Nutty Krust Tournament Final Rainey U18s v Banbridge U18s Wednesday 27 March 2024
The final of this season’s Nutty Krust Tournament was played on Wednesday 27 March when Rainey U18 played Banbridge U18 at 7.30pm. Both teams recorded bonus point victories in their two previous outings this season, so expectations were building for a very exciting final. The spectators were not disappointed!
The game was played under the floodlights at a cool, but dry, Chambers Park. A sizeable and very enthusiastic crowd had gathered to watch another entertaining Nutty Krust game, which Banbridge won by 13-5, and which featured quite a few talented players on both teams.
Included in the spectators watching the game were Paul Hart, Junior Vice-President of the Ulster Branch, IRFU and Chairman of the Ulster Youth Committee, Graffin Parke, former President of the Ulster Branch, Paul Flanigan, Rainey RFC, Sam Grattan, Banbridge RFC, Richard Kerr, Ulster Referee Development Manager, Geoff Caldwell, Senior Vice-President, Portadown RFC and Ian Wray, Chairman of Portadown RFC.
The game was well refereed by Kristoffer Curran, and his team of Matthew Shields and Chris Gregg from the USRFR. The Nutty Krust committee is grateful to the USRFR for ensuring all the games were refereed by members of the USRFR.
It was Banbridge that started the game in a positive mood and, following pressure on the Rainey line from the kick off, Banbridge opened the scoring with a penalty from Daniel Hutchinson to see his team take a 3-0 lead.
Both teams were determined to play with the ball in hand but the defences were well organised.
Sammy Cousley, Conor Conway, Nathan Overend and Charley Maxwell impressed for Rainey, with Ryan McMurray, Jake Goodbarn, Jack Toal and Darragh McCann getting through a lot of work for Banbridge.
Five minutes before the interval, Banbridge extended their lead when Daniel Hutchinson converted his second penalty kick of the game to see his team take a 6-0 lead at the break.
Eight minutes after the restart, positive play from Rainey, following a clever kick from James Cappell, saw Nathan Overend, Calum English and Patrick McCloskey, lay siege on the Banbridge line.
The Banbridge defence conceded a penalty from which the Rainey scrum half, Conor Kennedy, decided to take the “tap and go” option. Conor sniped over the whitewash to touch down for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 6-5.
For a time, it was now a case of nip and tuck from both teams with both defences holding out.
That was until the last play of the game when a Banbridge attack, launched by James Waddell, was finished off by Jack Toal, who barged his way over for a try. Daniel Hutchinson added the extras to secure the hard-fought 13-5 win for Banbridge RFC U18.
As usual with the Nutty Krust Tournament the players all received a post-match meal which was sponsored by Hewitt Meats, prepared by the staff in “Flat Dogs Gourmet Food” Restaurant, and organised by Ryan, the Flat Dogs proprietor. Ryan was assisted by his Flat Dog colleagues, including his Dad, Tom, as well as the redoubtable Syd Rowe, in serving the food. All the players, as well as their coaches, received a Nutty Krust loaf on departure.
Gary Jackson, a member of the Nutty Krust Committee presented the Nutty Krust “Player of the Match Award” to Jack Toal, the Banbridge U18 team No 8.
Graffin presented the referee, Kristoffer Curran, and his assistants, Matthew Shields and Chris Gregg, with mementoes of the occasion.
Paul Hart presented the Nutty Krust 2024 finalist medals to players from both teams and, at the end of the evening, Brian Irwin, Chairman of Irwin’s Bakery, producers of the Nutty Krust brand, presented the TC Wells Nutty Krust Trophy to Darragh McCann, captain of the victorious Banbridge U18 team.
