Club News w/e 01.02.09

Read the latest club news and reports from around the province

UL Bohemian RFC
Denis Ryan PRO

UL Bohs have had some mixed performances since Christmas, with a good first half in the losing cup game against Buccs, a good second half in the win over Dungannon, but this win over Clontarf saw the side producing almost the complete performance. The visitors to Annacotty arrived as league leaders, but the young home side never gave ground, with last season’s U-20 half backs, Aidan McNulty and Cathal Sheridan again outstanding. The forwards were rock steady in the tight, and David Foley again dominant in the lineout, well assisted by Ryan Hartigan, while the back row of James O’Neill, Paul Grennell and Tommy O’Donnell were everywhere. Tommy scored the first try, following a decisive break in midfield by Martin McPhail, when the forwards took it on and piled over the line. As so often happens, Clontarf reduced the deficit with a penalty shortly after the restart, but the margin widened when Aidan McNulty coasted through a gap for a fine try which he converted himself. Right on the break, a period of strong Clontarf pressure was finished off by winger Niall O’Brien to leave the score 12-8 in favour of UL Bohs.

From the restart, play continued to flow from end to end, before a long series of sustained Clontarf attacks were repulsed. UL Bohs then looked as if they must score, but they were penalised on the visitors’ line. A Clontarf defender ran with the ball and his attempted clearance was parried.
The ball rocketed to the left wing, where Mark Doyle collected under extreme pressure. The young winger stepped inside a couple of defenders, and getting rapidly into his stride cut through for a great individual score. The rest of the game saw Clontarf mount threatening attacks, but magnificent defence, with Coleman Finn particularly devastating, kept the line intact until the final move when scrum half Paul O’Donoghue got over for what was a valuable losing bonus point for the visitors. On Saturday, we travel to Dooradoyle to play Garryowen for what is a local derby, but also a very important game in the whole league context. It promises to be a great contest.

The U-20 game against Shannon in Coonagh was cancelled due to the ground conditions after the heavy rain. This Saturday Buccaneers travel to Annacotty for what is a vital game in the league.

The 3rd XV lost to Thomond in the Gleeson League by 14-8 in a game which was in the balance until the final seconds. Report in http://www.ulbohs.com/.

Finally, many supporters try to assist the refs by offering useful advice during the course of a game, but do not really appreciate the work the men with the whistle put in to make sure that rugby continues to be such a source of enjoyment to many. In many ways they are the unsung heroes, and frequently abused villains, of the game. However, without officials such as the dedicated man who officiated at the Gleeson league match, then immediately took up duty as linesman at the AIL game, rugby would be very much the poorer. The referees association will always welcome recruits, so we would urge members to consider it when the attraction of battle begins to wane.

KILLORGLIN RFC
Aidan Clifford PRO

Killorglin Rugby Club is hosting its annual Table Quiz on Thursday 5th February. More details to follow in coming weeks.
Senior Team Training continues every Tuesday & Friday at the Intermediate School at 7:00pm. New players are most welcome and our coaches are happy to introduce novice players to the game. Killorglin RFC Underage training continues. Under-age training continues every Saturday at the Intermediate School. It is not too late to join us as coaches will be happy to coach novices to the game. All are welcome. Under 10, 12, & 13 & 14 teams will train on the Dragon’s Den All weather pitch at the Intermediate School at 11am. The Under 16 & 18 teams will train at 1pm. For information on any age grade issues, contact Youth Officer John Costello on 0863558185 or P.R.O Aidan Clifford on 0879065927.
Membership for Killorglin Rugby Club is still open for the 2008-2009 season. Family membership costs €50, a single membership costs €30, while a juvenile membership costs €10. The above numbers can be contacted also for more information.
There is also a couple of places left on the Killorglin Rugby Club tour to Edinburgh on the weekend of March 13th, 14th, 15th to see Ireland take on Scotland in the Six Nations Championship. It is an ideal opportunity for a genuine rugby fan. Contact PRO Aidan Clifford on the above number for more information.

KILFEACLE & DISTRICT RFC
Denis Wade PRO

Kilfeacle’s scheduled league game against Newport RFC was postponed at the last minute because of bad weather and an unplayable surface, with both teams ready to play. Credit must be given to Johnny Looby and the ground staff for all their efforts but when you are battling against Mother Nature there can be only one winner.

