West Point open Spring Season
10 Mar 2010
by: CDT K. Palmer
Army First XV v. Boston Irish Wolfhounds
Score: 26-22
Try Scorers: Mike Sheehan©, Peter Belden, Mark Wilson, Gibson Sale
Conversions: Dom Latino (1 for 2), Will Holder (2 for 2)
Scoreline:
Opening up the spring season, Army’s First XV took on the Boston Irish on Saturday, March 6th. The Boston Irish, a men’s super league team, came out strong against Army holding them scoreless for the first ten minutes of the match. Both teams played a defensive game, playing kick and chase for the majority of the match. Army was the first to strike though. Following a line out near the 15 meter, Army worked the Boston defense across the field for a few phases and stretched the defense thin. Flyhalf, Dave Geib, moved the ball from the break down to center Mike Sheehan who broke through the line from the 5 meter and put the first points of the match on the board. Fullback, Dom Latino added the conversion. Boston countered quickly in the next ten minutes of the match scoring two tries to put the score at 12-7 in their favor. The match continued as a hard fought possession battle between the two teams, each gaining ground on one possession and losing it on the next. The pressure was felt mostly by the forwards for each team. The set pieces became the ultimate battleground for possession. Winning scrums and lineouts became a necessity in order to slow the opposing team’s advance. The match was held in a stalemate until Boston, within the closing seconds of the half, repeatedly committed the same penalty and gave Army the advantage inside their own 22 meter. Eight man, Peter Belden, broke several Boston tackles from the 22 and through a great personal effort, was able to score the try for Army as time expired for the half. The score at the break was deadlocked at 12-12.
The second half of the match picked up where the first had left off. Both teams were brutally fighting for possession of ball and territory on the field. The Wolfhounds were the first to score during the second half after multiple phases inside Army’s half of the field, giving them a 19-12 advantage against Army. They again increased their score by taking a 40m penalty kick to put the match at 22-12. With ten minutes left in the match, Army routed a comeback. Following some key substitutions, Army was able to capitalize from 40 meters out. After a few phases to the right side of the field, Army was able to move the ball through the back line outside the defensive corner to prop, Mark Wilson, who took the open field and ran it in for the try. Reserve fullback Will Holder converted for the additional two points. Army 19, Irish 22. With the final minutes ticking away, Army was able to make one final push. With a lineout on the 50 meter, Army moved the ball through the back line to outside center, Gibson Sale. Sale carried the ball from the 40 meter, plowing through his opposite on the Boston side and scoring the last try under the posts to put Army ahead. Holder’s second conversion made it a 26-22 victory over the Boston Irish.