Classy Conn keeps his cool Super representation!
Kinsella slots winning kick
U16 LEINSTER LGE DIV 1
ARKLOW RFC LONGFORD RFC 10 7
THE Arklow under-16 boys continued their strong season with a win over league leaders Longford in Arklow last Saturday.
This game had been postponed three times in recent weeks due to poor weather and it was with a sense of relief that the boys finally got to take to the pitch with a strong wind blowing from the south.
Longford had beaten Arklow earlier in the season by three points in a game that the local boys had felt they had left behind, and it was with a sense of focus that they began this game.
From early on this game was tight with Arklow having to defend early attacks.
Massive defending by props Sean McCarthy and Eoin Byrne denied Longford scoring early in the first half.
Arklow soaked up the pressure well and had learned from the previous encounter to deny the opposition the opportunity to attack was the key to keeping Longford in touch.
With the wind in the back of the Arklow boys in the first half they felt they had to capitalise and put up a score before facing the gale of the second half.
Excellent positional kicking by outhalf Conn Kinsella provided wingers Danny Byrne and Will Molloy with opportunities but without success as the half continued.
With the strong wind the lineout was always going to be difficult but credit to hooker Jamie Tobin he found the second row Roan Frehill time and again to launch attacks at the travelling team. However as the game edged deeper towards half time, remarkably neither team had scored, a reflection of how tight this game was to be.
Arklow and Longford not giving an inch and both cancelling each other out. Half-time score saw no points on the board.
An expected revival from Longford, now with a strong tailwind, occurred within five minutes of the restart as they secured a loose ball in the centre of the field and ran at pace through a broken Arklow Defence line. The travelling team touched down under the posts and converted to opening the score 0-7.
As seen all season this young Arklow never stop playing and knowing a top place on the league table was at stake, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Phase after phase of big forward play brought them deep into the Longford half with big carries by Luke Doyle, Ross Burke and Daire Furlong.
But try as they might the Longford defence held tight and continually denied the waves of attack.
Sensing a change was needed the local boys switched tack and started to spread the ball wide; this saw an immediate result with quick hands by Padraig Birmingham and Dean Kelly finally releasing the speedy Chris O’Brien to cross the white wash and touch down to open the Arklow score.
An angled conversion into the wind was what greeted Kinsella but without hesitation he slotted the ball over the bar to tie the match 7-7.
With the clock now ticking down and Arklow needing a win to keep their league title alive, the boys again went on the attack.
Big carries by Oran Kelly from the base of the scrum brought them back into the Longford half, but with the clock ticking down it looked like a draw was on the cards.
A great run down the wide channel by Zander Davis caused disruption along the Longford defensive line and resulted in a penalty for Arklow for offside.
With just over a minute on the clock and Arklow needing a win, Kinsella again looked for the ball.
This time the kick was on the 22 and just five meters in from the touchline.
With the wind howling in his face and many of the local supporters unable to look on, he slotted the ball over the bar for Arklow to take the lead 10-7.
And so it was to finish just seconds later to an eruption of joy and a great day for all concerned.
With one game left in the league Arklow are still in the hunt for a play-off position as they next travel to Enniscorthy with confidence at an all-time high.
at Energia Park
CO. Wicklow was very well represented at last week’s Leinster Rugby U18s Girls Area Blitz at Energia Park in Donnybrook.
Vicky Elmes Kinlan, Beth Roberts, Laura Newsome, Molly Flood, Jennifer Madden, Ciara Brennan and Naoise O’Reilly (not pictured) from Wicklow RFC, centres Prudence Isaac and Grainne Flynn, hooker Ava Kavanagh and number 8 Jane Neill and played for the South East team while five Greystones RFC girls were involved in the Metro team at the same event: Amy O’Mahony, Eva Sterrit and Grainne O’Sullivan, Elenor Furlong and Sive Cusack.
The South East team won three of their games and drew another on what was a supeerb event for girls rugby in the province.