News from around the Clubs – 7th February

Latest News from around the clubs.

KILLORGLIN
Killorglin Rugby Football Club
UNDER 10’s. training continues on Saturday next at the Dragons Den at 11.00am. For more information please contact John Costello 086 3558185
UNDER 12’s training continues at the Dragons Den on Saturday morning at 11.00am. For more information please contact John Costello 086 3558185
UNDER 13’s training continues at the Dragons Den on Saturday at 11.00hrs. For more information please contact Dan O’ Sullivan 085 1390808
Corca Dhuibhne RFC has invited our Under 10s ( players born in 2000 and 2001 ) & Under 12s ( 1998 & 1999) to participate in a Mini Rugby Blitz on Saturday February 20th, at 10.30 am, at Gallarus. If you are able to attend please let your coach know this weekend, so that we may organise transport – Please note in order to participate in this blitz insurance forms handed out last week will need to be signed by parent/guardian and returned to your coach next Sat 06 February. Killorglin RFC hope to host a mini rugby blitz at home possibly on March 6th. For this and more contact your coaches.
UNDER 15’s. training continues at the Dragons Den Saturdays at 11.00AM. This age group is for players born in 1995. For more information please contact Seamus O’ Shea 087 2357805

UNDER 17’s training is on Saturday at 12.00hrs at the field, Community College Ground. This age group is for players born in 1993/94 For more information please contact Aidan Clifford 087 9065927
Killorglin RFC travelled to Killarney on Saturday last to play both Killarney and Corca Dhuibhe in a blitz format competition for Under 16s. Under 16 rugby is in somewhat of a hybrid format this season as it takes in a mixture of the U17 and U15 teams that compete in West Munster Competitions. Killorglin were unlucky in the first game against Killarney, losing 3-0.

However, in the second game against Corca Dhuibhne they played better rugby and won, scoring three tries in the process. The first was a well worked move by the backline where soft hands and fast passing worked the ball out to the right winger David Carroll who took a super outside line and outsprinted the opposition wing and full-back to score a great try in the corner.

The second try was set up by the affore mentioned Carroll when he recovered a missed kick to touch from Corca Dhuibhne. He then ran infield from his own touchline and sidestepped the majority of the opposition team before drawing in the fullback and releasing the ball to No8 Shane Corkery who had an easy run in. The third try was another ‘peach’.

Foilmore Flanker Chris O’Sullivan went on an industrious run through the Corca Dhuibhne defensive line and drew in three defenders before offloading the ball to young winger Mikey Houlihan who had run a very clever line to pop up in the right place to collect the ball and score. This result earned them a place in the final and another chance to renew the ‘friendly rivalry’ of local rugby against Killarney. This game however didn’t go Killorglin’s way.

Overall though Killorglin’s next generation can take heart in their performance. Certain players stood out, namely winger David Carroll & young captain on the day Fionn O’Shea, but the coaches were particularly impressed with young stand-in flyhalf Kevin O’Sullivan. The centre was asked to play out of position and he more than held his own with several line breaks and smart kicks and is certainly one to keep an eye on for the future. The future is looking bright! Squad: Kyle Fitzgerald, Danny Griffin, Jason Morris, Danny O’Shea, Cian O’Mahony, Cian Foley, Chris O’Sullivan, Shane Corkery, Fionn O’Shea (C), Kevin O’Sullivan, Gary Naughton, Dylan Costello, Deavon O’Flaherty, David Carroll, Sean O’Sullivan, Mikey Houlihan, Rory O’Shea, William Mitchell.

UNDER 19’s take on Castleisland in the final of the Cup on Sunday 20 February, time and venue are to be confirmed. Training Tuesday and Friday evenings at 19.30hrs at the Dragons Den. For more information please contact Jerry O’ Sullivan 087 3710104.

SENIORS: Last Sunday saw Killorglin play host to Corca Dhuibhne in the return fixture of the Junior League Division 3. Killorglin battling relegation at the bottom of the table with two recent wins looking for retribution. Corca Dhuibhne in a good run of recent form holding a third place spot in the league looking to put the double over Killorglin. Both with their formed agendas set the stage for an epic local derby clash. The hard surface of the training park took its toll on Killorglin, claiming two of the panel this week putting the squad to its test.

Killorglin won the toss and Captain Conway choose to go against the hill and against the wind in the first half. Killorglin kicked off with a high hanging ball from fly half John Ahern, the puck pack chased it down and put immediate pressure on the visitors returned from the 22 without reward. Corca Dhuibhne using the wind to their advantage pinned Killorglin deep in their half. Dead lock was broke after 9 minutes when Corca Dhuibhne were awarded a penalty, well struck by the visiting fly half – 3 points adrift.

Killorglin restarted and soon retained possession, attacking from inside their half the ball went to ground was picked up by the defending centre, a run in try, converted. 12 minutes gone 10 points adrift. Killorglin’s line out took time to tune with the first three throws missing the mark, Brian Hayes next line pinned Dave Hayden at the front of the line out, he started to feel it, Killorglin began to command and mix up the set piece resulting in some superb takes by Hayden and Ahern, Coffey picked up the scraps at the back.

