It was another mixed weekend of rugby action for those sides whose fixtures surived Storm Desmond as Carlow put in a dominating performance over Portarlington at Oak Park, Tullow fell short at North Kildare while Kilkenny lost not one but two referees and had their J1 and J2 fixtures scrapped with the J3s getting a walkover against Old Wesley.
Kilkenny Women and Carlow Coyotes’s games against Tullamore and Clondalkin respectively were also victims of weather conditions.
Kilkenny P-P Monkstown (Division 1A)
In what would have been their last home fixture of 2015, Kilkenny’s game against Monktown, who defeatued the Foulkstown men on the opening day of the season, was scrapped as no referee had arrived for the fixture. Similarly, the referee looking after the J2 fixture was injured during warmups and that game couldn’t go ahead while Old Wesley conceded their J3 fixture against Kilkenny as they couldn’t field a team.
Kilkenny travel to Suttonians this coming weekend having beaten them at Foulkstown on 3 October (picture above) while their fixture against Monkstown has been rearranged for Saturday 19 December with a 2pm kick off at Foulkstown.
North Kildare v Tullow (Division 1B)
Tight finish for the 1sts yesterday as the held out against @TullowRFC in a 27-22 thriller at The Maws #LeinsterDomestic #LeinsterRugby
— North Kildare RFC (@NKRFC) December 7, 2015
It may have been a tight fixture at Kilcock but the 27-22 reverse for Tullow doesn’t make for pretty viewing in Division 1B.
The result leaves North Kildare sharing the lead at the top of Division 1B while Tullow prop up the table, level on points with Longford but their northwestern counterparts having won again at the weekend gives them a wins advantage.
James Malone opened the scoring for Tullow before succumbing to injury. Tullow got off the mark in the first half intercepting Jack Bruton for a try, not converted. North Kildare looked well in the second half, picking up a penalty try (converted) before Joe Gerry addition another score under the posts inside the final ten minutes.
Final score in Kilcock @NKRFC 27 @TullowRFC 22 great performance by @TullowRFC unlucky not to come away with full points
— Tullow RFC (@TullowRFC) December 6, 2015
In desparate need of the points, Tullow snatched two tries inside the closing minutes to pick up the losing bonus point but ultimately leave North Kildare with the spoils.
With the Christmas break coming up and Tullow having put in decent innings in last year’s Provincial Towns Cup, the men in maroon and white will no doubt be looking to find better form than one win in eight heading into 2016.
Carlow 38-0 Portarlington (Division 2A)
The top viewing of the weekend was to be found at Oak Park where Carlow exacted revenge in clinical fashion for their opening day defeat to a strong Portarlington side, coming away 38-0 victors and moving back to joint leaders of Division 2A.
With the Carlow J2s having picked up a win in the early game, it was late in the first half before the J1s sparked to life.
Ritchie Whyte had missed a penalty opportunity for Carlow on 13 minutes, but at the second time of asking midway through the first half, Whyte had 3 points on the board with a penalty in front of the posts.
Having dominated possession throughout the first half, the homeside got the breakthrough inside the final five minutes as 2014 club captain James Nolan crossed the line at the posts, Carlow making use of Portarlington’s number 8 heading to the sin bin to go into the break 10-0 up.
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Within two minutes of the restart Carlow were 17 ahead thanks to a the pace of Thomas Ratahai with a terrific breakaway try to run 40 metres and touch down under the posts. From there, Carlow turned things up a gear.
Harry Hennessy added a well-earned try for himself for Carlow’s third before James Nolan hit a double – those three tries coming inside an electric five or six minute period late in the second half to ensure the winning bonus point.
Photos & words: Ken McGuire
