Club Notes

This week’s club notes come from Richard RFC and Newcastle West RFC.

Richmond RFC, courtesy of Natalie McNamara.

Thank you to everyone that came down to the club last Saturday for the club auction and Sunday for the underage children’s party. Well done to both the auction committee and the underage committee on two very successful events.

Sports Quiz – Dec 15th 2017:

The junior team are running a sports quiz on Friday 15th December 2017 in the clubhouse. Entry fee is €40 per team, with loads of prizes on the night including Best Team Name. The Quiz will be eight rounds of sports questions only; including two picture rounds – How will do you think you know your sport? This is open to everyone to come on down and get test your sporting knowledge.

Membership:

Membership is open for this season, these funds are vital for the day to day running of the club and we would urge all players, coaches, volunteers and parents to pay the fees. We have a number of different payment options including direct debit, please contact any member of the committee to discuss these options.

Munster Tickets:

Munster tickets for the PRO14 and Champions Cup games are now available to purchase on the link below. There is a 10% reduction on the ticket prices using this link. Just make sure you enter the promo code RICHMOND to avail of the benefits. This is a great way to get reduced prices for the games and it is faster to get tickets, as you can download them to your phone or print them off. https://oss.ticketmaster.com/aps/munster/EN/buy/browse

Club Shop:

The Club shop is open this Sunday from 11am to 12.30pm. This will be the last day before Christmas to collect club gifts and gear for Santa presents. The new club umbrella is available now €20 each – limited stock available. The navy beanie hat is available at the reduced price of €10.

Weekend Fixtures:

Saturday 16th of December 2017

Gleeson League, Richmond v Ennis, Canal Bank, 2.30pm

Newcastle West RFC, courtesy of Martin O’Sullivan

Fixture: Transfield Cup semi-final

Tuesday 19 December: St Mary’s RFC v Newcastle West RFC in St Mary’s @ 7.30pm – PLEASE NOTE TUESDAY EVENING FIXTURE

Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup Semi-Final

Kilfeacle RFC – 17 Newcastle West RFC – 14

A DAY OF DAYS, BUT NOT TO BE.

Another piece of NCW RFC history was created at the Kilfeacle and District pitch on Saturday last when we travelled to the Tipperary venue in the last four of the Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup.

To say this was the most anticipated fixture of the season so far would be an understatement, and judging by the huge travelling support it wasn’t just the normal Sunday afternoon supporter that took interest in the game.

Despite the freezing conditions it was an ideal day for rugby and both sides served up a hugely exciting, intense and committed game to warm up the spectators. Kilfeacle opened the scoring with a penalty after six minutes to lead 3-0.

From then until half time NCW owned both territory and possession turning the screw on the home defence on 35 minutes when while playing a penalty advantage, Darragh Tracey crossed in the left hand corner for the first try of the game.

Sean Herlihy nailed the difficult conversion from the side-line and NCW took a 7-3 lead to the half time team talk.

There was a rush to the clubhouse for warming teas, coffees and slightly stronger beverages to keep both the hands and vocal chords warm in the December frost, and it was the clapping hands and loud vocal chords of the travelling NCW support that were first into action as from a period of sustained Kilfeacle pressure on the NCW ten metre line, Darragh Tracey was again the man of the moment by picking off an intercept and leaving the Tipperary defence in his wake and finishing under the posts. Sean Herlihy added the extras to give NCW a 14-3 lead.

The expected purple patch for Kilfeacle then materialised and the pummelled the NCW line with both open play attacks and huge pressure on the defensives scrums.

This resulted in a yellow card for NCW and then a penalty try for the hosts reducing the lead to just four points. Our defence was brilliant all day but Kilfeacle made the man advantage tell and the crossed for another converted try with 71 minutes gone, taking a 17-14 lead.

As they’ve done all season NCW responded and restored to 15 men they set up camp in the Kilfeacle half. The elusive score failed to come our way though and even though we had advantage from the ref he didn’t see fit to continue that advantage after a knock-on. So it was ultimately heartbreak for the lads on the day but they should hold their heads high for a brilliant effort on the day and indeed in the competition this season.

As a club we’d like to thank all the travelling support on a day that was probably the coldest of the year. You were the 16^th man and woman on the day and all the squad and club are hugely grateful for your support.

Special thanks too to captain, Tommy Kelliher, and his squad and the management team for providing us all with a few great days over the last few weeks. It’s been quite a journey. Roll on the All-Ireland Cup 2018.

Scorers: Darragh Tracey, 2 tries. Sean Herlihy 2 Conversions.

U18s (Notes by John Hennessy)

Bank of Ireland U18 Munster Cup Conference 2

Newcastle West/Estuary – 20 Listowel – 8

Last Saturday morning we welcomed Listowel RFC to our home Cullinagh and this was the last game in this round of matches before the Munster Cup takes to its final stages having already qualified we put out our fringe players with some of our more experienced players.

