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Leinster League

Division 1A

 

Cill Dara 0

Newbridge 30

 

 

 

FAST, fierce and focussed, the younger Newbridge team outplayed the more experienced Cill Dara side in one of Division 1A’s local derbys.

The final bonus-point try hammered home the result in which Newbridge took every opportunity with the ball in hand and defended with aggressive hunger.

It was a vital result for the visiting team who were left with wounded pride after last week’s defeat at home to Coolmine.
In Beech Park this week wingers Dave and Neal Hogan were swift in their execution, benefitting from the return of Massey Tuhakaraina at outside centre.

The Kiwi with the magical side-step and deft offloads created attacking opportunities that the Hogan brothers and full-back Karl Darragh exploited with devastating effect.

Up-front the two packs clashed like prize-fighters with a personal grudge with Terry Donnelly and Mark Southern adding some edge to their physical presence.

The lineout worked well, Gareth O’Reilly’s pinpoint darts hitting Colin O’Brien with Swiss-like precision while Arjen Delaney and Mark Southern were dogged in the scrums.

Darragh slotted an early penalty, but the first try came like a bolt from the blue as both sides attacked back and forth, willing to run the ball from any position.

From a scrum Tuhakaraina got quick ball and at pace to slice through the Cill Dara defence for a 10-0 lead after 30 minutes with Darragh kicking the conversion.

Newbridge quickly struck again as Terry Donnelly pressured the ball carrier from a Cill Dara lineout with Niall Duggan pouncing on a fumble for Dave Hogan to hit the afterburners to score from 30-metres.

Cill Dara rallied in the second half and began to mount the pressure putting together some impressive phases of play that left the Newbridge defence scrambling.

They missed one kickable penalty to get on the scoreboard and then lost the lineout after opting to go for the corner from another penalty.

The second half was almost 20 minutes old before Newbridge could lift the siege as Peter Sutton stole a ball and set Tuhakaraina away on a break-out run.

A Cill Dara lazy runner was then sin-binned as the momentum swung to Newbridge with Robbie Waters distribution at 10 keeping the home defence on the back foot.

By now Jonny Downey and John Southern were making the hard yards with Sutton sniping off the rucks.

 

Darragh put Newbridge further ahead with another penalty with just ten minutes to go.

Then it was the turn of substitute prop Pat Lawlor to add his weight to the battle and twice drove in close scattering the Cill Dara defence leaving a hole on the blindside for Hogan to take his second try.

Then from the kick the ball was recycled quickly with Tuhakaraina, Sean Kelly and the Hogan brothers combining out wide for Darragh to finish off with the fourth try.

Team captain Peter Sutton led a team that played with passion and precision and will be hard to beat if the same level of performance can be maintained.

Next week they face unbeaten Boyne in Rosetown in a real benchmark test against a side that expects to be playing in the All Ireland League next year.

Newbridge: Karl Darragh, Dave Hogan, Massey Tuhakaraina, Sean Kelly, Neal Hogan, Robbie Waters, Peter Sutton, Jonny Downey, Niall Duggan, John Southern, Terry Donnelly, Colin O’Brien, Mark Southern, Gareth O’Reilly, Arjen Delaney. Subs used: Pat Lawlor

 

Provincial Seconds

Newbridge 3
Cill Dara 10

Newbridge never got out of the starting blocks with Cill Dara producing a top-class counter attack for the only try of the game.
The sides were dead-locked 0-0 at halftime but after the break John McNamara kicked a long range penalty to finally get on the scoreboard.

At times Newbridge showed what they capable of when quick ball went out to the wings, but ten minutes into the second half Cill Dara pounced to turn over possession deep in their own territory.

Despite some big hits including a last-ditch one from Paul McDonald, Cill Dara took their chance to go 7-3 in front.
A penalty at the start of the final quarter added to Newbridge’s woes but the pack started to string together better phases of play.

Liam Heavey, Austin Cella and Brendan Tierney all carried the ball with purpose but too often Newbridge fell foul of the ref at the ruck.

A misfiring lineout didn’t help matters and despite some good position in the final minutes Newbridge weren’t able to convert physical dominance into scores.