Seconds brave the conditions for Quarterfinal clash with Cashel.
Kilfeacle and District R.F.C. 6 Cashel R.F.C. 3

On Sunday 25th of January, Kilfeacle and District R.F.C.’s seconds welcomed Cashel to Morrissey Park for the quarter final of the Gleeson Memorial Cup and the honour of playing Clonmel in the semi-final at a date not yet decided. The inclement conditions made it a dour affair but to their credit both sides approached the game in a good frame of mind and displayed plenty of endeavour. Kilfeacle won the toss and elected to play against the wind for the first half. Cashel started with the win and rain at their back and the target was to build up a sizable lead as against the wind in the second half would be a very difficult and exhausting task. The vast majority of the first half was played in the home sides 22, only once did Kilfeacle break into the Cashel 22. But for all their possession and territorial advantage the visitors found it very difficult to build up good phases of play and their endeavours were plagued with handling errors partially induced by the playing conditions. With 16 minutes played and the game scoreless a penalty was awarded to the home side just outside the opponents 22. The subsequent kick was converted well, in treacherous conditions, and Cashel lead by 3 points to 0. Kilfeacle’s defence was admirable and they kept forcing errors from the Cashel team, who, as the half wore on became more and more anxious to score. The last few minutes of the half were played in the home side’s 22 but blighted with handling errors there were no further scores.
The half time break was short and neither side complained, as the conditions were not conducive to standing around. In that brief time both coaches communicated their message to their charges and could be heard doing so over the noise of the storm that was blowing. Home side started the second half well and used the wind to their advantage however they were now having the same difficulties, as their opponents were in the first half. Handling errors, lost footing, misplaced passes and loose ball seem to be the menu for the day. After 10 minutes the Cashel team started to come to grips with defending in the conditions and started to build good phase play but every time the made it out of their own half any error or misplaced kick saw the ball return over their heads to relinquish any ground gained. On one occasion the Kilfeacle side had 11 phases of play ending with an unlucky knock on just 9 yards from the opponents try line. It seemed that no matter what Kilfeacle threw at Cashel that they were the match for it. Cashel were happy to defend their lead and it was obvious to all present that it was going to be a low scoring game and one score could win or lose it. In the 20th minute of the second half came the moment that changed everything an excellently taking drop goal by James Morrissey, Kilfeacle’s out half saw the score’s level. Now Cashel could no longer hold out for a win and Kilfeacle’s pressure was starting to tell. With only 8 minutes left on the clock the Cashel defence, which had been so miserly up to this gave James Morrissey his one and only kickable attempt at goal. Which he converted with aplomb to the delight of the hardy home support. Cashel to their credit put in an almighty effort in the remaining minutes but their opponents, the weather and the time were all against them and the target was just a bridge too far. Finally the referee sounded the full time whistle to the dismay of Cashel and the joy of the home side.
After the game Pat Hueston, second team coach said, "It took us too long to come to grips with the conditions but in the second half we showed that we could play and were very unlucky not to score more. We had the capability and the desire to win and a very resolute Cashel defence held us out when many more couldn’t and they deserve praise for that. To Cashel’s credit they were unlucky not to be further ahead at half time and if they had converted some of those first half chances it would have been a different game. I am delighted for the squad as it was a squad effort and special mention must go to Denis Kenneally and David Donovan for the coaching they have done with this group of players, it has brought the standard of play up several notches. I believe that full commitment from everyone on Friday nights is essential, especially now when we have the realistic chance of silverware! Both sets of players and supporters deserve praise just for being here in these conditions."
Players that impressed for Kilfeacle on the day were hooker Alan Kiely, back row Tom Breen, no. 8 Shane Casey, Padraig and Shane Morrissey, Anthony Bowes, Aidan Noonan and Thomas Costello. Kilfeacle were happy with the team performance and would like to thank Cashel for organising the game, which was played in the correct spirit despite the weather conditions. Our next game is a friendly away to Thurles on Sunday the 2nd at 12.30pm. and everyone is expected to be available to travel. The team as ever are proud and humbled by the amount of support they receive and hope that their supporters will continue to come along and support them on the day.

