ROUND-UP Seconds drive on

RUGBY Wanderers advance to cup last eight

THE WEXFORD Wanderers second XV, on the back of an impressive South East J2/J3 Leinster League campaign, hosted Clane’s first XV at Park Lane on Sunday in the second round of the Provincial Seconds Towns Cup.

Wanderers seconds came into the game on the back of three local derby wins in the league, and a derby win in the opening round of the cup to New Ross, and they have been on an unbeaten run since the start of January.

The game started well with Wanderers reading the Clane gameplan and working to their strengths to release winger Owen Cardiff to score in the corner after only ten minutes.

Richie Waters stepped up ten minutes later to get his first points from the boot after Clane were penalised in front of their posts for not rolling away in the ruck.

At this stage Wanderers’ back line was starting to tick as Foley and Hudson, who was sprung from the bench, worked the backs effectively across the full width of the park.

Hudson added the next score after cutting through a gap in the visitors’ midfield to score under the posts and make Waters’ conversion relatively easy.

Just on the cusp of the interval in almost a carbon copy move to his first try,

Hudson added a second which Waters again converted to give Wanderers a 22-0 lead at the break.

At the interval Wanderers management started to utilise the bench, introducing Smythe, Byrne and Moore to add carrying power and some bulk to the pack.

Clane started to rally in the second-half and it took 20 minutes before Waters sneaked through the visitors’ defence to score under the posts.

At this stage Clane were a spent force and were realistically seeking a consolation score to achieve something from the contest.

Wanderers continued to make changes and introduced Kelleher to the second row and re-introduced Kinsella to the back row for the final quarter.

During this closing phase of the game Clane played their most consistent rugby but were limited to keeping the ball in hand as they tried to conjure up a score before the end.

However, the game finished as it started with Cardiff crowning a man of the match performance with his second try.

The final score at Park Lane was 34-0 to Wanderers, an historic win which takes them into the quarter-finals of the cup.

This is Wanderers’ first time to progress past the second round in over a generation, and the alickadoos in Park Lane are still scratching their heads to try to recall when the club last competed in a Provincial Seconds Towns Cup quarter-final.

Results elsewhere meant that shortly after the final whistle Wanderers found out that the opponents in the next round will be Tullow who beat fellow Wexford side Gorey in Tullow on a 16-5 scoreline.

At this stage the quarter-final is scheduled to be played on March 26 in Park Lane, but the venue will be confirmed closer to the date along with the kick-off time.

In other news, Wanderers first XV recommence their Leinster League campaign next Sunday when they travel to Arklow, before finishing the league at Park Lane the following Sunday.

It has been a year of considerable for the club on a number of playing fronts, and the flagship team in the club will be very keen to end their campaign on a high note and build on the recent achievements of the seconds.

The club will be hosting a ‘Stars in their Eyes’ competition in the clubhouse on Friday, March 3, at 8.30 p.m. to raise funds.

The number of acts rehearsing after rugby training has been growing steadily over the past number of weeks and an entertaining night will be guaranteed, with many acts paying tribute to a variety of artistes and musical genres.

Tickets are on sale at only €5 each and may be booked through the club social media channels or on the door.

Meanwhile, the date for the club annual dinner dance in the Talbot Hotel has been announced as March 17 which will give rugby supporters an added reason to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year.

For further information in relation to upcoming fixtures and events, follow the club on Facebook and Twitter or sign up to our weekly newsletter.

Team: Bob O’Leary, Graham Grant, Jason Guirrine, Pat Toomey, Rory O’Connor, Nick Jones, Chris Vickery, John Rowe, Alan Kinsella, Conor Foley, Callum Murphy, Noel Richards (capt.), Richie Waters, Owen Cardiff, Aaron O’Neill. Subs. - Aaron Smythe, James Byrne, Reece Moore, David Kelleher, Tommy Hudson.