On what was a perfect night for rugby, the Dee men pulled out a show stopping performance to wear the Ards men down in what was to end as a Convincing victory to the visiting team. After a long week of work, it is rare for Donaghadee folk to want to travel back over the hill to Newtownards of a Friday evening. But the car park was full and the majority of the supporters on the sideline helped to cheer the men in red and green to the victory that they have been chasing for quite a few years over a well organised Ards Black Knights set up.
The Dee men started strongly and with the wind at their backs it was clear that this was a game going to be decided in the forward pack. The Dees nutritional over-achievers set up camp deep in the Ards half with a series of bruising carries by second row partners Kyle Morrow and Garry Coffey. A dee scrum in the centre of the field saw a training ground move with the experience Stephen Cullen and Andy Monson creating the space for Dee fullback Andy McGrugan to cut a good line and scamper under the posts for the evenings first 7 pointer.
At this point the Home side came back hard but the Dee defence showed no mercy with some bone crunching tackles from the big blind side Marty Coulter, making his return to competitive rugby after taking a break to have half a dozen or so kids. Solid tackles up front by Coulter and tight head Elliot Vollands and some good counter rucking in close by Davy Skip and Andy Armstrong showed the Ards fellas that they were up for a battle in the tight, and that there would no easy gains.
Good use of the elements by the Dees halfbacks soon led to more forward dominant phases in the right part of the pitch and it wasn’t long before, after a sustained period of pressure by the Dee pack, right winger Stephen Gamble popped up on the left side to bulldoze his way over in the corner. This was followed swiftly by a 7 pointer with Davy Kirkpatrick, the little try scoring cannonball crossing for his 5th try in 3 games, off the back of an Andi Jarvis line break and offload. 19-0 Dee.
Ards were by no means finished and fought hard throughout, a sustained period of pressure within the Dee 22 followed, but the Dee discipline held firm, with tackle after tackle being completed until a cheeky Jamie Wilson pilfer on the ground under the Dees own posts led to a 90 meter score by the Dees featherweights, who sprang out of the traps like a pair of whippets chasing a sausage.First Dickie Bailey making good yards and drawing in the scrambling cover defenders before releasing McGrugan to Canter home from 60 yards to dot down and convert his second seven pointer of the night on the half time whistle. HT Dee 26- 0 Ards.
Turning into the wind the Dee knew that there was plenty of fight left in the Ards Warriors, or Knights, and that the first score of the second period would be critical to how the remaining 40 minutes would play out. Against the wind the Dee had to make a few tactical adjustments, less territorial kicking and more hard yards gained the old fashioned way. So the Dee management released Jonny ‘Rhyno’ Johnstone, who spent the next 40 minutes charging headlong like a baby rhinoceros into anyone in a black jersey that stood infront of him. Great carries from Rhyno, Coulter, Coffey and a brace of 30 meter gallops by the Duracell Bunny himself, Jamie Wilson, kept the Dee on the front foot and steadily gaining further territorial advantage. The next score came off one of these barnstorming abrasive runs by the forwards, with Armstrong making an initial break with Coulter screaming for the offload on his outside shoulder, popped inside to Coffey who shrugged off another couple of would be tacklers, with coulter screaming for an offload on his inside shoulder, popped outside to Monson who gathered off his toes to dive over for yet another backs try- with Coulter still there in support!
By this point the Black Knights Horses had blown their biscuits, and from the kick off some subtle hands led to the try of the day, yet again started and made by the forwards but finished by the backs. A strong take and carry from the restart by Rhyno saw quick ball cleaned by super subs James Cheshire and the evergreen Noel Angus before the ball was released from Monson to Kirkpatrick, with a dart of pace to interest the defence and a canny offload on the inside shoulder to Wilson saw the big Loosehead have another 30meter trundle before a Sonny Bill style offload and some fantastic running lines and simple draw and pass rugby by Centre partners - and brothers from another mothers – Jarvis and Bailey released first Davy Scott and then McGrugan to round under the posts for his hat trick. 38-0.
More of the same from the dominant Dee forwards led to Monson sneaking through a chink in the knights armour from short range for the final score of the evening to rub a little more salt in the wounded Knights and see the game finish at 43-0 to the Dee, at the home of Ards Rugby.
It is often said in rugby that it is the forwards who will determine who wins a game and the backs that decide by how much. Not a truer word could be spoken about this game – with all the blood guts and hard work put in by the piggies up front, only for the fairies to bring home all the points on the day. That’s Teamwork gentlemen. When it comes to naming a man of the match, Mcgrugan did well enjoying some freedom at fullback notching up a personal tally of 23 points but one and all of the Dee 1-8 were outstanding for the 75 minutes and the Man of the Match has to be shared among the piggies.
Momentum is building and the Dee is a good place to be this season. With over 30 regularly turning out to training and genuine competition for places the 1st XV coaches will have a few good problems to face in the coming weeks with a number of tonight’s 2nd XV putting their hands up in contention for a shot at a 1st XV Jersey.