The Killorglin defence was tested on a number of occasions with the front line taking fire from the strike runners from the West. The first half saw both team exchange kicks, Killorglin threatened the Corca Dhuibhne line on occasion with the closest play coming from veteran winger Vivian O’Callaghan, who was pushed out just on the line, excellent cover tackling by Corca Dhuibhne, O’Callaghan showing that he can still cut the mustard.

This season has seen Killorglin struggle in the scrums but on Sunday the Puck Pack had an opportunity to show case the wares of the hard work on the scrummaging machine with Dave Hayden and his apprentice Tony Lynch in the engine room putting the squeeze on the opposition giving Killorglin the go forward ball from the scrums. Half time 5 minutes away and Killorglin sustain a flesh wound with No 8 Mike Breen getting Yellow for a breach in the tackle. Killorglin down to 14 men circled the wagons till half time, and took three points from the boot of John Ahern to close the gap.

Killorglin received the restart from Corca Dhuibhne holding possession, John Ahern launching a Garryowen from inside his 10 metre line and as it dropped the Killorglin back line was upon the full back taking man and ball, Corca Dhuibhne penalised for holding on. John Ahern charged with the kicking duties in the absence of Gannon placed the ball between the posts, another 3 for Killorglin, 6 in total, Corca Dhuibhne 4 adrift.

Killorglin played the attacking rugby in the second half with each attack breaking down, not finding the finishing pass. Breen returned to the game only to see his colleague at scrum half Ronan Curtayne punished with a yellow card, Killorglin at the disadvantage, and again with a man down struck three more points from a penalty kick. The score board stood Killorglin 9 – 10 Corca Dhuibnne with 46 minutes elapsed. Line outs going well, scrums solid, defence structured and effective, ball handling poor at times allowing the vistors attacking opportunities. 55 mins in and Killorglin were awarded another penalty in which they took the lead for the first time in the game.

The remaining 25 mins were nail biting with each team exchanging kicks and attacking phases Killorglin threatened the line but could not penetrate to convert. Changes in the line up saw Mikey Griffin replace Curtayne at scrum half, Tommy Moriarty for Lynch at second row, Healy for Breen at No 8 and Curran for Conway in the front row. The final minutes were intense as each attacking play broke down and each team worked to get in to a scoring position. The crowd on the side line were gasping as the half breaks were hunted down, scramble defences tested, high balls fielded, scrum and line-out tactics executed with each team trying to gain advantage, only a score separating the sides, drop goal or penalty will do.

There it stood a welcoming final whistle from the ref, the Score: Killorglin RFC 12 – 10 Corca Dhuibhne RFC. An excellent display of rugby by both teams and a deserving win for Killorglin one that will stand to them in their remaining league campaign. This was a true test of the squad, with players in key positions unavailable, we showed the depth of our players with the emerging players of O’Sullivan, Curtayne, and Lynch stepping up to the mark of senior rugby. Killorglin are out again next week in the next round of the Junior Plate – fixture to be confirmed. Team: Darran Curtayne, Vivian O’Callaghan, David O’Sullivan, Andrew O’Rielly, Luke O’Shea, John Ahern (12), Ronan Curtayne, Mike Breen, Rob Coffey, Brian Ahern, David Hayden, Tony Lynch, John O’Sullivan, Brian Hayes, Colm Conway (Capt.), Subs: Joe Curran, Dan Flynn. Mikey Griffin, Tommy Moriarty, Mike Murphy, Enda O’Shea, Anthony Kelliher. Training is on Tuesday and Friday evenings at 19.30hrs at the Dragons Den. For more information contact Senior Team Manager Vivian O’ Callaghan 087 9760488. NEW PLAYERS WELCOME FOR ALL AGES WITH OR WITHOUT EXPERIENCE!

Killorglin RFC would like to thank all who attended our Quiz Night on Thursday last at the Fishery Bar – it was a tremendous success and we are grateful to you all for your kind generosity and support!

FUN RUN: Killorglin RFC will host our first "Fun Run" on Saturday 29 May 2010. It is a 10km run/ walk / crawl. Contact Breda on 087 7545408 for entry details!

GALA NIGHT: Join us for a night to celebrate Killorglin RFC at Jacks Coastguard Restaurant, Cromane – this promises to be an amazing night! Enjoy a 4 course meal, renowned guest speaker Gary Halpin (Irish International Prop), a band & disco to party the night away – all at a ticket price of €;50!! Tickets will be available shortly and are on a first come first served basis – For more information call or text Breda on 087 7545408

Membership To support YOUR TEAM & become a member of Killorglin Rugby Football Club for the 2009/2010 Season Youths Membership is €;20, Senior Membership is €;30 and Family Membership is €;50. Contact Club PRO Breda O’ Sullivan 087 7545408 or Email info@kerrysafetyservices.ie

Stay tuned to our website www.killorglinrugby.com, Twitter & Facebook page for more up coming events! New Website is currently under construction but you can also keep up to date with us on Facebook & Twitter – Killorglin RFC!
Merchandise Killorglin Rugby Football Club has brought out its new on & off field wear all available to buy NOW! For sales contact 087 7545408.

