final series match at Crowley Park, Galway, on Saturday. This decisive fixture proved a lively and entertaining affair on a fine, sunny afternoon with the home side also bettering the midlanders in try-scoring by 4 to 3.

Nevertheless, Buccs will take considerable heart from this outing as their patchwork squad battled with commendable commitment and bravery to upset the odds against a physically stronger and far more experienced Wegians side. Buccaneers’ already stretched squad had further defections with Alex Hayman and Paul Harte out through injury, although both hope to return to action this coming weekend, while Marcus Madden was unavailable and, of course, Kolo Kiripati is a long-term absentee due to a knee injury.

Connacht’s Liam Bibo debuted at outhalf where he linked up with Conor O’Loughlin and Cormac Sheehy and Peter Smith came in in the three-quarters line. Youth got its fling in the pack where Conor Higgins and Martin Staunton propped with recent U-20’s Padraig Burke and Sean Stapleton at wing-forward. Galwegians welcomed back Peter Bracken in the front row and Ambrose Conboy at flanker in a far heftier pack that featured Joe Moran and an interesting and useful addition at No. 8 Ati Olive. Representative star Kieran Campbell featured at scrumhalf with Aifai Esera in the centre, and fullback Rob O’Beirne and wing Mark Butler added pace and potential to the sky blues backs division.

Buccs must have feared for the worst when former international Campbell intercepted inside the visitors’ half after just three minutes to scamper away for the opening try but Buccaneers settled and their endeavours were rewarded when O’Loughlin’s persistence was rewarded with a 14th minute try to tie the scores 5-5. Just five minutes later, Wegians made the superior power in their pack pay when they bulldozed over for an Olive try. Soon afterwards, the lively No. 8 grabbed his second try wide on the right on 24 minutes.

Ten minutes later a wicked bounce following a Wegians kick ahead left the Buccaneers cover wrong-footed and Ross Shaughnessy made the most of his good fortune for an opportunist try and placekicker Butler finally found his range with the conversion to stretch the home side 22-5 ahead. But just before the break, O’Loughlin outflanked the home defence for a well-taken try wide on the right to give the visitors a timely boost.

Buccaneers resumed brightly and punished the hosts for a late tackle by substitute Liam Casserly in their own half. The resultant penalty was punted to touch on the left and Anthony Hughes won fine lineout possession and the ball was moved smartly to Bibo who showed good strength to crash through for a 42nd minute try. He too finally found the range with the conversion to tighten the arrears to 17-22 but a Butler penalty nine minutes later completed the scoring.

Nevertheless, a willing Buccs side caused plenty of discomfort for their hosts for whom Butler had one bad penalty miss. O’Loughlin, as busy and energetic as ever, was man of this match while Henshaw and Smith settled into their strides as the game progressed, forcing Wegians to concede penalties in midfield. Skipper Ivan Muldoon was sin-binned late in the game when Galwegians were guilty of one infringement too many. Buccs should have notched a fourth try but did not spot an overlap to the right, instead opting to go left to no avail. However, there was resolve and passion in the Pirates display with Colm Rigney and Garreth Halligan setting the tone and youngsters Stapleton and Burke acquitting themselves well in testing conditions. Overall, there were certainly positives to take from this contest.

Meanwhile, Wegians have a promising mix of brawn, pace and experience and could be a useful force in the AIB League.

BUCCANEERS:- T.Hynes; W.Henshaw, P.Smith, G.Kelly, C.Sheehy; L.Bibo, C.O’Loughlin; M.Staunton, G.Halligan, C.Higgins; A.Hughes, J.Tormey; P.Burke, S.Stapleton and C.Rigney (captain). Replacements:- B.Gilligan (for Staunton, 55 mins), C.Watters (for Stapleton, 61 mins), B.McManus (for Hughes, 61 mins), G.McGill (for Higgins, 69 mins) and M.Donohoe (for Hynes, 74 mins).

GALWEGIANS:- R.O’Beirne; T.O’Donnell, A.Esera, D.Clark, M.Butler; R.Shaughnessy, K.Campbell; J.Stephens, D.Murphy, P.Bracken; B.McClearn, J.Moran; A.Conboy, I.Muldoon (captain) and A.Olive. Replacements:- L.Casserly (for Olive, h-t), C.Muldoon (for Murphy, h-t), S.McGrath (for Stephens), D.Boyd (for Conboy) and R.Dillon (for Campbell).

REFEREE:-P.Jennings. (Connacht).

