Club News Weekending March 16th 2008

Catch up on the news from clubs around the province

KILLORGLIN RFC
Aidan Clifford PRO

Killorglin Rugby Club Under 18 team, the West Munster League Champions, will take on their North Munster counterparts Bruff in the Munster Semi-Final on this Sunday 16th of March at 1:30pm. All eyes will be on the home club of John ‘Bull’ Hayes that day as the winners will take on either Clonakilty or Waterpark in the Munster Final. All support will be much appreciated. Killorglin RFC are also backing an addiction awareness evening which takes place this Wednesday, March 12th in the CYMS Hall from 7:30 to 9:30pm. All are welcome.

CLONMEL RFC
Majella Ryan PRO

Tullamore Get Their Due!

Tullamore 13 – Clonmel 5

"Victory belongs to the most persevering" – Napoleon Bonaparte. Clonmel persevered for much of this titanc struggle last Sunday when they visited the Midlands club for the All-Ireland Junior Cup semi-final because they had to play second fiddle to a strong, well-organised Tullamore side for good periods of this match. The pre-match lunch and warm welcome given to the Clonmel officers did not extend beyond the clubhouse and when Tullamore kicked off with the wind, Clonmel immediately knew it would be a torrid afternoon. Early pressure from the big, well-drilled home pack had Clonmel deep in their own "22" and it took good clearing kicks from Brian Lonergan to get the game back to halfway. It took Clonmel 10 minutes to make their first visit to the Tullamore half and then a terrific kick from Neville Melbourne took Clonmel into the home "22" but they then conceded the third of many penalties which didn’t help the Clonmel cause over the afternoon.

The game was now back in the Clonmel half and they found it difficult to relieve the siege because of a stuttering lineout which only served to increase the pressure. The home side were well orchestrated by their 9 and 10 axis. A nice backs move down their left pushed Clonmel back and the pressure told on 20 minutes when another penalty gave Tullamore a 3-0 lead. Clonmel now retaliated by driving into Tullamore’s "22" but again their lineout let them down and a sweeping Tullamore attack down the left had Clonmel desperately defending their line. Tullamore eventually barged over but were deemed to be held up. But the home team had possession and a period of intense pressure on Clonmel ensued. Another Tullamore penalty was kicked into the corner and the drive from the lineout finally got them in for the score on 31 minutes. 8-0 to the home side.

The Clonmel pack had to work very hard to keep the home team at bay and our spirits were lifted on 36 minutes when a great breakout by Tommy Barry brought play right into the Tullamore half. The ball was brought on by David Joyce but the move then broke down. The play then moved to halfway where it remained until half-time was whistled. The first half had seen Clonmel absorb a lot of pressure which resulted in the concession of eight penalties and the disruption at times of their lineout. But the score told us that we were still in this match. We had persevered against the odds.

As the second half developed Tullamore realised that the visitors hadn’t gone away – in fact they were much more in the game. Clonmel now strung some backs moves together which had Tullamore on the defensive and on 10 minutes a good charge by Barry had Clonmel down in the home left corner. Good work by Melbourne, Crosse and Corby now brought Clonmel almost to the line. The ball was now whisked left and Barry, who had initiated the move, finished it by crossing on 16 minutes. 8-5 to Tullamore. It was a much more equal contest now and we felt that the fitter team would persevere here. Mike Sheehan replaced Brendan Mullan on 18 minutes. Now it seemed that Clonmel were getting the upper hand and were stringing some good backs moves together. But how quickly fortunes change. A Tullamore penalty brought them deep into Clonmel territory and a sliced clearance kick by Clonmel was collected by the opposing fullback in midfield. Tullamore reacted instantly – they swung the ball right where Clonmel were light in numbers and a good run by their right winger brought him all the way to the line. Disaster! Against the run of play, Tullamore had now eased 13-5 ahead on 26 minutes. Clonmel now needed a converted try and a penalty with only 14 minutes on the clock.

John Kelly now came on for Ronan Crosse and Clonmel in desperation put moves together but Tullamore defended stoutly. The clock ticked down. On 34 minutes a kick ahead by Tullamore resulted in a race for the touchdown but fortunately Clonmel got there first. Clonmel tried bravely to beat both the opposition and the clock but it was the home team who now persevered in holding their lead. They hung on for the few vital minutes and the final whistle drew a line under Clonmel’s latest adventure. They will be the first to admit that Tullamore were the marginally better team over the course of the game but this experience will surely stand to a young team who have done us proud over the season. Their immediate task is to pick themselves up for next Sunday when we again face Crosshaven in the Munster Junior Cup at Ardgeeha. We hope to see the usual solid support that the team has enjoyed all season.