NENAGH ORMOND

Nenagh Ormond RFC Notes – 8th February 2010

Senior XV
No AIL action last weekend due to International fixtures. Nenagh Ormond Senior XV are back on the road this weekend when we will travel to Carlow this Saturday to play the match which was postponed due to heavy frost earlier this year. Kick-off 2.30pm – all support greatly appreciated.

Seconds

Nenagh 2nds 22 – Young Munster 19
Nenagh second fifteen enjoyed a lively and worthwhile run out against Young Munster on Sunday last and came out eventual winners 22pts to 19pts. Young Munster started the game the livelier and were first to score. Nenagh came back and scored a try when Paudie Breen finished off a good move to touch down in the corner. Munster’s again took the upper hard and regained the lead when their bigger pack eventually wore down the Nenagh lads to score their second try. Nenagh responded when the impressive Steven Harvey used his speed to beat two defenders and make the score 12 pts to 10 pts at half time.

The second half was as entertaining as the first and further tries from John Flynn and Rrdhari O’Brien gave Nenagh an eventual winner’s result of 22pts to 19pts. This performance, a week before the next round of the Munster Junior Cup Plate which is against our neighbors Newport and due to be played in Nenagh next Sunday at 2.30 has shown that this side is capable of progressing in this competition and hopefully the training numbers will continue to be big this week and with everyone available the job of team selection will not be easy. At times the quality of rugby played by the pack was pleasing to see and the confidence of the back line which was looking to move the ball at every opportunity made this game a very open match and would say that the younger and fitter team which played the better rugby came out the eventual winners.

Best for Nenagh was John Flynn, Rory O’Brien and David Cleary in the pack which overall got the better of a bigger Young Munster front eight and in the backs Steven Harvey and Paudie Breen ran some great lines and Sean White was rock solid in midfield. John Long played the captains role and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet.
Team J Flynn, C Ryan, P O’Connor, J Quigley, A Kelly, D Cleary, M Fogarty, R O’Brien, D Corcoran, D Fogarty, J Long (Capt), S White, P Breen, T Connors and S Harvey. Subs all used P Fogarty, E Kelly and M Bud

Ladies
Nenagh Ladies 12 – 7 Tralee
Nenagh faced Tralee on Sunday last in the second round of the Munster Cup. Nenagh had a point to prove after narrowly losing to Tralee in the league before Christmas. The Nenagh girls have been training and playing very well since the New Year so they were determined to continue their good run of form.

Tralee played with the wind in the first half and used it to their advantage to gain territory. On one of just a few visits to the Nenagh 22 in the first half, Tralee won a scrum close to the Nenagh line and after several rucks keeping it tight, managed to drive over the line to touch down. A good conversion by their out-half gave Tralee a 7-0 lead. Nenagh dominated possession but couldn’t threaten the Tralee try line for the first 40 minutes.

The second half was a different story with Nenagh camped in the Tralee half for almost the remainder of the match. Nenagh clawed back a try early in the second half from a 5 meter scrum. Maeve D’Arcy picked at number 8 and ran up the blind side, drawing in the Tralee back-row as well as the defending winger and managed to pass out to Laura Nugent close to try line for her to touch down in the corner. Trailing 7-5, Nenagh kept the pressure up but with conditions mucky, the ball just wouldn’t go to hand. Time after time, Nenagh were their own worst enemy with chances missed due to handling errors.

With only minutes remaining, Nenagh got a penalty and chose to run it quickly instead of kicking at goal. Paula Ryan tapped and passed the ball out wide to centre Genevieve Rowland who made a charging run at pace to burst through several covering defenders and touch down. An excellent conversion from outhalf Kyla Maxwell put Nenagh into a 12-7 lead. From the restart, Nenagh retained the ball well in the closing minutes and never gave Tralee a chance to strike back. Bob Ryan was named player of the match for her excellent work around the pitch and impressive ball carrying.

The girls are free next weekend and are planning a team night out before a long run in to the end of the season. They have a packed schedule for the next two months to make up for all the weather cancellations earlier in the season.
Team: Breda Doheny, Laura Nugent, Genevieve Rowland, Niamh Hogan, Jennifer Carter, Kyla Maxwell, Colleen McCullough, Sam Zubrzycki, Gillian Ryan, Bob Ryan, Barbara Noonan, Maria Butler, Eithne Darcy, Paula Ryan and Maeve Darcy. Subs: Sandra Farrell, Sarah Walsh.

Training continues Wednesday and Friday nights in the rugby club at 7:30pm. New players are always welcome whether you have played before or are a total beginner. Contact Jen on 087 2201596 or come along to training.

Under 19s
Our under 19s were due to play Castleisland in the Munster league last Sunday but were awarded a walkover when the opposition didn’t show up. Training continues as normal this week, this week’s fixture to be notified at training.

Under 17s
Nenagh Ormone Under 17s played Fethard in a friendly fixture on Friday night under lights in Lisatunny. Nenagh were in command from the start and were able to raise their game throughout to finish with a clear cut victory.

