Manx Cup Underway

A loss to Douglas in the Manx Cup at Ballafletcher was perhaps not unexpected given the gulf in respective national league positions.

However, Vagabonds were disappointed not to have got closer than the final margin having earned a recent boost from the league win against Colne & Nelson.

Local derbies are always keenly anticipated where the underdog tag can inspire, and with Douglas selection rewarding players on the fringe of first team action through the season, and several who wound down in recent years, the odds certainly weren’t overwhelming. 

Manx Cup

The first 10 minutes against Douglas on a dry and dusty pitch were a tussle, especially up front, until Douglas second-row Craig McGee picked a choice line through midfield and simply outpaced the cover to score under the posts.

Nathan Robson converted, and added a penalty, but Vagabonds were on par with Douglas in the tight, squeezing out a couple of penalties of their own at the scrum as Vagabonds front-row man Jo Louw piled on the pressure.

Douglas re-asserted control with strong runs from Richard Bell and Conor Garland, and Ollie Howard jinked in for two tries, Craig Martin showed blistering pace to outgun the defence, Robson cruised over and Aaron Mason barrelled in for try number six.

Penalty Try

Once Robson added a penalty and three conversions, one a touchline howitzer, the Vagabonds penalty try meant by half-time Douglas were out of sight at 7-41.

The second forty continued in much the same vein, even with Vagabonds man of the match George Hotchkiss doing his utmost to put a spoke in the runaway Douglas wagon.

Robson went over for his second, skipper Brendan Kelly at scrum-half darted in, and flanker Harry Cartwright careered 70-metres up the right wing to rub salt in the open wound.

Injuries caused Vagabonds to empty the bench and coach Franzy Germishuys joined the fray, only to see scuffed Vagabonds kick-offs give up midfield positions which Kyle Martin and Cal Dentith ran in for tries ten and eleven.

McGee book-ended his contribution with the final try, and Douglas man of the match Robson piled up thirty-one points including nine conversions.

A third man of the match award could have gone to the excellent young referee Joe Quinn, mentored by senior IoM referee Joe Phelan, barely noticed by spectators beside the pitch and with calm authority on it.

Ramsey Next

Manx Cup duties continue, and this evening Douglas welcome the men from the north to Port-e-Chee.

Ramsey may not have league rugby on the current menu, but they were at Chester rugby club last Saturday to contest the final of the Cheshire Vase against New Brighton.

After taking an early lead and being competitive for 80 minutes, Ramsey ultimately subsided to a 74-22 loss, but the experience will stand them in good stead.

Douglas won’t take them lightly, and coach Phil Cringle has plenty of options up his sleeve in terms of selection.