How will the story end ? -no one knows …….. but at the half way point of our First’s and Second’s league campaigns ……we are leading out in both!  Our Firsts dropped points on Saturday in Rosetown against a resurgent Dundalk who found it within themselves to have an almighty cut at the ‘little black and yellow lads’ . The opening half featured the Dundalk pack using their cuteness to frustrate us,   as we conceded  penalty after penalty. Twenty minutes in they found the confidence to score a well worked try against the run of play. Then just on half time,  they scored a penalty to leave us with a 0-10 hill to climb in the second half.
Sure enough, the warmed up turbo charger that our Firsts had been keeping for  the second half had us level within ten minutes. Dundalk were under severe pressure as the penalty trend was completely reversed. Newbridge play a very cohesive game when they are in the zone, Dundalk like everyone else before them had to give way. Within ten minutes we set up a ruck on their line and after five  phases  Rory powered his way through to score a typical Rory try.  Karl Darragh stepped up to kick the conversion . Dundalk sucked in their breath.
If wing forward Mick Byrne was alive in Wales in the fifties he would have been a miner and he would have been mining at the coalface, I have been watching him closely for weeks now, always unhurried, and  brave, never controversial, always doing the right thing.  He exemplifies this Newbridge team which is a real team with no one player dominating proceedings.  Our back row with Mick, Ronan Mangan and Niall Duggan -very different players all,is lethal.  In this period of ‘irresistability’ Karl Darragh kicked three penalties before we took our ‘pedal off the metal’.  At the exalted level we now play our rugby, the slightest loss of concentration will be punished .  Dundalk came at us like Watchorn’s old bull came after me back in the day (When I tried to switch his attention from the  hag of a cow he was attending, to a beautiful young heifer my father had sent me with to get serviced.)
Its not that we panicked or anything but old dogs have a way of smelling their way out of trouble, and so with Town’s cup holders Dundalk. With five minutes left on the clock,they kicked a penalty to trail 13-10, then kicked and kicked and kicked. In injury time, we knocked on behind our goal line …..as we looked, they swooped , but the ref had blown.  Within seconds we were attacking their goal line but they intercepted and hacked the ball up the field. From the ruck on the halfway line we were  pinged for off side ……. Their Gallujah of a kicker split the posts and the spoils …… two points lost in the heat of battle!
Our Seconds  had a few  old dogs . Barry MCann, Liam Dewellbred, Eddie Southern (and Branno  injured  but prowling  the touchline like an Alsatian.) With the Firsts things happen in a flash , but there is no problem  blinking away to your heart’s content  at a Seconds game- you won’t miss a thing. I arrived just in time to see Liam run onto the ball, bludgeon his way over , then twist  and score ……a beautiful try that made his father proud . The half time whistle blew immediately after the conversion. The 14-0 scoreline to the Bridge flattered us- so I was told!
Newbridge went about their business in the second half with serious intent . Robbie Scahill , Ronan Skehan, and Peader Downie were like ravenous  rodents in a granary as they received a ready supply of go forward ball from aforementioned gentlemen and the likes of Mark Doyle – who has a grand little side step. Ken Bracken . who  isn’t quite in the ‘old dog ‘ category but fits right in there……… Anyway it ended up 49-0. Its going to take a fair Seconds team to stop Barry’s babes. Watch this space!
Thanks to our U/12s who  entertained us before the First’s kick off with an exhibition game versus Dundalk  and also amongst themselves. ….. and to the Mammies who laid on the sandwiches . I think everyone enjoyed it and the support from the young ones was much appreciated by Manners and his crew
Sunday morning  I went up the road for my first sight this season  of the Little Blue boys.  The Heineken Cup game at the RDS. Someone told me that Glasgow Warriors were coming in on foot of seven straight wins. I cannot fathom how they won one game let alone seven. In  that first  half it was like watching boys against men. Glasgow were exemplified by two big dyed blonde guys in their pack  …… Outstangingly useless men!  Leinster had Devin Toner yellow carded late into the first half ….. this p*****   off the Blueboys  to such an extent  they scored 9and converted ) two tries   while he was in the bin - No reflection whatsoever on Toner , but I so miss Nathan Hines!  The four try bonus point was in the bag by half time. In the second half both teams went through the motions …….. Ross is as good a tight head as I have seen with my eyes, and Isa Nacewa  is not a winger, but then again neither is Kearney.

NB . I see that Midge Kavanagh is gathering troops for the visit of London –Irish Veterans to Rosetown  this  Saturday26th Nov 2.30pm.  The Grapevine has it that Fred Foster might fly in…………The mind boggles .

NB Eile . The Army comes to Rosetown this Thursday24th to see if they can wrest back the Dobie Cup. Denis Clarke will play for them in the centre. It will be interesting to watch himself and Ben exchange pleasantries.