Wicklow lads shattered after super performance
WICKLOW RFC BIRR RFC 10 15
ON SATURDAY Wicklow under-15s Travelled to Newbridge RFC to play Birr in the Division 1 final. This was a huge task in front of Wicklow as Birr had only lost one game all season and are formidable opponents.
The game started with great intensity and the initial exchanges were evenly matched, however after 5 minutes Birr utilised their big forwards to great effect to get the opening try.
Wicklow went back at Birr with great passion and the game ebbed and flowed until Birr latched onto a kick out of defence and took advantaged of the broken play situation to run in a very good try.
Wicklow then gained the ascendency and played some great rugby for the rest of the first half going in at half time 10-0 down.
Wicklow resumed the second half where they left off in the first and mid way through the half they were rewarded with Alfie Heather scoring in the corner after some great team work and a very patient build up. 10-5 to Birr.
Wicklow continued to dominate and played some very determined rugby against a dogged Birr team that refused to lie down, but with five minutes to go and after a series of long phased movements Wicklow's captain Cal Connolly scored again in the corner, and just failed to make the conversion.
What followed was five minutes of extremely intense rugby where neither team asked or gave quarter and the tackling on both sides was immense.
With a minute to go Birr had a scrum on the Wicklow 22 line and despite a great Wicklow scrum, made great use of poor ball to set up a ruck and then executed their best move of the game to utilise the overlap to score in the corner leaving the final score of the game at 15-10 to Birr.
The Wicklow boys were shattered at the end and distraught, but they had put in their finest performance of the year and could leave the field with their heads held having pushed a vey impressive Birr outfit to the limit.
This was a credit to the players application and work ethic throughout the year and this team wore the Wicklow jersey with great pride and no small amount of skill and courage, and they should be commended for a remarkable performance.
Next on their agenda is a tour to London to play Saracens and Teddington RFC.
Wicklow: Cal Connolly, Stephen Swann, Lukas Morton, Ben O'Connor, Jack Reaburn, Fionan Teevan, Conor Foster, Patrick Nixon, Luke Boyce, Stephen Wall, Conor Curran, Alfie Heather, Diarmuid Whoriskey Jameson, Adam Whelan, Murray Kennedy, Luke Corcoran, Cillian Ballesty, Conor Brennan, Cian Keogh, Wojtek Sowinski.