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Galwegians Match Report
Galwegians 1st XV 8 - 15 Buccaneers
Date: 31 October 2009 KO: tbc
Competition: AIB League Div. 1B
Venue: Dubarry Park
Match Notes:

Galwegians Scorers:
Try: Tiernan O'Halloran
Pen: Mark Butler


Buccaneers won the local bragging rights when they deservedly overcame a lacklustre Galwegians in this Division 1b derby at Dubarry Park on Saturday.

Having retained their Connacht League title in September with a convincing win against Buccs, Wegians would have very much targeted this game for an away victory. But the recent form guide indicated differently, as the Blues have now lost three League games on the bounce, while the victorious Buccs are buoyant having recorded two consecutive victories following their surprise away win at Ballymena the previous week.

Heavy rain had made playing and handling conditions very difficult, and Buccaneers adapted better by dominating territory in the opening quarter. But for all that they were unable to convert this into points on the scoreboard, squandering some early scoring opportunities including two 5 metre lineouts. Having absorbed the early pressure and having defended relatively comfortably, Wegians then began to exert some pressure of their own in the second quarter. And they surprised their hosts when they opened the scoring on 26 minutes.

It was a well-worked move following a line-out 30 metres out. A clean take by Brian McClearn and a charging run by his second row partner Joe Moran created the platform. Then a clever blind-side move saw scrum-half Kieran Campbell feed the incoming full-back Mark Butler, who drew his marker to send Connacht Academy winger Tiernan O’Halloran clear to dive in at the corner for an excellent try.

Although John Cleary was unlucky with the conversion attempt, suddenly at 5-0 Wegians were looking comfortable and now threatening on occasions. But unfortunately their opening score proved one of their only fluid passages of play, as a succession of unforced errors, including knock-ons to misplaced passes, was to prove costly.

The turning point of the game came right on the stroke of half-time as Buccs threw themselves a lifeline. There seemed no apparent danger when an attack and routine backline move fed winger Paul Harte 20 metres out. But he made the most of his opportunity as he dusted off the feeble challenges of O’Halloran and Butler to near the line, with his full-back JH Potgeiter on hand to gratefully accept the scoring pass and dot down near the corner. The South African then landed an excellent convert to edge Buccs’ 7-5 ahead at the break.

This score galvanised the hosts who came out stronger in the second-half, and Potgeiter stretched their lead to five points with a well-struck penalty from near halfway on 44 minutes after the Blues midfield defence drifted offside. Wegians were suddenly looking bereft of ideas, but a rare salvo into opposition territory by substitute back Liam Bibo led to a penalty, which Butler converted to reduce arrears to 10-8.

This should have served as a platform to build on, but instead Wegians almost immediately conceded the initiative to a hungrier and more determined home side. And the game was effectively decided when the homesters scored their second try just before the hour mark. Following a sustained attacking period, Buccs substitute winger John O’Brien almost finished in the left-hand corner before being brilliantly held up by the scrambling Wegians defence. However it proved a temporary reprieve for the Blues, when from the resulting 5-metre scrum Buccs player-coach no. 8 Colm Rigney picked and drove almost effortlessly through the defence to score. Potgeiter’s conversion attempt sailed narrowly wide to leave the gap at just seven points.

Although they still had plenty of time to regain the initiative, in truth a static Wegians never looked like breaching the Buccs defence, as unforced errors and poor decision-making continued to dog their performance. And in the end they had to settle for a consolation losing bonus point.

The Blues now urgently need to re-discover their form and start realising their undoubted potential, and they have an opportunity to kick-start their season when away to Division 2 side UCD in the Third Round of the AIB Cup in Dublin next Saturday.

Galwegians:

Mark Butler; Tiernan O’Halloran, Aifai Esera, Dave Clarke (sub: Liam Bibo, 50), John Cleary; Ross Shaughnessy, Kieran Campbell (sub: Ronan Dillon, 55); Ja Naughton (sub: Jamie Stephens, 61), Conor Muldoon, Ronan Loughney; Brian McClearn; Joe Moran; Liam Scahill, Ivan Muldoon (capt.), Ambrose Conboy.

Subs not used:
Ross Fitzgerald, Greg Leader.

Buccaneers:

JH Potgeiter; Sean Stapleton, Brian Tuohy, Aidan Wynne, Paul Harte; Alex Hayman, Conor O’Loughlin; Martin Staunton, Garreth Halligan, Conor Higgins; Padraig Burke, James Tormey; Stephen Burke, Colin Watters, Colm Rigney (capt.).

Subs Used:
Benny Gilligan, Anthony Hughes, Gavin Kelly, Adam Kennedy, John O’Brien

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I see the future, and it's Green again...