On Wednesday 11th February, the Men’s Blues took on the Army in their penultimate test before the Varsity Matches. The fixture drew a large crowd, but after a blistering start, putting 12 points on the board in the first ten minutes, the Blues were ultimately bested 43-50.
Men’s Secretary Nate Bottomley gave the following report:
On Wednesday at Grange Road, the Blues faced a physical challenge against the Army in a high-scoring encounter that finished 43-50.
The match began with the Blues asserting themselves early to take a lead, showing some excellent attacking flow and finding gaps in a formidable Army defensive line. However, the visitors fought back strongly, capitalising on their physicality to turn the tide and leave the Blues trailing at the half-time break. The second half saw a spirited comeback as the side dug deep to win the period, with tries from across the squad including another brace for the prolific Tim Andrew. This resurgence was bolstered by impactful shifts from the bench, including a return to action for James Wyse, who looked sharp in his first game back from injury.
Man of the Match Danny Collins was central to the effort throughout, putting in a tireless shift in the front row while bringing attacking flair to the game despite the heavy opposition pack. While the second-half fightback was spirited, a few unforced mistakes in key areas ultimately allowed the Army to stay ahead and cost us the win in a pulsating finish.
While the result didn’t go our way, the ability to score 43 points against a side of the Army’s caliber provides plenty of confidence as we continue to refine our game for the Varsity Match at StoneX Stadium.
Thank you to the Army for a fantastic contest and to all the supporters who came down.
GDBO
We thank our match sponsors, Dardan Security, for attending and enjoying what Grange Road has to offer. We presented them with a custom CURUFC x Jim’s Jerseys rugby jersey, while our Player of the Match Danny Collins was gifted a bottle of bubbly for his efforts. We hope to see many more faces for next week’s double header – and indeed for the Varsity Match in just over two weeks!
