I noticed last Saturday that the red is just coming into the haws in the Rosetown hedge rows, mind you, it wasn’t the only thing I noticed on the first day of October,……Garda, Skerries, and now Enniscorthy RFC have all been eviscerated by the little Black and Yellow boys…… Where we’ll be ,when the fat red haws will have been fleeced by ravenous blackbirds, and this competition is all over I have no idea but for now we stand alone on top of the Leinster League. It’s a nice feeling…… running the race out front with the wind blowing through the hair and the others struggling to keep up….. I suspect that we might just keep on running faster and faster and see what happens because as our captain Ben said after the match “we are on a journey!”

 

This was a big weekend for us, with 3 matches versus Enniscorthy RFC in Rosetown, also a rock concert and a RWC breakfast early Sunday morning. Our ladies got things underway at 3 bells just as soft drizzle changed us into “umbrellas up” mode. This AIL league game provided me with my first glimpse of our Ladies in battle ….. they fought ferociously before losing 10-20 ,they were extremely disappointed to have lost , even with the consolation of being very competitive. Enniscorthy had 2 really good runners who “skinned” us and got four tries between them,but for me the highlights of the game were the performances of Laura Coates in the pack and Kaylee Cogan, our fullback who is a serious footballer and scored two good tries.

 

Next up,our Seconds took the field at 5pm and straightaway they “lorried” into Enniscorthy with deadly intent driven on by Barry McCann who was in a bitch of a humour. Jon Downey and Karl Darragh are not people you expect to be writing about at this level, but that’s the way it is for now at Newbridge,……and most unfortunate was this for Enniscorthy Seconds, as along with Liam ( who amazed his Dad by presenting himself for selection!) and Branno they were just too strong, too fast and too “good looking” for a bemused Enniscorthy XV -for whom a big Red haired lad, who got their only try stood out. It ended 24 points to 11. Barry was livid that we left a bonus point behind. That’s our Barry for you!

 

Before the Firsts game, we were treated to an exhibition by our U11s under the watchful eye of Dave O Hora and about two hundred or so spectators including the remnants of the 1974 Old Kilcullen XV brought together for the day by the redoubtable Oliver Delaney Esq. Donald Conroy , Richie Brophy as well as an O Hora fellow stood out in the young lads exhibition but they all did well . Thanks Guys!.

 

The tension around the Firsts match was palpable as both teams had 2 bonus point wins to their credit in their first 2 game. Also ,lets just say we know each other rather well! Within five minutes of the start, we struck them “a box in the belly” by virtue of one of our “roadrunners”…… Padraig Mahon ,who flew along the top of the ground the whole length of the pitch to touch down under the posts. This dissipated a bit of the tension but it soon returned as they scored a try after we made a Horlicks (Does anyone drink this stuff anymore?) out of a kick ahead and their 3 penalties to lead 14-7 after 25 minutes.

 

Things changed utterly and terribly for Enniscorthy after this…… We got vexed ,especially vexed for some reason were our front row men Abba and Grant who are normally two amiable gentlemen…..we pushed them off their own balls twice, before out half Harry Murphy scored from another scrum turn over .Half time arrived with the score at 14 all and Newbridge were sucking diesel big time!. There is something about Newbridge these days that makes them get stronger and faster as the game opens up …..it is thrilling to watch and to feel part of, especially for those of us who remember the times before the ball left its imprint high up on that goal post down in Gorey ,before falling over to give us our first win in 2 seasons of rugby, in a muck fest Towns Cup match back in the day …..Colin O Brien played in that game and is still jumping up into the sky and running around the pitch like a big crazed chicken on speed!

 

When the Enniscorthy prop went off injured , a few minutes into the second half, the referee called for the scrums to go uncontested .This made little difference to what was happening because by that stage ,we had got to grips with Enniscorthy ……. We proceeded to slowly and methodically strangle the life out of them! Ryan Jones and Grant scored two more tries and the game ended 29-14. Another bonus point win in the bag!

 

They stood around for a moment or two to let the vibe soak in and to feel the pleasure …… a fog of steam was rising up out of them as the drizzle cooled them down….they did their Uggy thing before headed for the showers,…… the rest of us headed for the fire and the smell of a pint!

 

Revelate are a good rock band from the banks of the canal in Ballyteague. They had set up in the bar during the game but held their fire until we got the curry into us, said our few words and goodbyes …..Then they opened up and rocked and rocked …… and we rocked with them but too soon we had to go home, so that we could come back for the breakfast on Sunday morning and another bout of pleasure as Ireland proceeded to do to Italy what Newbridge did to Enniscorthy the night before .

 

Ireland doesn’t do earthquakes and thanks be to God for that ; but if we did do earthquakes ,I think we might now call them seanobriens! Seismic Sean and his band of brothers ……Things are on the Up! Where we’ll end up I don’t know but so far….. so good!!

 

PS ,Tom Berney had a big grin on him last Saturday night ….. The U15s had repaid a debt by beating Naas in their league game earlier in the day. Nice One Lads!

 

PS Eile .One of the things I saw last Saturday night was a young man playing a ladies leg like a guitar .Its hard to beat live music!