Vikings raid Clontarf to claim Leinster u-18 league

IN an example of two of County Wicklow’s top rugby clubs coming together to promote under age rugby, Greystones RFC and Wicklow RFC have teamed up at under-18s level to field the Vikings a team made up of players and coaches from both clubs who have stormed through to win the Leinster Schools/Youth Under-18 league in a pulsating play-off final in Dr Hickey Park last Sunday.

At the final whistle the combined side defeated Clontarf by the narrowest of margins coming out on top 28–27 victors.

With players from so called rugby schools prevented from turning for their clubs if involved in Schools Cup competitions, both Greystones and Wicklow found themselves in a position at the start of this season of having insufficient numbers to support an under-18s team and in an innovative move came together to form a combined team with a squad of over 22 players.

With coaches from both clubs working together to mould a team ready to compete in the league what an amazingly successful side emerged with a record of having played 14 and won 14 in the league and have coming through to take a place in the final of the Cup competition.

In the regular season, only Clontarf came close to derailing this side with both home and away league encounters ending with just a single score separating the sides so the playoff final between first and second finishers was always going to be tightly contested

In a match that ebbed and flowed, the Vikings opened up an early lead with tries by Conor Curran and Nick Quirke but Clontarf never let them get away and matched them score for score.

An opportunist try early in the second half from Ronan Pedreschi who followed up strongly pressurising the Clontarf full-back into error and pouncing on the loose ball to score looked to provide the Vikings with a cushion on the score board but a late burst of scores from the visitors kept the result in doubt right to the last play.

In the end, Clontarf outscored the Vikings by five tries to three but the difference between the sides was down to the cool finishing and accuracy of Vikings place kicker Conor Curran whose personal haul of 18 points included three successful penalties and two conversions in addition to his first half try, contrasted against just a single successful conversion for the visitors.

A try deep into injury time presented Clontarf with an opportunity to snatch victory with the final kick of the match but the pressure told on their young out-half who pulled his conversion attempt wide of the posts much to the relief of the Vikings players and supporters leaving the single point advantage and victory to the Vikings.

It is no surprise these two sides will meet again in the Cup final to be played in Castle Avenue in two weeks’ time giving Clontarf home advantage and a chance to finally overcome these mighty Vikings at the fourth attempt.

The coaching team led by Greystones President Jerome O’Brien with Mark Kinlen and Andrew Johnson of Wicklow are enormously proud of the achievements of this group of players brought together mere weeks before their opening fixture and developed into a formidable squad and are confident this close cooperation between the two clubs can continue reaping benefits long in the future.

As O’Brien commented, this combined team has ensured meaningful rugby for young men who otherwise would have missed out and the players, Greystones Rugby Club and Wicklow Rugby Club will only benefit in the years to come.

Greystones/Wicklow Vikings

Squad: Cillian Ballesty, Luke Boyce, Darren Byrne, Jonathon Byrne, Cal Connolly, Luke Corcoran, Conor Curran, Conor Dole, Alex Gaughan, Ben Guest, Hrisjtian Ivanov, Harry Kirk, Patrick Nixon, Harry Noonan, Ronan Pedreschi, Dylan Pippet, Nicholas Quirke, Calum Rea, Conor Rubalcava, Stephen Swann, Fionan Teevan, Zach White

Coaches: Jerome O’Brien, Mark Kinlen, Andrew Johnson, Mark McAleer, Mark Wilson, Niall McNulty

Team Manager: Peter Hennessy