E’ CORTHY RUGBY

Enniscorthy 35, Wexford 33: The Under-13 South East Challenge Cup was eagerly awaited as a new cup competition in the south-east among a number of Leinster squads and one invitee from Munster.

With both teams fielding very strong squads and with excellent weather and a dry pitch in Enniscorthy on Thursday, it did not disappoint in terms of good running football and some fine displays of rugby in passing, rucking and set-pieces.

This was truly the well-titled ‘game of two halves’, with Enniscorthy opening very strongly when Rhyan Whelan was on the end of a well-worked movement between backs and forwards, which he converted to leave the home side 7-0 up after two minutes.

Enniscorthy were moving the ball very quickly out of the back of the ruck and moving it out to the wings with pace also, but it was the forwards who were to the fore with two fantastic tries from blindside flanker, Pádraig Waters, who on both occasions ran a great line through several defenders to score under the posts.

Number 8, Cian Dobbs-Doyle, received the ball in his own half and zig-zagged through the centre, evading and handing off defenders to score under the posts.

Then came Dannon Long’s amazing try where he received a fabulous pass from full-back Seán Doyle and from his own ten-metre line he took off on an amazing run down the left wing.

After crossing the Wexford ‘22, he spotted a gap in the defenders to race across and score a great individual try in the centre. With all tries converted by Rhyan Whelan, Enniscorthy led 35-0 at half-time.

Despite being down by such a big margin, the Wexford team kept their heads high and started to see rewards in the second-half.

Seven minutes after the re-start a strong direct run inside the Enniscorthy ‘22 from Jake Kavanagh resulted in Wexford’s first score.

This was converted by Páidí Doyle who had come on in the first-half to replace Robert Reynolds who damaged his calf muscle.

Three minutes later Daniel Furlong finished a good run across the defence by Daithí Murphy to score Wexford’s second try.

With the score now at 35-12 to Enniscorthy, any comeback by Wexford seemed a long way off. However, four minutes later Páidí Doyle showed his pace in the back line to score a try, which he converted to bring the scores closer at 35-19.

Enniscorthy still had the ball in the second-half, but Wexford had tightened their defence and the scrum had become more secure after some positional changes leading up to half-time.

A comeback seemed more likely when Daniel Furlong crossed for his second try from close range following sustained forward play inside the Enniscorthy ten-metre line.

Following a conversion from Páidí Doyle, the scores were closing at 35-26.

The last play of the game saw a wide pass from Páidí Doyle to Pearce Doyle on the wing. Pearce showed his pace to bring the Wexford attack into the Ennniscorthy ‘22.

The play was ended by Jake Kavanagh again running strongly at the defence to break through and score his second try. With the conversion from Páidí Doyle the scores were close, but Enniscorthy edged an enjoyable match 35-33.

Some great running rugby and immense tackling was witnessed from the forwards, but the one huge lesson for all the players was to never hang your heads when the score seems to be insurmountable at half-time.

As the great Willie John McBride said: ‘When I went out to the fields to work I never gave up at lunchtime!’

Enniscorthy: Seán Doyle, Rhyan Whelan (Tommy Cahill, HT), Connell Kelly, Tomás Guiney, Dannon Long, Jack Kavanagh, Adam Power (Joe Doyle), Gavin O’Connor (Brian Lett), Conor Hassey, Brandon Cloake (Paul Byrne), Cillian Hanrahan, Cormac Brophy, Pádraig Waters, Luke Wheelock, Cian Dobbs-Doyle.

Wexford: Robert Moore (Paddy Bramley), Laurence Banville, Shane Ryan (David McCarthy), Jack Berry, Daniel O’Grady, Robert Reynolds (Páidí Doyle), William Murphy, Eoin Quirke (Jake Kavanagh), Eric O’Gorman, Jack Quigley (Sam Turner), Alex O’Connor, Daithí Murphy, Sam Hoffheinz, Jonathan Banville (Pearce Doyle), Daniel Furlong.