1st XV

Coming off the disappointing result from the week before, Boyne made the journey to the midlands to take on Tullamore hoping for a better result in this fixture. When the sides met in the earlier first round stage of this league Boyne came close to winning the encounter losing narrowly.

An air of gloom permeated around the grounds of Boyne Rugby Club at Shamrock Lodge on Saturday last when they lost a vital bottom of the table clash to fellow strugglers, Kanturk.
There was no doubting the result and the Cork side fully deserved their important win. They approached the game with discipline, a positive attitude and played to their strengths with shrewd decisions and an excellent general in their out half, McCauliffe, who also had an unerring boot, taking all of the chances he was presented with from placed kicks to notch a personal scoring tally of 14pts.

These two sides have now met on a number of occasions in the AIL and Boyne have been on the fortuitous end of the result during some of these encounters. It was Sligo’s turn during this game to have good fortune on their side to come out on top in a highly enjoyable tie.  The men from the North West had a whirlwind start to the game when they went 12pts ahead in as many minutes.

ULSTER BANK AIL DIV 2C SEAPOINT 15pts BOYNE 37pts
Both these sides have not met since their Leinster League days when they were seeking All Ireland League status. Seapoint joined the AIL ranks before Boyne and had some success in higher leagues before coming back down to Div 2C status. They renewed their rivalry with Boyne at Killbogget Park in this game and previous encounters were recalled when both teams served up a thrilling game of rugby with the score line not doing justice to the home sides contribution to a very exciting fixture.

Boyne were certainly brought back to reality with a severe bump on Saturday last by a rejuvenated Rainey Old Boys who have greatly improved their squad following their demotion from Div 2b last season. On arrival at the beautifully appointed grounds and clubhouse of the Maherafelt based club, the visitors encountered dreadful weather conditions with torrential rain falling for most of the game.

Ulster Bank AIL Div 2C BOYNE 24pts BRUFF 19pts
On a day which defied the normal climate for the start of a rugby season, with beautiful sunshine and warm conditions being matched by some marvellous rugby played by the Shamrock Lodge squad. The home sides display delighted their supporters for a number of reasons which augers well for the season ahead. They scored four excellent tries and showed a massive improvement in their forward division which suggests they will be a formidable unit for any opposition this season.  

This was a must win game for the Boyne side to avoid the prospect of making the long trek to Middleton this week seeking a win to preserve their AIL status outright. It was not to be however and with the two sides below them on the league table winning their games the loss against Wanderers was further compounded.
This was a weekend which saw the whole country celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and it certainly will not be lost on Boyne rugby supporters, the irony of this game taking place on Easter Saturday and ending up on a 19 – 16 score line.