15s in form on eve of big Tullow test

DUNDALK CARLOW 52 12

DUNDALK Under-15s travelled to Carlow for their opening encounter in this phase of the Leinster League Division 1 campaign and came away with a well deserved victory based around a solid firsthalf performance and a strong finish.

Some of the phase play and rucking was of the highest order, creating a lot of space for strong running out wide.

Carlow did have their moments and had a number of very good players, but they just couldn’t manage to keep Dundalk under consistent pressure. They did, however, manage to cross the Dundalk line once in each half and the home side will certainly be disappointed over the easy manner in which these tries were conceded.

That said, there was one period of sustained pressure on their own try line where the defence was very solid and aggressive, which showed what can be achieved when they are fully focused and committed.

While there were many good performances, the most notable came from Forkhill man and captain Jamie Rafferty who set the standard from the start and led his team in magnificent fashion.

Dundalk know there are many areas that can be improved upon and will realise that a huge challenge awaits this week when a very powerful Tullow team, who had an equally impressive victory over Gorey, come to Mill Road.