Cooke 6 – Clonmel 13
Clonmel Ladies XV are through to the final of the AIL Cup in Navan on Easter Sunday after defeating Cooke away in Belfast at the weekend.

U18s win again.
The U18s have already gone into the quarter finals of the Cup. As they had no fixture on Sunday they played Clanwilliam away in a challenge match. This was an excellent work out for both teams. Clonmel opened the scoring with a try after 12 minutes following a good run by P. Acheson the ball was passed to A. Kaar who scored in the corner. D. Hoyne was unlucky with the conversion. Clanwilliam came more into the game but strong tackling by Clonmel kept them at bay with Clan missing a penalty chance. It was a tough game with some crunching tackles. Following excellent running by the backs E. Carey was sent away to score in the corner. Clan responded with a penalty to leave the score at half time 10 to 3 for Clonmel. The second half started with Clan taking advantage of poor fielding at the kick off to put Clonmel under pressure. This resulted with Clan crossing the line but excellent tackling by Clonmel held them up. Clonmel weathered the storm and cleared their lines. Clonmel added another try before the end with E. Carey getting his second and D. Hoyne converting. Final score Clonmel 17 Clanwilliam 3. Clonmel now play Waterpark B in the cup quarter final next weekend training as usual Friday.

Under 13s
The U12 and U14 squads combined to send 14 players to participate in 3-way U13 blitz in Carrick on Suir on Sunday. While we warmed up the hosts played Waterpark, so our first game was against a very skillful and committed Waterpark side. Since they already had a match under their belts, it took our boys a while to settle and get into the game. Darragh Foley opened our account and was soon joined by Brian Condon on the score sheet before half time without reply from Waterpark. With our heads in front we pressed home the advantage in the second half with two scores from Sean O’Donoghue. Waterpark scored twice in the second half, but we finished ahead 4-2. In the second game we played the hosts and this time Adam O’Dwyer was first to score, followed again by Brian Condon. The pair repeated two further scores before half time whilst we conceded one score to Carrick. In the second half, Carrick got another score before Adam was again across the line to finish the game 5-2 to Clonmel. This was a very good all round performance from a mixed squad. David O’Callaghan threw very well to the lineout on a breezy day. Joining David in the front row were Cormac O’Donnell and Alex Sheehan. Sean Twomey and Adam O’Dwyer were in the engine room of the scrum and both took good ball in the lineouts. Darragh Foley was at No. 8 and made many great breaks off the base of the scrum. Stephen Dooley at scrumhalf linked up well with Christopher Brown at outhalf, Chris kicked well in open play to keep the opposition guessing. Sean O’Donoghue and Brian Condon are a powerful center combination, Brain’s offload in the tackle got us across the gain line in many attacks. Conor Tobin was steady at full back and Luke O’Neill, Colin Delahunty and Neil Butler were great on the wings. The U14 squad are on tour in Wales next weekend. We wish the whole party of Dads, lads and coaches a memorable experience. Hopefully, they can restore some pride in a green jersey over the patron Saint’s festival following the disappointment of Saturday in Croke Park.

Youth Fixtures:
Under 18s are at home to Waterpark B, on Sunday, in the quarter final of the Cup. Kick off 10.30 am.
Under 16s are away to Dungarvan on Sunday. The bus will leave the club at 9.30 am sharp.
Under 8s, 10s and 12s are away to Thurles on Saturday. The bus will leave the club at 10.30 am.
Don’t forget that Clonmel RFC will be represented, by our 8s, 10s and 12s, as usual, in the St Patrick’s Day Parade . They will be given further details on Saturday.