Squad: E Fogarty, K Maher , N Flood, D Cottom, C Comerford, C Lucey, J Donovan, E O Brien , P Ryan, D Walsh, A Commane, K Keogh, J Hayes , C Gleeson, G McNamera, R Oakley, E Maher, J OFlaherty, K OFlaherty, J Domah, C Leo, J Nolan

Training continues on Tuesday and Friday, weekend fixture will be made known at training

Under 15s
The U15’s had a busy week this week with two league matches. On Thursday night we played Roscrea under floodlights in Lisatunny. This was a tough game with both sides getting stuck in from the start. Nenagh ran in 2 tries before half time scored by Eathon Moloney and Peter Ryan and one conversion by Bill O’Flaherty. Roscrea responded with a try of their own before the break. Half time score 12 – 5 to Nenagh. The second half saw the Nenagh lads come out and take it again to Roscrea and another two tries resulted from this good spell of play. Tries scored again by Eathon Moloney and Killian Glessson, Killian converting one himself. In the last five minutes Roscrea were on the attack and Nenagh had to defend their lines. The Nenagh players kept Roscrea out and ended up with a deserved victory. Final Score NORFC 24 – 10 Roscrea

In our second game of the week Nenagh had to travel to Cashel. This proved to be another tough game. Cashel got on to the score board first with a try. The Nenagh team responded and were awarded with a great try by Killian Glesson. In an evenly matched game both sides continued attacking. Nenagh were awarded before half time with another try scored by Eathon Moloney. This left the score at 10 – 5 in favour of Nenagh at half time. In the second half Nenagh came out attacking and were awarded with another try scored by Graham White. After this Cashel ran in another try and converted it to leave only 3 points in the difference. Nenagh withstood numerous attacks by Cashel in the last five minutes to hold on and claim another well deserved victory. Worthy of mention is Niall O’Gorman who played a great game for Nenagh on the day.
Final Score NORFC 15 – 12 Cashel

Team: Conor McAdams, Ger O’Gorman, Gavin Hayes, Peter Ryan, Jamie Maxwell. Bill O’Flaherty, John O’Flaherty, Eathon Moloney (C), Darragh Hassey, Graham White, David Fox, Philip Hickey, Andrew Coffey, Cormac Boyle, Conor Dohoney, Shane McCarthy, Hughie O’Brien, Niall O’Gorman, Jack Molamphy, Colin O’Brien

These lads also enjoyed a great day out in Croke Park on Saturday to watch their International heroes in action against Italy. Well done and thank you to all those who helped make the day a great success.

Mini Rugby
Nenagh Ormond RFC Under 8s, 9s & 11s – Travelled to Birr RFC on Sunday morning last and played in a blitz including Roscrea RFC, it was a good turn out from Nenagh Ormond, and a very enjoyable morning’s rugby.

Nenagh Ormond RFC Under 13s – played Ballina/Killaloe in a friendly game at Lisatunny on Sunday last, weather conditions were ideal. Nenagh were beaten by the visitors in a very entertaining game.

Nenagh Ormond RFC Fixtures Under 7s, 9s & 11s – Play away to Kilfeacle RFC on Sunday next in a Blitz, all please meet at Tyone training grounds at 9am for a 10.30am KO at Kilfeacle
Nenagh Ormond RFC Fixtures U13 – Play away to Fethard RFC on Sunday next in a Blitz, all please meet at Tyone training grounds at 9am for a 10.30am kick-off at Fethard/

Monster Race Night
The club will be running a Race Night on February 26th in the Hibernian Inn. Race cards will be distributed to members over the next week or so and we look forward to a good nights entertainment. Horses can be bought for €;20, races can be sponsored for €;50 and an auction race will be held on the night.

CLONAKILTY
Clon start “Home Season” with win
Clonakilty were full value for their single point win in the first of their remaining five home games in The Vale last Saturday. Man of the Match, the captain, Alfie Harte, led by example from the start with a highly credible impression of a demented Duracell bunny on speed. He was literally everywhere in attack and defence and his support play was awesome. A fitting day for the captain to receive his Centurion Blazer.

Clon exhibited a hunger and edge from the fine kick off by Kurt Morath. Pressured by Liam Swanton there was no time for a clearance and a huge hit from Alfie Harte won a penalty which Morath goaled for an early 3 – 0 lead. Clon pressure was relentless and another penalty award was narrowly wide before a superb try by Landy had the big crowd ecstatic. Started by a Paul Dillon counter, John O’Donnell came from full back to breach the defence before finding Landy and the flying lock handed off the last defender to cross the line with Noel O’Sullivan to spare on his outside. The conversion was missed but 8 – 0 was a good place to be after 25 minutes in such a crucial game.

The side was playing with great fire from 1 to 15 and Morath increased the lead to 11 – 0 with another penalty won by the ubiquitous Alfie Harte yet again. This was a superb kick from 40 metres and 10 metres from the touchline and seemed to say this was going to be Clon’s day. O’Sullivan was nearly in minutes later after great work from O’Donnell but he was bundled to touch five metres from the line. Morath’s third penalty just short of half time gave Clon a well-deserved 14 – 0 lead after the only dangerous move of the half from Thomond was snuffed out by a timely tackle into touch by, of all players, prop Tom Ryan.