BRUFF RFC
Richard Leonard PRO

1st XV AIL : Down to the wire in Kilballyowen.
Bruff 11 Old Crescent 9.

What can you say about this? If you missed it you missed a cracking tight encounter. A last minute penalty from the touchline by David Maw giving Bruff the four league points on offer, Old Crescent having to settle for the Losing Bonus. The Limerick Derbies in Division two this year promised to be very close encounters but so far Bruff have managed to scrape through in each case. There was as much excitement on the sideline as on the pitch by all accounts. It just goes to show how tense things are in division two this season. The first half saw Bruff going into the break 9 points to five down, the only try of the game coming from Bruff centre John Carroll three meters in from the touchline after a sustained period of Bruff pressure who played the first half towards the clubhouse and against the diagonal breeze.
Second half saw Brian Cahill putting one penalty over and Bruff spent long periods inside the Crescent 22 with only the occasional breakout lifting the siege and in the final play of the game, the dominant Bruff Pack pushed Old Crescent off their own scrum to win a penalty five meters in from the left between the 22 and the 10 meter line which Dave Maw slotted after coming on with twelve minutes to go to give Bruff the win. Anyway Bruff head back into second place in the league table albeit with some teams with games in hand to play. Looks well though for our first season in Div. 2. With UCC playing Bective this coming weekend we should see a shakeup in the top four or five teams in the division.

Scores: Old Crescent: 3 Pens. Bruff: J. Carroll Try, B. Cahill Pen. D. Maw Pen.
Bruff: D. Horan, C. O’ Regan, S. Foster, A. Laffan, A. Bourke, J. Shine, M.
Carroll, P. Malone, E. Maher, B. Cahill, P. O’ Brien, J. Carroll, J. Malone, J. Moore, B. Deady, Subs: M. O’ Donnell, G. Ryan, D. Murnane, G. Leonard, D. Maw.

J1 XV: Game deferred.

McInerny Cup Win for J2’s
The J2’s got their McInerny cup campaign off to a winning start with a hard earned 21pt to 20pt victory over Old Crescent in Rosbrien on Saturday afternoon. Ritchie McAuliffe playing at full back scored all of Bruff’s 21 points chipping in with 2 tries and the rest from placed balls. Bruff led
13-3 at the break and soon after the interval went ahead 21-6. But Crescent were not going to lie down and fought back with 2 second half tries.
Crescent had a kick to win the game with 3 minutes remaining but thankfully for Bruff Brian Clancy’s effort drifted wide of the left hand post.

Teams:
Bruff 1. S O Shea 2 T Quirke 3 J Dunworth 4 P Fogarty 5 J Power 6 D Power 7 M Hennessy 8 B Croften 9 N McCarthy 10 D Clarke 11 M Fitzgerald 12 P Cleary
13 P Twoomey 14 J Guiney 15 R McAuliffe 16 S Sheahan 17 J McCarthy 18 B McMahon 19 A Godfrey 20 E O Shea 21 B Begley 22 D Barron Old Crescent 1 B Quinn 2 L Browne 3 G Reynolds 4 S Burke 5 P O Connor 6 K O Brien 7 O Power 8 K Burke 9 B Hogan 10 B Clancy 11 M Callinan 12 S Conway 13 R O Rourke 14 D Caulfield 15 K McEvoy 16 A Geoghagan 17 S O Neill 18 T Pratt 19 J O Connor 20 M Kelly 21 L Dillon 22 S Borthwick

Fixtures this coming weekend:
Sat 31st:
1st XV: AIL Wanderers V Bruff, Merrion Rd., 2:30pm
U20: AIL Young Munster V Bruff, 1:00
Sun 1st Feb:
J1 XV, Bruff V Young Munster, 1:00pm
U12L Bruff V Shannon, 11:30am
U14L Bruff V Shannon, 11:30
U16L Young Munster V Bruff, 11:30
U18F. Ennis V Bruff TBC.

This week the tickets are available from all the players and committee members for the Injured Players fund Draw. With first and second prizes of pairs of tickets for the Ireland V England game in Croke Park, these should sell very well and of course they are for a very good cause. Please support this very worthy draw if you can.
Supporters bus to the Game in Dublin next week is going ahead, contact Lil Cahill if you wish to travel.
We would also like to wish our new referee Grant Sillett the very best at the start of his career in refereeing.