KILFEACLE RFC
Denis Wade PRO

Kilfeacle and District R.F.C. Gain Garryowen Glory.
Kilfeacle and District R.F.C. 20
Thurles R.F.C. 12
On Sunday the 9th of March Kilfeacle and District RFC welcomed Thurles R.F.C. to Morrissey Park for the Garryowen Cup final. They also welcomed the opportunity of obtaining silverware and making amends for last year’s defeat in the same final. Thurles R.F.C.’s position in the league was secured after an impressive away win in Cobh last week. This meant that both teams had showed some very impressive form coming into this final and both had very realistic chances of winning. Thurles had been threatened by relegation and needed not a performance but a result and found both last week in Cobh. They brought that same hunger and intensity to this final and gave a very impressive display. Just as hunger is a great sauce then threat of failure can be a great motivator, Kilfeacle’s season so far had been one of nearlys and almosts. Our narrow defeat to UCC in the quarter final of the Munster Junior Cup being a prime example of this.
Thurles started this game like their lives, depended on it. Within the first five minutes they were 7 points up and had declared their intent after they scored and converted a well worked try. With a strong wind at their backs and in impressive form they had the home side pinned back and soon scored another try to go 12 points to 3 ahead. At this stage of the game Kilfeacle looked shell shocked and Thurles looked menacing. Wave after wave of attack pummelled the home side’s defences and attempted relieving kicks were held up in the stiff breeze. With just twenty three minutes gone Kilfeacle found themselves struggling against the elements and a very committed opposition. Kilfeacle were lucky not to be a further 6 points behind after some more good work by the Thurles pack created the platform for two penalty attempts. However the wind made place kicking a lottery and Thurles were disappointed to see these two chances spurned. The realisation that unless we raised our game that we could be on the wrong side of a bad, bad result finally sunk in and Kilfeacle began to perform better. In the last 15 minutes of the first half Kilfeacle were very unlucky not to score a try and restricted Thurles to continuously kicking away possession to relieve the pressure. When the whistle went the halftime score read 12 points to 3 for the visitors.
Kilfeacle started the second half with the wind at their backs and within 15 minutes had scored 12 points from two well worked trys one of which was converted. Thurles were under severe pressure and defending well. With the territorial advantage having swung in Kilfeacle’s favour it looked as if it was Thurles’s plan to stop them from scoring more than 12 points and hold out for a win was not going to work. When yet another of Kilfeacle’s attacks broke down and a scrum was awarded to Thurles, five metres from their own line, after 17 minutes of the second half, no one expected Thurles to gain much territorial advantage. However this is where Thurles showed their true character and determination. When lesser teams would have buckled under the pressure, Thurles rose to the challenge. The next twenty minutes saw both sides reluctant to kick the ball or move it wide, so we saw both sides give an exhibition of rucking and mauling as the ball continuously disappeared up a succession of jumpers. Both sides made forays into the opposition’s 22 but both failed to convert them into scores. The score was now 15 points to 12 in favour of Kilfeacle and the next score was vital. The vital score came in the 79th minute and it came in the form of a pushover try and it was scored by Kilfeacle. In the weather conditions the conversion kick was next to impossible and not surprisingly, failed but nobody in Kilfeacle colours cared as it was the last kick of the game and Kilfeacle had won.
Kilfeacle would like to thank everyone from Thurles RFC who travelled on the day and wish the club the best, we know exactly how they feel at losing this final as we were in a similar position last year. However they should take heart in the form they have produced in the latter stage of the season as it augers well for the future.
Kilfeacle and District RFC’s First team’s season has ended and what a season it has been. Although it has not been our most successful year, there are definite indicators that the club is moving in the correct direction. Clubs like Kilfeacle will always be measured by the performance and success of their First team. Sixth in the league, beaten quarter-finalists in the Munster Junior Cup and Garryowen Cup winners is respectable but doesn’t tell the true story of an improving team’s efforts for the year. The league position could have been a lot higher when one considers that there were defeats against top of the table opponents in which the margin was two points or less. The Garryowen Cup Final victory was not alone wanted but needed as this squad of players deserved a tangible reward for their efforts and commitment over the whole of the season and anyone who was there will agree that the team did the club proud on the day as the have done so on so many occasions without reward. By lifting they have also lifted the expectations of the club by a performance that injected a new sense of belief in the possibilities for the upcoming season.
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 the "Boys in Blue".

Kilfeacle Under 16’s win Munster League Semi-final.
Crosshaven R.F.C. 0
Kilfeacle R.F.C. 11
Kilfeacle R.F.C. faced and defeated a formidable Crosshaven side in the semi-final of the Munster League. Kilfeacle played with the wind in the first half and all their scores came in the first half from the same player Roggie Peters, a try and two penalties. Against the wind in the second half the team showed great maturity and tenacity to keep their opposition scoreless.
Team coach Seani Hueston said he was delighted with the result and that the final would be yet another fiercely contested game against Castle Island next Sunday. However he brought it to the team’s attention that although they held Crosshaven scoreless, Castleisland are a highly fancied side and will be a different prospect and that they will be very hard to beat. He continued by saying that it had been a memorable season so far but complacency could be our down fall. Players other than the scorer that caught the eye were "Man of the Match" Diarmuid O’Donnell, Niall Barry, Keith Burke, Johnathan Doyle, Micheál Ryan and Joseph O’Connor. He wished Crosshaven all the best and thanked everyone for supporting the boys as the support is often the deciding factor during close and exciting games.

Under 8’s, 9’s and Under 10’s
Sunday last saw the late cancellation of a planned game against UL Bohs in Annacotty, Limerick due to excessive overnight rainfall. A training session was organised instead at ‘the Hill’ to give the young rugby players of Kilfeacle a chance to practice their skills.
Unexpectedly, but fortuitously as it happened, a misunderstanding in arrangements brought a bus from Galbaly carrying U8s, U9s & U10s to Kilfeacle looking for matches. Kilfeacle duly obliged and a great encounter ensued between some very good underage rugby teams.

