Ravens Make It Two Wins From Two
Tries in the first five minutes from winger Tommy Seymour and lock Dan Tuohy set the Ulster Ravens on their way to a bonus point victory over Moseley in the British & Irish Cup on Friday night.
BRITISH & IRISH CUP – POOL C: Friday, November 27
MOSELEY 21 ULSTER RAVENS 32, Billesley Common
Scorers: Moseley: Tries: Jonny May, Nathan Bressington, Penalty try; Cons: Tristan Roberts 3
Ulster Ravens: Tries: Tommy Seymour, Dan Tuohy, Adam Macklin, Neil McComb; Cons: Niall O’Connor 3; Pens: Niall O’Connor 2
The Ulster Ravens put in another solid first half display to close out this Pool C clash against Moseley at Billesley Common.
Winger Tommy Seymour opened the scoring in the second minute when he finished off a neat back-line move to cross in the right hand corner. Ravens number 10 Niall O’Connor failed to convert.
Three minutes later, good lineout ball secured on the Moseley 22 was moved wide by scrum half Paul Marshall and O’Connor to find team captain Ian Whitten taking a straight line in the midfield.
The Ireland centre took three defenders out as he battled forward, Marshall picked up the quick ball and fired it left to Dan Tuohy, the big lock doing well to step inside the Moseley cover and sprint clear to the line.
O’Connor added the extras to take the Ravens 12 points clear.
Moseley had their tighthead prop Rupert Harden yellow carded for hands in the ruck in the 24th minute, O’Connor converting the penalty to make it 15-0.
Despite having a number of kickable penalties, the Ulstermen signalled their intention to score tries by continually kicking for the corner to set up catch and drive attacks.
In the 31st minute their persistence paid off when young prop Adam Macklin was driven over for their third score. O’Connor’s successful conversion made it 22-0 for half-time.
The second half was rather scrappy and it did not get off to a good start for Neil Doak’s side. With just three minutes on the clock, Whitten had a chip ahead charged down by centre Jonny May, who gathered to sprint in for a much-needed try for the Birmingham outfit. The conversion from out-half Tristan Roberts was successful.
Moseley lost the services of the number 8 Chevvy Pennycook in the 47th minute when he was yellow carded for a technical foul.
O’Connor added a second penalty goal in the 50th minute, and the bonus point try arrived for the Ravens on the hour mark.
Lock Neil McComb charged down a kick in the Moseley 22, scooped up the loose ball and cantered in under the posts. O’Connor tapped over the conversion to stretch the Ravens lead to 32-7.
The home side did manage a fight-back. In the 67th minute, winger Nathan Bressington finishing well in the right hand corner, Roberts converting.
A penalty try with five minutes remaining, after a series of scrum infringements, handed Moseley a further seven points to complete the scoring, but there was no denying the Ravens who remain the leaders of Pool C.
ULSTER RAVENS: Jamie Smith; Tommy Seymour, Jonny Shiels, Ian Whitten (capt), Chris Cochrane; Niall O’Connor, Paul Marshall; Declan Fitzpatrick, Nigel Brady, Adam Macklin, Dan Tuohy, Neil McComb, David Pollock, Willie Faloon, Tamaiti Horua.
Replacements used: Ian Porter for Marshall (51 mins), Paddy McAllister for Fitzpatrick (53), Darren Cave for Shiels (60), Thomas Anderson for Faloon (61), Alistair Birch for Horua (70), Marshall for Whitten (75). Not used: Ryan Fisher.
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)