Navan beat Argentinians in unique Balreask Old contest
International rugby came to Navan this evening when the local club hosted players from the Belgrano Athletic Club in an u-18 exhibition game at Balreask Old.
The unique game was part of a short trip the Balgrano club are making to Ireland. The club, which is based in Buenos Aires, has a long tradition of travelling to Ireland for games but on this occasion they only played one game against Navan. Tomorrow they travel to Scotland.
The contest finished 10-7 in favour of the home side and it was certainly a tough, uncompromising encounter with two of the Belgrano players sent to the sinbin.
The visitors dominated the opening exchanges and deservedly went ahead with a try scored by Feli Delavanal which was converted by Fede Gago. The Argentinians dominated the opening half and it took some tenacious tackling from the Navan side to prevent the visitors from going in for another try or two.
The second-half was a different affair with Navan asserting themselves in the set-pieces particularly the scrum and they were rewarded for a spell of sustained pressure when they moved the ball through the phases when Shane Heffernan went over for a try under a pile of bodies.
The conversion was narrowly missed by Ruairi Searle who also went close with a penalty kick from 30 metres. It looked like the Argentinians would hold out despite having to absorb immense pressure but in the dying seconds of the contest Liam Carroll got a touchdown in the corner. The conversion was again missed but it didn't matter as the home side celebrated their victory.
Afterwards Navan RFC hosted a dinner and club president Gerry Williamson presented a plaque to officials from Belgrano to mark the occasion.
Navan - Sean Walsh, Tim McKeever, Colum Flynn, Matthew Reilly, Ruairi Searle, Jack Dixon, Jack Lynch, Callum Dalgarno, Phillip Cullivan, Niall Finnegan, Dylan O'Dowd, Dan O'Connell, Ciaran O'Reilly, Conor Wall. Replacements - Jack McGee, Paddy Kiernan, Shane Heffernan, Lorcan Ivers, Liam Carroll.