Enniskillen 1st XV 31 CIYMS 1st XV 12

Enniskillen 1st XV managed a bonus point league win last weekend over visitors CIYMS to keep themselves in the top four in the Championship Division One table.

It was an encouraging performance from Enniskillen who looked solid in defence while really moving the ball well in attack and playing some enterprising rugby, all while experimenting with some injury invoked personnel changes.

The performance pleased Skins coach Stevie Welsh.

“It was definitely an improvement, all the boys lifted their performance and to get the win and a bonus point; we are happy with that,” said Welsh.

And Skins are now looking forward to the AIL Junior Cup this weekend when they travel to Dublin to take on Seapoint RFC.

“It is an exciting week for us, we worked hard two seasons ago now to get into the competition and for a lot of the lads it will be their first taste of the competition so we will see what lies ahead but we are looking forward to it,” he said.

On Saturday, the two sides traded blows early on feeling their way into the game but the first break came from some nice hands to George Foster who broke the line on half way and brought play up encroaching on the five metre line.

The pack knocked on the door a few times through the Rutledge brothers and the CI discipline started to wane. From a resultant penalty a line out drive and maul crossed the line with Steven Fox taking the spoils, converted by John Maguire.

The visitors weren’t without their chances in attack and were soon camped on the Enniskillen five metre line, but for a Neil Rutledge turnover to end the campaign.

After some scrappy play from both sides in the middle of the pitch it was Skins who proved the more clinical side when some spectacular offloading in midfield through Rooney, Carleton and Lendrum to find O’Shea who used some deft footwork to break through for an excellent score, converted by Maguire.

CI kept themselves in the game shortly afterwards with a kick in to the corner from a penalty ending in a score after a nice line from a CI back.

Skins finished the first half in the ascendency, however, as Lendrum pinned the opposition into their half with the boot; following a lineout on the CI 22’, Carleton spotted a gap on the blindside and broke the line to sprint in for a score, unconverted.

An extended period of the second half featured the visitors camped on the Skins line, forcing a big defensive effort from the pack who showed excellent grit to keep them out.

Eventually a clever hit from Nick Finlay turned the ball over and ended the onslaught.

The fixture remained competitive through the rest of the quarter, Skins failed to come away with points after a long period on the CI line as the visitors remained resolute.

It was a break in the middle of the pitch from Michael Rooney who picked up a loose pass from the visitors that made it’s way through Neil Rutledge and Steven Fox to bring play up to the five metre line before finding Mark O’Shea once again who went in for his second score, converted by Maguire.

CI continued to battle to their credit and claimed a penalty shortly afterwards to kick their way deep into the Skins half and spend the next 10 minutes camped on the line before eventually coming away with a score.

Skins were to have the final say, however from after an extended period in the CI half.

Jack Rutledge made excellent yards from a scrum outside the opposition 22’ and almost went the distance himself only to be dragged down short of the line, the pass found Neil Rutledge, however, who crossed for the fifth try.

It was a solid win from Skins who looked more polished in everything they did on the day.