Finally again the Executive Committee meeting takes place on Monday evening next at 8:00 pm.

Nenagh Ormond RFC

Senior XV
Nenagh Ormond 12 – Barnhall 6
The old cliché says "a win is a win. Everybody will be happy about the collection of 4 points in last weekend’s game, but Nenagh have a significant way to go to put relegation matters out of their way, and last Saturday’s performance, while excellent in defence, will be a concern in respect of the teams scoring rate.
John Lillis kicked four penalties and Barnhall replied with two of their own. Barnhall were always the more likely team to score a try and only for the heroic defence from Nenagh in the second half, Nenagh would have been beaten. Indeed in the second half Nenagh showed a lot of grit and determination and fantastic heart. The wind was particularly strong during this period and Nenagh were defending a six point lead. Even for the most ardent supporter it never looked like 6 points was going to be good enough, but thanks to a dogged and determined Nenagh defence and in particular the forwards, the energy of Brian Williams and Keith Quigley, guided by the vastly experienced Robbie Powell, Nenagh gained the day.
The first half saw Nenagh start brightly but after an initial 15 minutes spell, they struggled to retain possession, Barnhall had good wingers and a full back and after early punts were returned pretty well, Nenagh decided to revert to a running game even though the elements were behind them. This led to further difficulties and indeed the 9/3 score line at half time flattered Nenagh somewhat. Nenagh had possession for long periods but could not make inroads into Barnhall territory. That said, the second half performance went a long way to making up for that, however, try creating opportunities were appearing few and far between, and Nenagh face another 6 pointer against Rainey Old Boys, who are just one point ahead of them on the table. This game takes place in the North on Saturday next. Nenagh will need to build on the confidence and determination shown in the second half display, but will have to use the ball better when in possession. All in all there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Team: M Kennedy (Cpt), C Girffin, F. Brislane, P Rowell, K Quigley, B Williams, C. McMahon, M. Vul Vula, E Gardiner, J. Lillis, D. Delaney, G. Harmse, V. Tuidragi, R O’Brien, J Kingston.
Subs: E. Ryan, L. Fogarty, C. Whelan, B. Mawell
Seconds
The Seconds were supposed to have a league game against Sundays Well last weekend but this was called off.
This weekend Thomond will visit Nenagh in a league fixture. This game is on Sunday at 2.30.
The following week, Sunday 8th February our Senior Seconds will be back in Junior Cup action. The lads are having a great run in the Junior Cup this year and have made it through to the 4th Round, they play Midleton in Nenagh at 2pm. Junior Cup is always a special occasion in Nenagh so make sure to get out to support the lads for this one.