The second half had everything and made a great match out of what had appeared to be a cruising victory for Clonakilty. Thomond got their first points within minutes of the restart with a penalty from Ger Finnucane. Clon went back on the attack and an attempted chip from O’Sullivan was blocked and a long fly kick was covered by Swanton. He was taken down but his attempted pop was intercepted by grateful Limerick Winger, Dara O’Neill and the conversion from Finnucane brought Thomond to ten points, just four off the home side after five minutes of the second half.

Now they had belief and when Finnnucane tacked on another penalty to leave only one point between the sides it looked ominous for the West Cork side with 22 minutes plus added time to go. Further problems for Clon resulted from a very harsh sin-binning of Paul Dillon with 15 minutes of the match remaining. A typical huge hit on Thomond danger man Warren Kelly was of such magnitude that the visiting centre had to retire with an injured shoulder. Dillon was adjudged not to have used his arms in the tackle, a decision not well-received by the crowd as the decision looked more compensatory than correct.

It appeared all over for Clon five minutes later when Mike O’Hea was sin-binned also. Thirteen against fifteen, any score would do for the Limerick men and that would normally follow with one down never mind two. However, Clon defended heroically and even took the game to Thomond before Dillon came back for the final five minutes which saw Thomond frustrated by a gritty resolve that may yet see The West Cork club retain their division two status.

The next match, this Saturday, is of immense proportions against Clon’s derby side, Highfield. Both sides are level on points and the losers of this game will be under severe pressure to survive. The following Saturday Clon will again be at home this time against Old Crescent another side that will have to be beaten to ensure division two rugby next season. Two huge games and it is to be hoped that the crowd that cheered the West Cork men on to victory last Sunday can again come out in force as the games move back to Saturdays.

The squad was John O’Donnell, Darragh Lynch, Paul Dillon, David Lombard, Noel O’Sullivan, Kurt Morath, JD O’Mahony, Tom Ryan, Alfie Harte, (Capt), Joe Knowles, Dean Landy, Mike Keohane, Jason Fleming, Lenny Harte, Liam Swanton, Hugh O’Neill, Cathal Kirby, Mike O’Hea, Derek Dillon, and David Cookson.

The Clon J2s will know how Thomond felt as they also lost by a narrow margin and controversially at that. Having led Cork Constitution for most of the game they succumbed to a late try in which the ball carrier clearly used a team mate as a buffer on the way to the line to lose 18 – 21 in The Mick Barry Cup. This competition is played on a league basis and if Clon can retain this form they will still harbour hopes despite this reversal. Kanturk will be the next opposition in The Vale this Sunday at 1.00pm and this will be followed by the Senior Seconds in The Munster junior Plate at 2.30pm.

Clonakilty president, Barry Kirby, had a pleasant task to perform in the clubhouse after the Thomond game. Alfie Harte and David Lombard were both presented with their Centurion Blazers and now join Paul Dillon, Noel O’Sullivan, Joe Knowles and Danny Whelton in this very exclusive club of players who have appeared in 100 All Ireland League games for Clonakilty.

Alfie, Clonakilty’s inspirational captain, is a product of Clon’s famed underage section and was a stand-out player at every level going on to Captain Ireland at youth level. He has played for Clon in eight of the nine senior seasons appearing in 103 games, scoring 197 points through four tries, 39 penalties and 30 conversions. He captained the club in season 07/08 but was injured after four games and was out for the remainder of the season.

The captaincy on the field was taken over by David Lombard who went on to captain the club the following year. David is also a product of the Clonakilty under age academy and was also capped for Ireland at youth level. He has played in 102 All Ireland League games for his club over seven of the nine senior seasons scoring 130 points through seven tries, 21 penalties and 16 conversions. What is remarkable about David’s achievement is that he has only missed five games in his seven seasons to date. He has started an incredible 101 times and was returning from injury on the only occasion he came on from the bench. As long as there are players of the quality and durability of the Centurions Clonakilty will continue to compete on the national stage.

This weekend also sees Clonakilty Veterans hosting a group of their French Amis who have chosen to watch the six-nations match between the countries in the Clonakilty clubhouse. A programme of events has been drawn up to entertain the visitors over the weekend and as many as possible of the travelling group that went to Bordeaux for the world cup are asked to turn out in force. Enquiries to loosehead@eircom.net or 086 60 111 11

This weeks drawn lotto numbers were 2, 19, 21, and 27. There were no winners so this week’s Jackpot will be €;3,900. Lucky Dip winners were Cal McCarthy, Bernard Maxwell, Val Lynch, Peggy Knowles, and Ian Corcoran. A fund-raising table quiz will take place in The Phoenix Bar on Friday 19th February at 9.00pm. €;10 per person.

This Weekend’s Fixtures

Saturday
Under 17 League: U 17s v Carrigaline at 11.00am in Carrigaline
All Ireland League: Seniors v Highfield in The Vale 2.30

Sunday
Munster Junior Plate: Senior Seconds V Douglas in The Vale at 2.30
Mick Barry Cup: J2s V Kanturk at 1.00pm in Kanturk

SUNDAYS WELL

I would like to thank Dave Looney and Kevin O Halloran for their help with the newsletter and website while I was away

Match Results

Senior XVS No Game last week

J1s Cork Con 15pts Sundays Well 8ts – No Match Report received

J2s Killarney 0pts Sundays Well 22pts

J2s resumed their winning ways with a 22-0 away win against Killarney on Sunday A return of a number of senior players from injury (Shane Hennessey – hip implant, Joe Donovan – elbow reconstruction, Joe Moynihan – labotomy) plus an all Kingdom under 20 back row of Chris, Dave and Liam proved more than capable of dealing with a fired up home side.