Under 10’s
Kilfeacle and District RFC 02
Galbally RFC 04
Galbally RFC came to a windy Kilfeacle and District RFC last Sunday. This game was a free flowing game of open Rugby by two very supporting teams. Cathal Moriarty was the Captain for this week’s game. He was ably supported by Cian Ryan, Arnold O Dwyer, Caolan Hennessey, and James on the wing.

Under 9’s
Kilfeacle and District RFC 10
Galbally RFC 03
The under 9 has a great victory in a fast game of Rugby. The ball was passed through the hands at every opportunity. Each member of the team had a part to play in each try. Eoin Ryan captained the team from out half he had great help from James Dee, Connie Bradshaw, Michael O Brien and Tomas Quinn.

Under 8’s
Kilfeacle and District RFC 5
Galbally RFC 2
Galbally carried the power while Kilfeacle the pace and handling skills. The contrasting game styles made for very entertaining rugby. In the end Kilfeacle U8s emerged victorious but Galbally pushed them every inch of the way. Players deserving of a mention were Kieran and Brendan Ryan (the twins), Jake and his brother Alan Flannery, Christy Farrell & Brian Barlow, Shane and his brother Conor Farrell, Tony Byron and Alex Ryan.
As the season draws to a near close we need each player to turn up on Friday nights for training as usual. The annual upcoming Blitz is drawing near in Clonmel on Good Friday

SHANNON RFC
Andrew McNamara PRO

This week’s notes are probably the shortest of the season so far due to the lack of game time at the weekend. Our seniors AIB Cup semi final with Galwegians was postponed due to the severity of the rain fall in Galway over the last week or so. Unfortunate as it was the lads will have to readjust their schedule for the rearranged fixture on April the 5th, a week prior to the televised final in Athlone the following week.
Another weekend without a fixture sees the seniors get a rare consecutive week off.
The big game this weekend is the Munster Junior Cup quarter final when Tralee visit Coonagh on Sunday. The seconds have been in fine form in the cup so far and they have a great opportunity to advance to the semi final. Sunday’s kickoff is at 2.30
At underage the U/13’s got four seasons of weather in Coonagh on Sunday morning for their penultimate North Munster League match against Kilrush. The visitors settled very well, scoring a converted try after 30 seconds. This served to galvanise our lads, and first half tries followed from Conor Burns and Conor Glynn, the first converted by Joey Purcell. In the second half we ran in four more with two converted from substitute Greg O’Shea and one each from captain Patrick Kearns and man of the match Conor Glynn. Kilrush responded with one of their own mid way through the second half. But the lads had more than enough done to leave the final score at 38-12.
The club’s annual Golf classic take place on the 15th and 16th of May and we have tee times still available and anyone interested can contact Jack Keane at jack@cratloewood.com for further details
Castletroy College are riding on the crest of a wave at the moment and we take this opportunity to congratulate their junior side on their historic win and wish their senior team the very best on Monday
Another person we wish the best of luck to is Leanne Moore who’s in the You’re a Star semi final on Saturday evening. She’s been brilliant so far and will continue to need the votes of everyone involved with the Club. Text Star 13 to 53125

OLD CRESCENT RFC
Pat Rickard PRO

A quiet week with only one of our adult teams in action. The 3rd XV made the journey to Bruff on Sunday afternoon to play their first game in defense of their Webb Cup crown. Historically games between the sides have been close fought affairs and given the difficult conditions on the day, this was likely to be the case on this occasion. Both teams took time to settle and with few scoring chances created. Both sides missed penalty kicks and then came the turning point of the game. One of our players was sinbinned and following a number of scrums, Bruff crossed under the post for a try which they duly converted to give them a seven point lead. This was the only score in the first half.
In the second half with the conditions in our favour, one was expecting our side to use the elements to put themselves in a winning position. However, for a combination of reasons this did not happen. We narrowed the deficit to 4 points with a Brian Clancy penalty goal but could not get the scores to give us the victory. It was a most disappointed team and mentors that left the field. Hopefully the Mc Inerney Cup Final will be a different story. The only team with a fixture this weekend are the 2nds who play Thomond in a North Munster 2nds League game in Rosbrien at 3pm on Sunday.
Our next AIL fixture take place on Easter Saturday in Ballynahinch and the club is organising a coach for supporters on the day. If you are interested in travelling on the coach, please contact Dale Harrow on 086-3447197.
On the under age front the under 14’s played Bruff and Newcastle West in friendlies on Sunday and put in brave performances. The under 12s travelled to Derryknockane to play a blitz with Young Munster’s & UL Bohs and both sides did exceptional well in the difficult conditions.
Our President’s Night this year takes place on Saturday April 12th at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon. Tickets are available for any of the committee members.