1916-17 JCT Campaign

GREAT things were expected of the Juniors of I916-17. Some of last year's team were available, and with two or three new arrivals promising well, the Junior prophets vouchsafed the remark that " we had a fairly- good chance of the Cup."

Football was started in the last week of September with great vigour. A healthy keenness and an eager desire to secure a place on the XV. were soon perceptible. It was apparent that the fight for places, especially amongst the forwards, would be a tough one. We were unfortunate in being disappointed on two occasions in our outmatches, which would have been a great help to us in the way of training and experience.

Our first match was with St. Andrews on November 4th. Early in the game it was apparent that Castleknock would have an easy task. We were the first to get going; the forwards, doing excellent work, brought the ball down to the Andrews' line, where McDonnell getting possession dived over for an easy try. Scores came in quick succession, K. McDonnell, Simcox, P. Kenned\- and T. Ryan all crossing the line, the score at the interval being 15 points to nil in our favour. On resuming Castleknock again attacked, and play was confined nearly the whole time to Andrews' 25, and on no occasion were the Andrews' boys really dangerous, though they played with great courage and pluck in spite of the big margin against them. When the final whistle came the score was—Castleknock, 38 points; St. Andrews, nil.

The backs were our weak spot, being wanting in dash and making very little use of the opportunities offered. It was evident they required much practice in handling the ball. The forwards played a fine game, and with a little extra training would be a tip-top pack. I must not conclude without passing a word of criticism on the attempts at goal-kicking. Out of twelve tries, but one was converted. It speaks for itself.

This was the only match we had before Christmas. Our fixture with C.U. School on December 3rd fell through owing to the inability of our opponents to raise a team at the last moment. With the long spell of snow and severe frost in the last weeks of January football was out of the question. Our return match with St. Andrews had to be cancelled owing to the state of the ground. We got a bye in the first round of the Cup, and were drawn against St. Columba's in the second round. This match was arranged to be played at Rathfarnham on March 10th, but had to be postponed twice, as the ground was under water. Eventually it was played at Lansdowne Road.

Castleknock were the first to press, a good kick of McDonnell's getting touch near St. Columba's 25. From the lineout McDonnell, getting possession, used his weight to good advantage, and forced his way through for a try. Soon after he got a second. A good passing movement of the three-quarters ended by O'Byrne getting a tricky score. At half-time Castleknock had four scores to their credit. On resuming after the interval the Castleknock boys played with great dash and vigour, and kept play in their opponents' territory. On a couple of occasions Columba's backs got going, and a score seemed certain when S. Fitzgerald raced across the field and tackled the Columba's centre three-quarter in magnificent style, preventing a certain score. Before the final whistle sounded Castleknock had 36 points to their credit, P. Kennedy, F. Kennedy, T. Ryan, C. Hanrahan, and A. Cowan each having scored a try. A noticeable improvement in the team was the unanimous verdict after this game. The forwards played splendidly, and it was to their loose rushes and good foot-work that we may attribute the high score.

By our victory over St. Columba's we qualified to meet Blackrock in the semifinal at Lansdowne Road on St. Patrick's Day.

The game was an exceedingly keen one all through, Blackrock pulling through by the narrow margin of three points to nil, after extra time had been played. The match opened at a great pace, and was confined to the forwards throughout the first half. At no time in this period did a score seem likely, and the play was quite even. A few passing movements were tried, but the tackling was deadly, and half-time arrived with no score. Early in the second half Castleknock pressed, and good passing by Cowan and O'Byrne left play at the Rock 25. The Rock forwards, headed by McKill and Brosnan, brought the ball to the Castleknock line, but were sent back by a fine kick of Russell's. The game was altogether a forward one, neither set backs getting a look-in, and in a fine loose rush Castleknock had hard lines in not scoring. There was no score at full time, and two extra periods of ten minutes were played, Blackrock pressed, and from a scrum near the line Malone scored a try, which was not converted.

Blackrock thus won a hard-fought game, in which superb tackling was the prominent feature. Russell played a tip-top game at full, his fielding and kicking being faultless, Horan was the pick of a mediocre three-quarter line, while O'Byrne played a useful game at stand-off. The forwards gave an excellent exhibition, and if I might be allowed to discriminate, McDonnell, E. Jones and Carew were the best.

Though defeated, the Junior XV. of 1916-17 deserves hearty congratulation, and with a little luck might have turned tables in the semi-final.

MICHAEL O'BYRNE.

THE JUNIOR LEAGUE.

THIS year, owing to the short period between the semi-finals of the Junior Cup in which our Junior XV. was defeated, and the breaking up for the Easter vacation, only one round of the Football the League was played. As is always the case, the whole house took a keen interest from in the matches, and there was much discussion as to which team was likely to win —the Caledonians and New Zealanders being the favourites. In the course of the League it became evident that the Caledonians had the best team, and they won the League easily, beating all the others, mainly through the efforts of Tom Fitzgerald, a " dark New horse," who showed great pace, and would be a very good three-quarter if he had more knowledge of the game. Frank Fitzgerald, the other Caledonian wing, not also showed pace, but, like his namesake, had not much knowledge of the game. F. Kennedy, Jones and Sweetman were the pick of the Caledonian forwards, while Russell at full did well the little he got to do. On the other teams the best forwards were P. Kennedy and Schofield, while Cullen was good in the loose on the Hibernians; McDonnell and Simcox on the New Zealanders; and Jones, Carew and O'Halloran on the Australians. The pick of faultless, the backs were Ryan at scrum half, and Cowan at wing three-quarter for the Australians; O'Byrne at out-half and Carew at full on the New Zealanders, and Eddie Fitzgerald at scrum-half and Horan at centre three-quarter for the Hibernians.

The quality of the football displayed during the matches was not of a very high order. Although there were some very good players on all the teams, the majority apparently had only a very elementary knowledge of the game. The off-side rule was an insuperable obstacle to most, and several players did not know that in Rugby football it is not permissible to throw the ball forward. The general tendency in nearly all the matches was for all the players to become forwards during the greater part of the time, and accordingly when anyone managed to get away from the general melee the effort generally resulted in a try.