The wind favouring the home side dictated play in the first half. The 3 Kerry lads keen to impress on their home patch ran riot however final passes/ knock ons led to astute wind assisted kicking by the Killarney #10 which sent the visitors into their own 22 to think again. The ‘Well did manage a penalty (Harry) to go into the break at 3-0.

The second halve saw the ‘Well take a strangle hold of the game with tries by Eric, John Kelly and Willie McCarthy with 2 conversions by the ‘Well out half Harry.
Not a bad afternoon’s work but plenty to do with the Cup fast approaching.

Match Report “ Brian O Leary”

Under 21s No Game last week

Under 19s No Game last week

Under 17s Sundays Well 14pts Cobh 5pts
Our U17 team put in another superb display of rugby in beating Cobh 14-5, Including two excellent individual tries. Cobh had the only score of the first half with good fast hands across the backline to score in the corner. An excellent second half with Zach Sheehan, Steve O Sullivan, Conor Malone, Brian McAuliffe, Olan Hanley, Steve Healy, Cian Carroll, all putting in excellent work, Cody Obinge had a magnificent run from the half way line cutting through the Pirates with ease but only to be stopped on the line, if he had scored it would be one of the all time great tries.

Cody did get his reward a few minutes later when a kick through from Olan Hanley was not cleared by Pirates, and Cody kicked it on, picked it up and ran in under the posts from the 22, Olan converted. Our lads turned the screw for the remaining 15 minutes, keeping Pirates at bay with a well organized defence and excellent hands through the backline, and not afraid to run the ball from inside our own 22.We got a well deserved second try when Alex O Neill, took the ball from a Ryan McGrath pass, sold a dummy to the Cobh defence, and ran 15 Meters in under the posts, which he converted, leaving Cobh with too much to do. A major confidence boost and a proud day for the lads, who now travel to meet Muskerry next Saturday.

Match Report “ Mick O Brien”

Under 15s Charleville 0pts Sundays Well 15pts – No Match Report received

Under 13s Bandon 38pts Sundays Well 17pts
In what can only kindly be described as a weak display by the 13s against a poor Bandon side the Well 13s never got going and were well punished for their mistakes. It showed the fact that we were lacking Games and that they had played 2 games since Christmas.

Our tackles were poor and our backing up nonexistent. They played like a team and we did not. With good displays from Luke Dunlea ,Alex Johns and Sam Dean a small piece of self belief was salvaged. Training for the next few weeks should focus on tackling.

Match Report “ Brendan Kenneally”

Under 12s No Game last week

Under 11s Sundays Well 9pts Cork Con 10pts
Home turf this weekend for the re-match of the battle of Ballintemple which took place before Christmas. We had an excellent turn out as normal and the session was focused from the beginning. Game I was underway on time and our captain for this was Luke O’Callaghan.

There were some burly runners in the white jerseys and they put the pressure on our defence from the off and it was obvious that tackling was going to be critical. John Murphy and Conor Kirby were in the thick of things and Richard O’Leary and Adam gave as good as they got. The pressure was relentless though and the half time score was 4 to 2. Setanta played well at full back and Brioch gave a good account of himself dans le centre du terrain. Rob Egar had a fine run and looked like scoring a fifty yarder only to have one of the parents (Con?) to call a dubious touch. Rob Hedderman nipped in for two fine solo efforts and David Sullivan rounded off a fine move with a flourish. Reggie was held up about one centimeter short near the end. The damage was done by one of the Con lads who managed four trys on his own and the Lillywhites ran out winners by 6 to 3.

Game 2 – Sundays Well 5 Cork Con 4

Game II was played to much the same tempo and form with one of the Con lads causing ferocious damage. They had the majority of possession throughout but Colin Stack and Zach and Conor Egan roughed it up with the best of them. Dan and Luke Briggs had no trouble with going head to head and it was plain to see that this team had watched and learned from the first match.

Adam Dunne was a live wire and David Scott put himself on the line to ward off a try or two. The lads boxed clever in this match and after going 3 nil down they showed grit and guile to level at 3 all. Callum was in the middle of most moves and the team was bolstered by the man of the match Diarmuid who had his best game in the Well jersey. Tries were scored by Conor and Dan and a real scrum half break from the captain Paul Sexton.

With 3 minutes left Con sneaked another but without dropping the heads Michael O’Sullivan stormed up the wing to touch down in the corner. In the last minute he managed to repeat the feat in front of a screaming mob of under 11’s who were watching from the sidelines. Victory to the Well! Overall the lads displayed the ability to drive over the ball at the rucks and the mauls which is considerable progress. The tackling needs some attention and we will be concentrating on this during the next few weeks.
Match Report “Andrew Mullhall”

Under 10s Cork Con 9pts Sundays Well 8pts
Plenty of game time for all players this weekend as we took the short trip to Templehill, home of their 80 plus U10s! We split our players into two teams, each having 2 x 15 minute matches. As we had no subs, every player played the full 30 minutes – a testament to the conditioning and excellent peak fitness of the current crop of U10s!