Ladies
Nenagh Ladies top in Munster League
Youghal 5 – Nenagh Ormond 24
Nenagh ladies travelled to Youghal last Sunday for their last pool game of the league. They faced a Youghal team who were top of the table and Nenagh needed to secure the win to guarantee making the All Ireland League Division 2 play-offs.
Against a strong wind in the first half the Nenagh pack dominated possession. Excellent ball carrying in tight from captain Louise Roberts and Paula Ryan and strong rucking from the entire team kept Nenagh on the front foot for most of the half. However Youghal kicked their way into Nenagh territory with the wind. When Nenagh conceded a penalty inside their 22, Youghal ran the ball wide both left and right and after a few phases their winger scored out wide beating the Nenagh defence for pace. The try wasn’t converted.
Indiscipline from Youghal gave Nenagh their first scoring chance and out-half Genevieve Rowland kicked the 3 points leaving the half time score at 5-3. With the weather and pitch conditions’ getting worse and worse, the game was moved onto another pitch for the second half. Nenagh dominated territory and possession and were unlucky not to convert several try scoring chances when close to the line.
With twenty minutes to go and the score still at 5-3, the game was abandoned for 10 minutes due to a very heavy hail shower. The break in play seemed to strengthen Nenagh’s determination and they scored almost straight away from the restart. A quickly taken penalty inside Youghals 22 caught out the defence and Louise Roberts crashed over for a try which Genevieve Rowland did well to convert in the poor conditions.
Youghal struggled to get out of their half against the wind and good pressure from Nenagh forced several turn overs. From a scrum in the Youghal 22 the packed worked the ball up close to the line sucking in the Youghal defenders. When it went wide to the backs, excellent handling put winger Denise Williams over for her first and well deserved try for the ladies team. Nenagh finished the game strongly with a try from Sandra Williams. After the defence was again pulled in tight, the backline showed excellent handling skills in the poor conditions. Williams fended off several tacklers to touch down and the try was converted to finish with a score of 5-24.
With an excellent performance overall, Nenagh were clearly the stronger team and finish top of the Munster pool in the All-Ireland league. Outhalf Genevieve Rowland kicked all three conversions along with a penalty. Sarah Walsh was solid at full back and captain Louise Roberts led the pack with a player of the match performance. Huge thanks to the club members who sponsored the bus for the day.
The team was Sarah Walsh, Anne O’Reilly, Kyla Maxwell, Sandra Williams, Denise Williams, Genevieve Rowland, Jennifer Carter, Bob Ryan, Louise Roberts (Captain), Orlagh Shanahan, Aisling O’Neill, Paula Ryan, June Whelan, Eithne Darcy, Maeve Darcy. Subs; Gillian Wallace, Cheryl Bentley and Mary Tuidraki. The girls have a well deserved break next week before starting the All Ireland Cup in February. New players and beginners are always welcome to come along. Training is every Wednesday and Friday night in Lisatunny at 7:30pm. Contact Louise on 087 2201596.
Under 20s
The Under 20s game which was scheduled to take place on Saturday last away to Richmond was called off on Saturday morning due to the weather conditions. This week they have a league fixture away to Cashel, this match is on Saturday at 2.30pm. Both Cashel and Nenagh are unbeaten in the league so far so this promises to be a good one, all support welcome.

Underage Ormonds

UNDER 18’s:

Nenagh Ormond 21 Cashel 12

Nenaghs U-18 League campaign continued with a good win at home to Cashel on Sunday, on a scoreline of 21 points to 12 in favour of the home team.

After the atrocious weather of the previous couple of days, the game was played in almost perfect conditions with no wind to speak of and good ground under foot. Nenagh started well, with the pack exerting early pressure at ruck and lineout, and the backs attacking at every opportunity. Scrum half Fergal Hayes was particularly to the fore in the early stages of the game, linking play between backs and forwards very well, with his sniping runs keeping the Cashel defense on their guard at all times. This pressure game saw Nenagh take an early lead through a well taken try from David Cleary after good work from captain for the day Rory Whelan. The conversion was duly slotted over by outhalf Dean Wallace, who finished the day with a 100% kicking record.

Te remainder of the half saw some great 15 man rugby from the home team, with seamless passing and offloading between forwards and backs, which kept Cashel on the back foot for much of the half. This fine play was rewarded with another try from Cleary before the break. But Cashel were not done, and after some slow reactions from Nenagh at the breakdown, they crafted a try of their own just before the half time break, to leave the scores at 14 points to 7. Nenagh appeared in determined mood for the re-start, knowing that any slips up’s could be costly for their league ambitions, and began to exert some strong pressure to keep Cashel camped in their 22 for much of the first 20 minutes of the half. Nenagh stretched their lead again through David Cleary who got his hat trick of tries, after some strong running from centres John O’Dowd and Kevin Walsh set him free to score. The home team were now in rampant form and were only denied a fourth try, from the impressive Michael Long, when the ball spilled just short of the Cashel line.

Nenagh made some changes as the game entered its final couple of minutes, which seemed to lead to a drop in concentration levels, as Cashel sneaked over for an unconverted try. However, the home team regained their composure to close out the game and seal another impressive victory over one of their great rivals. Impressing on the day for Nenagh were Rory Whelan, Damien Cahalan, David Cleary, Keith Purcell and Andrew Kelly in the pack, while in the backs Fergal Hayes, Kevin Walsh, Sean Hayes and Michael Long continue to impress.

The team away to Clanwilliam RFC on Sunday 1st of February at 11am, and training continues as normal in Tyone each Friday night at 7.30., and the management would ask for a full turnout as we reach the final stages of the league campaign.

