Kinsale RFC Record First Age-Grade Double

Kinsale RFC have enjoyed recent success across the age groups, with their U14 squad making history after securing the club’s first age-grade double and their U13 squad winning the South Munster U13 League Cup last month.

The club’s U14 squad claimed the South Munster ‘A’ League title following victory over Bandon, while also overcoming Skibbereen to lift the South Munster ‘A’ Cup.

Kinsale PRO, Kieran Quinn, reported on the club’s recent age-grade acheivements…

Kinsale RFC U14s faced local rivals Bandon RFC in the South Munster ‘A’ League final in Curraheen last Sunday, running out 13-12 winners.

When they met at the end of the regular season, it was Bandon who edged it 24-18, so there was every reason to expect another tight, hotly-contested game.

Playing into the breeze, Kinsale started at a furious tempo and had the lion’s share of the ball in the first quarter. They were rewarded with a three-pointer through the boot of out-half Paul Graham.

Number 8 Sean Coughlan made big inroads for Kinsale, with Dylan Mullen, Fionn Aherne and Eric Lynch also giving Kinsale good go-forward.

They provided very quick ball for their backs, with Graham and centres Billy O’Riordan & Eoin O’Rourke all running good lines and moving the ball slickly from one wing to the other. Eventually the breakthrough came, as left wing Kris O’Callaghan beat the cover out wide to score in the corner to give Kinsale an eight-nil lead.

The tide turned somewhat in the second quarter as Bandon started to dominate proceedings. With several big ball carriers up front, notably Number 8 Darragh Collins-O’Brien, and with wings Eamon Twomey and Jack Callanan showing plenty of pace out wide, the Kinsale line came under real pressure.

Just before half-time, Bandon scrum-half Paddy Gaffney ran a clever diagonal and breached the Kinsale backline to score. Gaffney converted his own try to make it 8-7 at half-time.

In the second-half, after a further period of Bandon pressure, Collins-O’Brien picked off the base of a scrum and powered over for their second try. The conversion went wide but Bandon now had a four-point advantage, 12-8.

But again the momentum swung, as Graham made a huge territory gain with a long breeze-assisted kick into the Bandon 22. From a Kinsale lineout, hooker Max Dillon threw an inch-perfect dart to Coughlan at the back. He rumbled, Kinsale recycled quickly and spun the ball wide to left wing O’Callaghan who skipped down the touchline, beating two defenders to score his second in the corner. The touchline conversion went wide, but Kinsale now had the slimmest of leads, 13-12.

For the last 10 minutes, Bandon threw the proverbial kitchen sink at their neighbours, and the screaming and shouting from the large crowd indicated how close they were on occasions to scoring.

Kinsale scramble-defended for their lives, and openside Daniel Woods made one super last-ditch tackle to prevent an almost certain try. Eventually, Coughlan made the decisive jackal only metres from his line to secure a Kinsale penalty. With only a couple of minutes to go, Kinsale were able to clear their line and hold onto that precious one-point lead.

Huge credit to both teams for a game that was an exhibition of running rugby, in which both sides virtually refused to kick the ball, but rather sought to run it at every opportunity and win by scoring tries.

Kinsale U14s scored 22 points without reply against Skibbereen in the South Munster Cup final last Friday evening at Clonakilty RFC.

This Kinsale side, who have performed so consistently all season, saved their best match for last as they produced a rugby of breath-taking speed, accuracy and quick-thinking.

From the kick-off, Skibb camped themselves in Kinsale’s 22 for a good five minutes and Kinsale tackled bravely to repel wave after wave of impressive ball-carriers.

Against the run of play, Kinsale centre Billy O’Riordan charged down a kick in midfield and sprinted away to score and Paul Graham added the two.

And from this point on, Kinsale slowly took control the game and never relinquished it.

The Skibb forwards kept coming, and time after time the Kinsale defenders went low and felled their bigger opponents, allowing their faster loose forwards to get in and contest for the ball.

The Kinsale backrow as a unit, with their outstanding Number 8 Sean Coughlan, Daniel Woods and Dylan Mullen on the flanks gave a display of ‘tackling and jackling’ of the highest quality.

There were plenty of others vying for the best tackle stats. Fionn Aherne in the front row, Graham at out-half, O’Riordan and Eoin O’Rourke in the centre.

When Kinsale had the ball, they used it brilliantly, their scrum-half Luke Scanlon-Beecher provided quick, accurate passes to his backs, who threw the ball from wing to wing with speed and accuracy. They kept upping the tempo, recycling the ball quickly, tapping quick penalties, and making life distinctly uncomfortable for their bigger opponents.

Front-row: Fionn Aherne, Sam O’Brien, Max Dillon, Eric Lynch, David McCarthy, Harry Foster

Second-row: Darragh Murray, Cian Looney, Cian McCarthy, David Kelly, Adam Walsh

Back-row: Daniel Woods, Sean Coughlan, Dylan Mullen, Fionn O’Connell, Liam O’Riordan

Scrum-half: David O’Leary, Luke Scanlon-Beecher

Out-half: Paul Graham (capt.), Ben Lynch

Centre: Billy O’Riordan, Eoin O’Rourke, Kian O’Callaghan, Rowan Fitzpatrick

Wing: Shane O’Connor, Conor O’Callaghan, Luke Kiely, Amos Lucibello

Full-back: Eoghan McGinn, Cathal O’Leary, Kris O’Callaghan

Kinsale RFC have also enjoyed success at U13 level after pushing past Bandon 24-19 in the South Munster U13 League Cup final last month.