The first two matches resulted in a mis-match as each team experienced a sizeable win and defeat – nothing to be gained from either match. After swapping teams around we got two games of great intensity, courage and skill. The first match saw Con take an early lead knocking up 2 quick scores. However, the Well got stuck in and worked their way level before again conceding two more scores.

Once again, the Well dug deep and again levelled the scores and dominated play in the closing stages but in the end could not secure the winning score. However a draw was a fair result. The second match saw the Well play a fast Con team. Our tackling let us down allowing Con to run in a number of tries and when the Well managed to get some tries of their own, we unfortunately conceded a couple of scores from the restarts.

However the Well did not give up and kept on fighting going down by a margin of 1 score at the final whistle. Overall some areas to work on but when you consider that each Con team had plenty of subs to rotate, the lads deserve extra credit. There some great efforts all round with some great hard yards from Peter and Thibault and some fine dazzling runs by Jack, Alex, Darragh and Gearoid.

Training next week!

Match Report “Tim Buttler”

Under 9s Sundays Well 12pts Cork Con 9pts
The Under 9’s played out a close struggle with neighbours Cork Con on Saturday. The morning was perfect for rugby and Con brought a strong squad to take on the Well boys. There was a lot of school bragging rights at stake as buddies and relations faced up to each other. Two eight a side matches were played and each game were closely fought affairs. The Well lads started a bit slowly but soon warmed up to the games and produced some high quality running rugby. The exchanges were fierce and there was plenty of bumps, bruises and tired bodies hitting the couch later to watch Ireland play.

Overall the Well won three of the four matches and there were fine performances all round. Mikey Carroll led the way in the final match with some committed work and Gavin, Aaron and Mark in particular proved to contain for the Con boys. Nicholas made a great try saving tackle and Adam showed his pace on a few occasions. David grabbed a couple of tries and Aaron and Conor were prominent as usual. The likes of Levin, Fergal, Tighernan, Mark are starting to exert more influence on the games as the team gets stronger every week. We have even started to listen to the referee !. Looking forward to returning to the training ground to work on our handling and rucking.
Match Report “Mark Polland”

Under 8s Cork Con 4pts Sundays Well 8pts
The Well were really up against it today with only 13 players on a very large and muddy pitch. The opposition had over 30 players to choose from in a very entertaining 12-a-side game which began at a frenetic pace. Once again we started off with a real sense of purpose, tackling hard in defense and running strongly when in possession of the ball. Aaron O Kelly raced in for a try after 5 minutes of nip and tuck with the teams getting to know each other. The Well then pounced for another score with Alex Lane sprinting over after great hustling and tackling by Fionn Corkery and Sam O Sullivan, which caused errors in the Con ranks.

Things were now looking good, as the Well defense looked very comfortable and the team was linking up superbly with passing and offloading to support runners. However, just as we thought we were in control, Con broke out of defense, and after a few dubious knock-ons, narrowed the gap to one score. Thankfully, the half time whistle then blew, as our players were beginning to tire. Some of the players were now showing signs of fatigue, but a few words of encouragement and a sup of water coupled with a five minute rest helped to recharge the batteries for the next twenty minutes. Con tipped off, and were immediately sent backwards by Raymond Hinds and Mark Deane. Patrick Carey and Brian Anthony pounced on their errors to set up Peter O Connor who touched down after a barnstorming run. Gavin Malone, Jack Gould-Walker and Stephen McCarthy were now taking the ball on with purpose deep into Con territory.

However, midway through the second half we lost two players due to injury, and were competing with just 11 against Cons’ 12. This seemed to galvanize the remaining players, and after good work by Fionn Corkery and Callum O Mahoney, Peter O Connor once again raced over to touch down for try number 4. Time was now nearly up, and with the lads visibly tiring from their heroic efforts on a very heavy pitch, Con scored what was a consolation try near the end. Great credit most go to all the players for this tremendous display which yielded a hard fought victory against all the odds. The coaching staff were very pleased with this success, and the team still remains unbeaten this season.

(Apologies to Cathal O Riordan and Peter Murphy who missed the match due to a mix up with the text messages.)
Match Report “ Brendan Dean”

Under 7s Cork Con 4pts Sundays Well 6pts
Having arrived in Temple Hill our small group of u7’s were met by the opposition 42 of them !!! Needless to say our lads played 2 different teams in either half.

We played 11 aside touch (for the 1st half ) and after some great forward running by Fabien and Andrew we led 2 – 1 at half time.

The 2nd half we allowed tackles and Mauls and we had great fun with all our lads getting stuck in and rummaging for the ball.

After some great passages of interplay and passing both Tom and Eoin got over for brilliant tries, Tom dragged 4 Con players 8 meters over the line to score our final try.

A well deserved win was assured after some brilliant drift defence on the line .

It’s time now to kick touch to the sideline so we will be concentrating on tackling over the next few weeks.