This was a clash of the Poets valley against the town of the playwright, would it be a romantic sonnet or a tragedy in waiting for our boys? I don’t think if John B Keane or Michael Hartnett could write a more fitting description of what would unfold, for even we could not for see what we would witness today.

We received the kick off and we failed to gather it on the first attempt but we got control through Adam Flanagan and moved forward with great work from Chris Walsh and Eoghan Heffernan we moved the ball wide from the ruck and good hands saw Jack Kenny Break through and passed to Liam Molyneaux on the wing but unfortunately we missed controlled it and we conceded a scrum.

Listowel went into the attack with some good tackling by David O’Donovan and Paudie Flavin we prevented a certain try unfortunately we conceded a penalty which Listowel converted leaving them 3 to 0 up after six minutes.

From the resulting kick off Listowel went into attack and we turned them over with good work by Michael Broderick. Kieran Carmody gave a swift pass to Evan Donovan who broke their line of defence and popped a pass to Michael Murphy, who in turn passed to Liam Mcloughlin who started his first rugby game of the season, even more significant is Liam is only playing rugby since September.

He took the ball as well as any winger could side, stepped two defenders between the ten metre line and the 22, Alex Wootton eat your heart out and new kid on the block Liam goes over for his first try for our club and of his rugby career so far.

Liam has been working hard on his game with good guidance from the coaches and players with the cheer going up from players and coaches and spectators I heard it could be heard as far as the square.

We led five to three fifteen minutes gone. From the resulting kick off, Cormac Nash who had replaced Evan Donovan took the ball forward and recycled the ball well to allow us move forward. We got a penalty of our own and this was converted, we led eight to three at half-time.

We made changes at half-time with Killian Collins and Emmett Wrenn replacing Liam Mcloughlin and David O Donovan, Daniel Normoyle Replacing Jack Kenny.

At the start of the second half, we were a little too relaxed and allowed Listowel to control the first 20 minutes where they managed to go over in the corner to level things up at eight to eight.

We started to settle into our rhythm once more and were getting good go forward ball with good line breaks by Daniel Normoyle and Killian Collins for Emmett Wrenn to go over for it to be disallowed for a forward pass.

Listowel cleared their lines for us to go back on the attack with some slick passing Stephen Lyons broke their defence to be just stopped short of their ten metre line. Evan Donovan who had come back on for the injured Chris Walsh took the ball forward popping it to David Condon who brought inside the twenty two, recycled it and the forwards went through 16 phases of play going over and back with powerful work by David Condon who had a Man of the Match performance.

He played like Donnacha O Callaghan for Munster, he was menace all day to the opposition holding them up in the tackle to win scrums robbing ball at ruck time. Oh what a game this very quiet young man had and he would duly be rewarded with ten minutes left as he got a pass from Alan McGrath, who had replaced Stephen Lyons David, bullied his way over counted at least five players hanging off him as he drove forward, legs pumping to score a wonderful try under the posts.

I went deaf from the cheer from everyone around, again the square was as far as away as it could be heard then he was given the honour to convert his try and he accepted the challenge like the great John Eales of Australia, a kicking lock he slotted it straight between the posts, is there nothing this young man cannot do? This was David’s first try and first start for the team as well. Well done young man.

We led 15 to 3 with ten minutes or so left on the clock, from the kick off we were back on the front foot and unfortunately we knocked on but Listowel played on and were making some ground. As advantage was called over, our defensive line moved up quickly and a try, even Simon Zebo would be proud of, Oliver Lynch intercepted the pass did a pirouette around the last defender to touch down into the corner from the ten metre line. This was Oliver Lynch’s first try for the club.

The conversion was missed and we were 20 to 8 up and that was the last score of the game. No one could have foreseen or wrote what could have happened, two debutante starters, two tries and a conversion and a first try for another very committed and good player who picked up rugby three seasons ago, shows the talent and depth in the squad at the moment.

Well done to all involved it was a significant day for the young pretenders and to show management the worth in tries is one for the poet and playwright to write their romance or sonnet about.

We would like to thank all the parents and supporters of both teams for a very friendly and great day, best of luck to Listowel in the competition after Christmas.

The squad was as follows: Chris Walsh, Paudie Flavin, Evan Donovan, David Condon, Michael Broderick, Eoghan Heffernan, Adam Flanagan(C), Michael Murphy, Kieran Carmody, Stephen Lyons, Liam Molyneaux, Jack Kenny, Oliver Lynch, David O’Donovan, Cormac Nash, Alan McGrath, Charlie O’Doherty, Daniel Normoyle, Killian Collins, Emmett Wrenn, Ryan White, Turlough O’Connor.

Membership

Membership for Adults, Players, Families and Youths is now payable on line. You can pay your membership by going to our website page www.Newcastlewestrfc.com or on our Facebook page Newcastle West Rugby Football Club. On the left side of the Facebook page you will see Pay Membership, click on this and it will take you to payment options for membership. You can contact us on Facebook or any committee member if you have any issues and we will be glad to help you out.