UNDER 16’s:
Nenagh Ormond 10 Cashel 7

Nenagh Ormond U16 team won a hard fought league encounter with Cashel on Sunday at Lisatunny.
Played in heavy conditions the visitors were first on the score sheet with a well worked try which was duly converted.
Nenagh responded well and we rewarded when the forwards forced their way over after a long period of pressure in the Cashel 22.
The majority of the second period was played in Cashel territory as Nenagh used the elements to their advantage. The winning score came midway through the half when Dexter Cottam got over in the corner after some good continuity from the backline. Nenagh controlled the final quarter of the match and were good value for the win.

UNDER 14’s:
Nenagh Ormond 20 Dungarvan 5
Dungarvan were the visitors in the first round of the Cup on Sunday last. They had already beaten Nenagh in the League, so the lads knew they were in for a challenge and responded accordingly. Nenagh started well and good ball retention on the Dungarvan line yielded an early try for the home side. Ten minutes later, a kick ahead resulted in a second try for Nenagh. On the stroke of half time, a good miss pass move resulted in a good score for the away side, bringing them back into the game.
The second half saw Nenagh up the pace and they totally dominated Dungarvan, scoring two more team tries.
This game was a much better performance for Nenagh and showed what the team can do when playing well.
Many thanks to the parents/grandparents who came out on a miserable day to support the lads. Your support is always appreciated. Next Sunday see us away – opponents and times to be confirmed in training.

UNDER 13’s:
The u/13 semi final of the league is fixed for Friday 30th under lights in Clonmel. Dungarvan are the opponents. Having already beaten Cashel and Kilfeacle, a third win will give a great chance for some silverware this season.
As always parents are asked for their support at matches, but in particular in relation to providing their own children with lifts to and from away matchs as trainers do only have limited car facilities and always require support in this area.

Training continues on Wednesdays & Fridays for both u13 and 14 at 7pm in Tyrone.

KINSALE RFC
Maria O’Mahony PRO

Weekend 24/25 January
* 1st & 2nd team fixtures were postponed due to the inclement weather conditions
* U14’s played Bandon at home and were defeated 19 -7.

All matches to take place on Sunday
Weekend 31/1 & 1/2
* 2nd XV J3 League Kinsale V Ballincollig 12.00 hrs.
* 1st XV J1 League Kinsale V Mallow 14.30 hrs.
* No official details on rearranged deferred League fixtures for J1 or J3 (weather!).
* Both Fixtures at home … there’s also a U-12 fixture Kinsale V Cork Con for Sunday also at 10.30 hrs.
* No confirmation on next fixtures for Kinsale Ladies (but may have entered IRFU National Cup )

SHANNON RFC
Andrew McNamara PRO

Game time was at a premium last weekend as the weather continues to cause problems with the pitches. Our U/20’s and seconds were forced to postpone their games, but some forward planning by Galwegians ensured our AIB league game went ahead. A change of venue to the unfamiliar surrounds of NUIG’s sports grounds in Galway didn’t seem to have caused any ill effects for our lads as we recorded our fifth win of the league campaign. It was a somewhat mixed bag with regards performance varying from excellent to average , however the positive points far outweigh the negatives. Without stating the obvious it was great to come away from Galway with a win over a side that have always given us difficulties, especially when playing at home. Added to the fact that their squad contains a significant number of contracted players, than a win against Galwegians is fine achievement. Our opening 25 minutes was possibly our best period of rugby of the season. Pace and power were the key to our early dominance and although our 11 point yield should, perhaps have been more significant there was little indication that the home side would go onto give us a scare or two in the subsequent 30 minutes. Penalties concede in kickable positions was the main downfall in the second half and while ‘Wegians never really threatened our line we were facing a 12-11 deficit as their reliable kicker lined up for his 4th successive shot at goal . Had he landed that effort, well it would be fair to say we would have had an uphill struggle given the momentum garnered by Galwegians. But panic never set in and slowly a reassertion of our early confident play reappeared. Fiach O’Loughlin was in cracking form and certainly played a captain role and it was his intervention on no less than four occasions that lead to Mike Essex’s first try for Shannon in the 65th minute. There certainly a sense of relief, but such was Galwegian’s desire to gain something form the game, their pace never relented and although they pushed hard they failed to unlock our defence. Several players looked very sharp including Marcus O’Driscoll on the wing and before he was carried off injured, Joe Manuel tackled ferociously in midfield.
Given the disruption to the season schedule with the postponement of the Cork Con game, this win was very welcome and despite being edged out of the top four, just, our destiny is still very much in our own hands. Saturday sees Dungannon travel to Coonagh for the next instalment of the AIB league for a 2.30 start. A reminder to all that the supporters coach to Cork Con next week is travelling and leaves Thomond Park at 11am.