The stage was set for a fantastic final between two great teams, that had done battle twice already during the regular season, on both occasions Kinsale narrowly winning both encounters, away and at home. On any day Kinsale wouldn’t rest on their laurels, knowing that Bandon would be very unforgiving in any errors.

Conditions were perfect on the day, both teams arriving the normal one hour before kick-off to get their preparation completed.

Bandon kicked-off and immediately unlike the two previous encounters Kinsale got into 5^th gear straight away. The ball dropped over Matthew O’Donovan’s head bouncing right in front of Conor Forde who caught it and floated a pass to Zach Allen between the Kinsale 22 and 10.

Zach took off and led as a captain should fending off 2-3 defenders down the left wing and powerfully scored the opening try from kick-off. Conor Fitzpatrick adding the two points for Kinsale to go 7-0 up.

This try was so important in more ways than one, not only did it shock Bandon and give Kinsale a fantastic start, on the day in a drawn encounter after most tries scored the team that scored the first try would be awarded the match.

To their credit and as Kinsale would have expected, Bandon didn’t lie down and let such a fast try demoralise them. They gained possession quickly and powerfully built momentum up the field.

Kinsale to their credit, known as a strong defensive side, kept them at bay but it was inevitable with the strength and size of the Bandon team that they eventually crossed the whitewash in the far corner close to the crowd. A tough kick was missed, Kinsale still ahead 7-5.

Yet again as in previous games Bandon were confident in their own ability and with a long passage of strong defence, once more Bandon powered their way over the line from a short distance under the posts.

Kinsale kicked off and again Bandon exited well putting Kinsale under pressure but a turned over ball between the Kinsale 10 and half-way line with a full-back line to spread the ball, Cathal Barry carried the distance to the Bandon five meter line before offloading to Max Condon who put in a strong finish.

A drawn game, with a tough conversion missed. As the teams re-grouped at half-time.

The game restarted and again Bandon had Kinsale under pressure but yet again Kinsale had lots of threats out wide. Once again a ball moved at pace through the back-line and David Looney showed pace, strength and guile to out-manoeuvre a number of Bandon defenders crossing the try line and having the presence of mind to put the ball under the posts, Jonathon Walsh stepped up and popped the ball over.

Kinsale ahead again 19-12.

However, this Bandon side had character and courage and weren’t going to lie down with plenty of time left on the clock, yet again building field position through strong running with forwards and inside backs combining.

Both sides were starting to feel the impact of the bruising encounter with Bandon forced to make substitutions and Kinsale’s Jonah Dalton being replaced by Diarmuid Whelton.

Bandon were on the Kinsale 22, again they built momentum through some direct play, moved ball through tackle after tackle regaining possession and gaining the hard yards. Eventually from short distance Bandon’s Daniel Lynch crossed the line under the posts to tie the game 19 a piece.

Kinsale now started looking to make some substitutions as every player on the field had put in massive efforts. Evan O Toole made way for Darragh Collins in the Kinsale squad.

Kinsale still looked energetic and in the last three minutes when they had moved the ball into the Bandon half, Bandon yet again turned over the ball but Kinsale’s Matthew O Donovan who ripped the ball from a Bandon player passed the ball to Joey Desmond and it was time for the Kinsale forwards to step up.

Desmond from the Parish of Tracton moved the ball out to his fellow schoolmate Conor Forde, with stride and strength, Forde fended off 2-3 Bandon players and crossed the whitewash in the right hand corner.

Again a very tough kick, narrowly missing from Conor Fitzpatrick. Kinsale now ahead 24-19, surely they had done enough with only two minutes left. Another substitution due to injury, Matthew O Donovan made way for Aran Philips.

Bandon restarted and the ball was played between the Kinsale 22 and 10, Bandon gaining possession and moving forward but up stepped Zach Allen to get his hands in on an isolated Bandon player, Kinsale then gained a penalty with the clock running.

One final bit of cleverness from the Kinsale players, showing their rugby brains, saw Conor Fitzpatrick tap on a full penalty and then kick to touch, knowing that if he kicked straight out the lineout would be played, with that the referee blew the whistle and the celebrations started for Kinsale.

In true rugby spirit, even though they were upset after the loss, the Bandon captain came right over to the Kinsale side and congratulated them. Zach Allen, Kinsale captain of course reciprocating the gesture by giving a massive tribute to a fantastic Bandon team.

After receiving the Cup, the Kinsale squad had one more move to execute and that was to make a call to one of their teammates who couldn’t make it on the day due to family commitments, Ted O’Callaghan.

As always a league isn’t won by a team of 15 but a squad, that have all played throughout the season. All 23 players and two that weren’t available on the day, Ted and Ben O’Reilly deserve huge credit for the commitment, dedication and hard work throughout the season, which brought them to the final.

Kinsale U13 Squad: David Looney; Jonathan Walsh, Cathal Barry, Zachary Allen, Max Milo Condon; Conor Fitzpatrick, Evan Lehane; Matthew O’Donovan, Evan O’Toole, Rory O’Brien, Conor Forde, Mason Tibbs, Caleb O’Riordan, Jonah Dalton, Brendan Joseph Desmond. Replacements: Adam Fitzpatrick, Aran Phillips, Darragh Collins, Diarmuid Whelton, Joshua Desmond, Ronan McCarthy, Thomas Swanton, Aaron McCarthy.