Carlow 15 Cill Dara 15
By John Shirley
Carlow opened their new Leinster League season with a 15 all home draw against Cill Dara but in a game where they mixed the good with the awful, Carlow left a victory behind them.
The scoring make up, of Carlow’s three tries versus Cill Dara’s five penalties, tells the story of the game. Carlow showed skill and penetration at times whilst a limited Cill Dara stayed in the game thanks their outhalf Dylan Walshe who had a perfect 5 out of 5 off the kicking tee.
The good parts of Carlow’s game included three well worked tries, a good defence, and a strong scrum. In addition to missing the posts with four kicking attempts, Carlow downsides included kicking balls dead instead of into the corner, wasting overlaps with bad passing, and indiscipline leading to penalties.
On the day the referee wasn’t into giving scrum penalties so Carlow’s dominance here counted for nought.
Cill Dara opened the score in the 4th minute with a 40 metre Walshe penalty. Carlow’s Rob Browne was wide with his 1st penalty effort in the 10th minute. Carlow gradually gained the upper hand for most of the 1st half.
In the pack Nolan, Elmes Gorman were making hard yards. Winger Seamus Curran almost got through for a try in the corner. Rob Browne saved a certain intercept try when he caught the player from behind close to his own line.
The home side’s 1st try came on 30 minutes from an attacking lineout in the corner. Alan Byrne took the ball off the jumper and made yards round the front of the line out.
Bermingham took it another few inches but it was the powerful number 2 Joe Gorman who just squeezed the ball over the line in the corner. Carlow held the 5 – 3 lead till the point of half time when they conceded a penalty in front of their posts.
Five minutes into the second half Carlow took back the lead. Browne fielded a high ball on the half way. Good ground was made up the left with a chip ahead. The visitors seemed to have stopped the move but lost possession when Bermingham came out of a ruck with the ball.
He passed right and Wes Shirley, who had an outstanding game, weaved his way through for a try. The conversion was wide but Carlow were now 10 – 6 ahead.
The scoring pendulum swung back to the visitors. Carlow conceded a rash of penalties, two of which Walshe goaled from way out the field to put the visitors up 12 pts to 10.
Home support frustration was mounting as Carlow botched a number of scoring chances but in the 28th minute the passes stuck and Jeff McDermott ran in an unconverted try in the corner for Carlow to lead 15 – 12.
The equalising penalty was facilitated when the referee moved the ball forward 10 metres due to Carlow backchat. This brought the kick into the range of sharpshooter Walshe and he duly delivered. Of the two sides the youthful Cill Dara teams will be the most content with this drawn game.
Overall the feeling among Carlow management is that this year’s team is stronger than last season but that they have work to do before meeting Railway Union in Dublin next Sunday.
Carlow
Rob Browne, Sam Dunne, , Jeff McDermott, Harry Hennessey, Johnny Murphy, John Whyte, David Barron, Larry McGrath, (Capt) Joe Gormon, Alan Byrne, Thomas Whitney, Wes Shirley, Rudi Niall Bermingham, Ross Elmes, James Nolan.
Subs; Evan Gordon, Timmy O Donoghue, Rudi Corcoran, John Lyons, Simon Walsh,
Cill Dara
Ronan O Neachtain, Josh Nugent, Fionn Heffernan, James O Loughlin, Ivan Brody, Dylan Walsh, Cathal Mahon, Simon Cahill, Aaron Kane, DJ Brannock, Stephen Walsh, Billy Scully, Padraig Wall, Jack Kennedy, JohnJoe McIlwrath.
Subs; Jason Gleeson, Billy O Shea, Jack Briody, Philip Kenny, Houston Newton.
J2 Game
Carlow 31 Cill Dara 12
After a frustrating first half Carlow in which they gifted Cill Dara 4 easily kicked penalties, Carlow’s J2 side eventually overcame Cill Dara by 31 – 12 in an earlier Leinster League game at Oakpark on Sunday.
Carlow’s 1st half scores came from a Jack Hickey try and a penalty by Liam Slater, who has converted from hooker to outhalf.
Carlow dominated the second half. Martin Mullins, who played back row last season, got a good try from the right wing. Strong bursts up the field by Ed Keating led to tries from Gordon Rowe and Dillon Kehoe.
Liam Slater converted one of the tries and added two late penalties to put his side on top of the table after week one.
Last season this side led by Tom Bolger won their league.
J2 team
Gearoid Dunbar, Peter Hennessey, Jack Hickey, Stephen Stuart, Dillon Kehoe, Liam Slater, Tom Bolger, Mark Slye, Rudi Corcoran, Zac Fitzhenry, Anthony Mannion, Frederic Leonard, Ed Keating, Chris Challe, William Whitford.
Subs; Niall O Malley, Edghill Owen, Aidan Raply, Rhys Edghill, Eoin Rea, Martin Mullins, Gordon Rowe.
Carlow Coyotes 31 Mullingar 10
Carlow women’s team, the Coyotes, got their Leinster League Division 1 campaign off to an excellent start on Sunday at Oakpark with a 31 – 10 victory over Mullingar.
The Carlow pack dominated and their total of five tries included two from second rower Nollaig Lyons, one each from prop Tanala Kehoe and centre/fullback Maureen Young.
The fifth try came from a penalty try which arose from an illegal tackle on scrumhalf Emily McKeown. Two Maureen Young conversions completed the scoring to put the Coyotes on top of the table after week one.
Mullingar’s scoring came from two unconverted tries.
Carlow Coyotes
Jamie Feeney, Kerry Dooley, Louise Conville, Maureen Young, Rachel Mulholland, Lisa Doyle, Emily McKeown, Erin Byrne, Val Timmons, Tanala Kehoe, Nollaig Lyon, Becka Mullins, Jenny Ardill, Joyce Mahon, Keeva Ownens,