Whelan stars with four tries
FOUR-TRY captain Katie Whelan inspired her team to a hard-fought win in windy Portarlington to Enniscorthy unbeaten and leading the Leinster Under-16 girls’ rugby Premier league.
Six tries to two sounds comprehensive, but this game was anything but as Whelan’s team had to dig deep for much of this contest to keep their very welldrilled opponents at bay.
Disciplined defence was the order of the day and, when the opportunities came, the Ross Road girls had the player to strike and strike Whelan did.
All her four tries, two in each half, came from breaks 50 metres out, and when Whelan breaks that first tackle, she will not be stopped.
In the first minute, the away team’s backs spread the ball to put centre Mia Kelly powering in under the posts for a great start. Kelly converted her own try, one of three she kicked.
In between Whelan’s two firsthalf tries, the hard-working Ciara O’Leary showed great awareness to dive over from close range after vital work from open side Aoife Wafer.
It was 24-5 at half-time, but it was game on as the home team touched down early in the second period and proceeded to lay siege on the ‘Scorthy line for the entire half.
If ever defence won a game, this was it. Aoife Codd, Whelan, Wafer, O’Leary, Miriam Knoblauch and Ciara Boland were magnificent, and this opened the door for strike runners like Kaci O’Connor, Mia Kelly, Ciara O’Leary and Katie Bates to lift the siege time and time again.
Whelan struck midway through the half after good work by im- pressive wing forward Lucy Egan opened the door for her to put the score at 29-10.
Back the Laois girls came and upped their intensity, but the Enniscorthy line was not going to be crossed with Bríd Kavanagh, Mykala O’Leary and Taragh Cooper working really hard against their bigger opponents.
Jessica Wickham carried hard time and time again and kept taking the game to the midlanders.
Besides the undoubted player of the match, Whelan, best for Enniscorthy were Aoife Wafer who tackled and carried hard all day, Miriam Knoblauch who fearlessly led the defensive effort, and the midfield trio of Aoife Codd, Mia Kelly and Ciara Boland who rarely put a foot wrong in defence and attack.
Ellen Rogan, Chloe McGrath, Elaine Morycka and Elaine Oladiran all made impressive contributions from the bench.
Team: Bríd Kavanagh, Jessica Wickham, Mikayla O’Leary, Taragh Cooper, Ciara O’Leary, Miriam Knoblauch, Aoife Wafer, Lucy Egan, Katie Whelan (capt.), Aoife Codd, Kaci O’Connor, Ciara Boland, Mia Kelly, Katie Bates, Lauren Delaney. Replacements: Chloe McGrath, Jessica Blythe, Hannah Byrne, Elaine Oladiran, Amelia Morycka, Lara Freeman, Chelsea Ajayi.