The thirds are in action in Rosbrien against Old Crescent in the Gleeson league playoff on Saturday at 12pm while the U/20’s are scheduled to travel to play Highfield in the AIL for a 2.30 start. On Sunday the Seconds take the same road for a league game again against Highfield.

The condition of our pitches in Coonagh mean that the underage have decamped to Villiers for training on Sunday mornings which is well able to cope with the volume of players we have. Fixtures for this weekend are as follows. Saturday, U/11 Blitz in Annacotty at 11am.

Sunday the U/10’s Blacks host a blitz while the Blues are in Derryknockane. The U/13’s and U/14’s are in Bruff at 11.30 while in Coonagh the U/16’s play Richmond at 11am. As with all training and fixtures it is advisable to check with the coaches prior to Sunday.

GARRYOWEN FC
Christopher Barry PRO

Now that we are beginning to see a stretch in the evenings, the weather may finally settle down a bit to we can get all our teams back out playing. Only the AIL Div 1 and U20 games went ahead last Saturday with our seniors getting the better of Terenure College 22-15 in Lakelands Park and our U20’s failing narrowly 16-11 to Buccaneers. Table position didn’t seem to count for much in Dublin and we struggled at times to achieve supremacy on a glue-like pitch. Conor Gildea gave the home team a tonic start after 5 minutes with a well struck penalty but Kieran Lewis showed great vision to out-fox the defence in the 25th minute and Conor Kilroy added the extras. Terenure regained the lead with a well worked try from John Bollard in the 30th minute (Gildea converted) but the boot of Kilroy had restored parity with a penalty approaching the interval. 10-10 was a fair reflection after a stop start opening period. Conor Murray’s introduction for the second half enabled our pack to play the game a bit more on the front foot. He may still be a teenager but he produced an array of scrum-half skills that had their defence under all sorts of pressure. At times we appeared to have too many numbers for the following phase and inevitably ELV’s will dictate a defence ball. Our only reward was a Kilroy penalty in the 55th but with the score standing at 13-10, the game was soon turned on it’s head. A long drop out in the 60th minute was misjudged inside our 22 and after a series of drives close to our line, John Dever got the touchdown. The missed conversion proved rather costly as Kilroy edged us 16-15 in front again from the restart. We may have lived dangerously for a while but out half Willie Staunton popped over a sweet drop goal and Kilroy pinged another penalty to steer the ship (22-15) to safety. There were some outstanding performances in a team that has yet to find top form. Neville Melbourne and Conor Hartigan got through an unbelievable amount of work that must have been truly draining on an unforgiving surface. The aforementioned Murray and Kilroy also brought their A game to the party but in truth the four points were well and truly hard earned. We play UL Bohemian on Saturday in Dooradoyle at 2.30 (Referee Peter Fitzgibbon). With both sides tied on 24pts the game should attract a bigger than normal attendance.

Our next AIL U20 game v Galwegians is on hold because of unplayable pitch so the boys will have to wait to see if they are to improve on their 3rd position in the table. Last Saturday they came up just a bit short against 2nd in the table Buccaneers in Dooradoyle. Ciaran O’Coileain scored an excellent try and Andrew Burke kicked two penalties but it was the Westerners who prevailed in the end 16-11. Without a game for three weeks, our 3rdXV will be hoping to beat Thomond in the Gleeson League play-off in Fitzgerald Park on Saturday at 2.30. There is also a play off in the Munster Seconds League v UL Bohemians on Sunday in Dooradoyle at 2.30. There won’t be much between these two fine sides at the finish. Under age has become a bit log jammed but Paul Adams and Co are hoping the pitches get the green light on Sunday.

The U18’s play Kilrush in NML in Dooradoyle and the U15’s also have home advantage in a friendly v Ennis. Both games kick off at 11.30. The U13’s travel to Newcastlewest for an 11.30 NML game, while the U10’s compete in a Blitz in the Showgrounds in Ennis at 10.30.