Match Report “ Brendan Lane”

Under 6s No Game last week

Club News.

Our Club Dinner dance is coming up soon

l Please Contact Joe Moynihan on 0862506839 to book your seats and tables. There will be a limited number of seats. Anyone with a spot prizes they would like to donate can contact Joe as well.

FIXTURES:

Senior XVS v Portadown – Kick Off 2.00 pm Saturday – Portadown – AIL Div 3

Junior 1s v Killorglin – Kick Off 2.30pm Sunday – Musgrave Park – Junior Plate

Junior 2s No Game this week

Under 21s v Highfield – Kick Off 1.30pm Sat – Musgrave Park – SW Conf Div 1

Under 19s v Nenagh Ormond – Saturday 1pm – Cois Laoi -Avonmore Milk U19 League

Under17s v Muskerry – Saturday 11 am – Muskerry – South Munster League

Under15s No Game this week

Under 13s v Highfield – Saturday 12.30pm – Cois Laoi – Friendly

Mini Rugby
Under 12s No Game this week – Training Frankfield – 10am sharp

Under 11s No Game this week – Training Frankfield – 10am sharp

Under 10s No Game this week – Training Musgrave Park – 10am sharp

Under 9s No Game this week – Training Musgrave Park – 10am sharp

Under 8s No Game this week – Training Musgrave Park – 10am sharp

Under 7/6s No Game this week – Training Musgrave Park – 10am sharp

SHANNON
Shannon Notes Week ending February 13th 2010
With the seniors cup semi final called off due to a bereavement in UCC the main focus of attention last weekend fell upon the U/21’s who began the next phase of the south western conference with a game against Garryowen. As usual, any game at this level with the light blues is difficult and Saturdays encounter proved just that , although despite winning by 16-11 or lads have much more to offer than there performance. That said however, they battled hard and showed much of the qualities that has them unbeaten thus far. Reduced to 14 men twice in the game they had to withstand several Garryowen attacks and maintain some semblance of discipline.

It looked at one stage in the first half that we forged into the lead with try, but the assistant ref called play back for an earlierindiscretion which resulted in the first of the yellow cards. By and large the lads deserved their win and can look back on patches of excellence; none more so than Gareth O’Hanlon’s try which was set up with a scintillating run from namesake Craig O’Hanlon. Ben Sergeant was again on top form with the boot, converting superbly from the touchline and adding three penalties to edge us out in front. Saturday sees them travel up to Galwey to play NUIG for a 1pm kickoff.

The thirds returned to winning ways when they played out a low scoring, but excellent game of rugby also against Garryowen. Dooradoyle saw two highly committed sides thrash out a 3-0 victory and with it a guaranteed place in the Gleeson league playoffs. The 3 – 0 win hides a much improved performance from the previous week and consolidates our 2nd place finish in the league portion of the Gleeson League with a game remaining. This was a game we dominated throughout, but some spurned try scoring opportunities meant we never felt safe. Fergal Curtin kicked a penalty mid way through the first half, which followed a period of dominance.

Territorially we were well on top but thankfully we didn’t pay the price for lack of scores. When do we learn to maximize our scoring potential we will be able to breathe a little easier coming into the latter stages of games .A visit from Clonmel this Saturday to Coonagh will round off the league campaign and we will then have the play offs of both the Gleeson League and Munster J2 league to look forward to .

The ladies senior side hosted Clanwilliam in the All Ireland cup and proved far too strong for a committed but limited visiting side. In the end it was a landslide victory by 57 point to nil and throughout the game the whole squad got involved. A very young team in the main has scatterings of experience and it was one of our most experienced players Amanda Greensmith that led the way scoring 4 tries. Not far behind was Claire Ryan who bagged 3 while Maria Sheehan, Therese Hatley, Aoife Crowley all got one each. Linda Tracey accounted for the remainder with her trusty boot and despite the strength of the opposition the coaches and players can be more than happy with the result.

Without a game the seniors turned to some familiar faces and played a game against the seconds. These type of full on training games , when friend meets friend can often be far more beneficial than a regular training run and Sundays run out was no different. There was no qu8arter asked or given and I’ve no doubt everyone was pleased with the run out. IT was great to see Andy Finn back in the colours after his stint in the Middle East and his presence will add considerable to the squad. Fergal Walsh also has a 30 minute run to see how his injury is progressing and Kevin Griffin continues his return to match fitness. Some unhappy news sees Eoghan Grace sidelined for a while with a knee injury but in general as we enter the final stages of the AIB league the squad would appear to be strengthening. Both the seconds and seniors have a well deserved free weekend.

At underage our 13’s and 14’s hosted Ballinasloe on Saturday with both games highly competitive. The U/19’s were unfortunately beaten by Crosshaven in the pan Munster cup with a severely depleted side. Coaches Kieran Ryan and Brendan Mc Namara have probably one of the toughest jobs in the club at the moment trying to get a side together for this difficult age group. Once again the Schools/ Club issue is a serious impediment and the two lads deserve immense credit for their tireless efforts.

This Sunday the U/15’s head to Woodview to play Thomond while the U/17’s have a longer journey to Clonmel. The U/13s are at home to Scariff, as are the U/19’s who host Thomond.