It’s another busy weekend of rugby ahead (if the weather allows).
First up on Saturday there’s the men’s second’s crucial clash with CYM. After the men’s firsts earned their place in the Division 6 final last week, the seconds hope to follow them by earning a place in the Division 11 final. They take on third place CYM and if Tallaght win they’re in the final. Kick-off is 1.00PM in Tymon Park.
It’s the first part of a double header as the men’s first team then take on Barnhall at 3PM. Though they’re in the final, Tallaght one more win to guarantee they’ll be the home team for the final so they won’t be short of motivation.
In the youths on Saturday, the Under 18s Bistos take on North Meath at home on Saturday with a 12PM kick-off with the venue to be confirmed. The Under 14s girls are playing Terenure on Lakelands 4G pitch with a 10am kick-off.
On Sunday, the under-16s boys take on Donnybrook in Firhouse with a 12PM kick-off. The Under 8’s and Under 9’s have a blitz in Sutton, time to be confirmed. The Under 12’s play in Clondalkin meeting at 9.45. The rest of the teams all have training as usual. Training will go ahead for all teams regardless of the weather as the centre is booked.
Please make every effort to support all our teams.
Fixture update: The Tallaght men’s first’s game v Barnhall has been moved to Maynooth University as the Tymon pitch have been deemed unplayable. The kick-off time has been moved back to 3.30PM . The men’s seconds, the Bistos and the under 16s games are postponed.
Tries: Niall Mahon, Kevin Quinn, Rob Hudson, Jack Russell, Andy Rudd Con: Rob Hudson 3
Metro League Division 6 Tymon Park 15/02/2020
The Tallaght men’s first team took on Trinity College in Metro League Division 6 in a game moved from Santry to the Iveagh Gardens in Crumlin. The game was played in horrendous conditions as storm Dennis raged. Tallaght had the strong wind at their backs and they made smart use of it with Adam Nolan and Dave Clarke constantly pinning Trinity back in their own half with booming kicks.
With the constant driving rain making handling a nightmare, mistakes were inevitable. The Trinity scrum-half attempted to clear his lines but his box kick was blocked down by Niall Mahon who regathered to score his first try for the Tallaght first team. Rob Hudson kicked an excellent conversion to make it 7-0 to Tallaght. It wasn’t long before Tallaght were on the scoresheet again. Once again it came on the back of a Trinity mistake as a kick ahead was fumbled near the Trinity line. Tallaght pounced and after a couple of phases, Kevin Quinn forced his way over to score his first try of the season for the first team. Hudson again converted to make it 14-0.
Tallaght kept the pressure with aggressive carrying from Andy Grace, Alan Moore and Ken McGovern getting them on the front foot. Tallaght full back Simon Collie opted to run a kick back and took off on a fantastic run breaking several tackles. He looked certain to score a try but lost his footing ten metres from the line. However the ball was recycled and eventually Rob Hudson forced his way over from close range to make it 19-0. Tallaght kept going and after a break from Denny McCarthy, Jack Russell got over the line to score his first try of the season. Hudson converted to make it 26-0 at half-time.
In the second half Tallaght had to play into the wind and for the first fifteen minutes of the half they were trapped in their own twenty two. Trinity came at them time and time again and even when Tallaght won the ball back they couldn’t clear their lines because of the strength of the wind. The Tallaght defence held out but then they suffered a blow when centre Denny McCarthy was shown a red card for a tip tackle. The referee accepted that the tackle was more reckless than malicious but as the Trinity player had landed on his neck he felt he had no choice but to send McCarthy off.
Despite being reduced to fourteen men, Tallaght continued to defend resolutely and eventually they were able to get out of their half. Strong carries from replacements Andy Caswell and Joe Ivers got Tallaght into a strong position and then they won a scrum five metres out. Adam Nolan broke from the scrum and got close to the line and then scrum-half Andy Rudd sniped from the ruck and got over for his third try of the season to make it 31-0. There was no more scoring and both teams were delighted to hear the final whistle so that they could run off to get into the hot showers in the dressings rooms. The win put Tallaght into the final with two games to spare, the fourth year in row they’ve made their league final.
Tallaght coach Tom Leigh was pleased for his team. “First of all, I’m delighted to be into another final. This is our first year in this league, so to make the final with two games remaining is a great tribute to all the hard work the players and coaches have put in. But we’re not going to rest on our laurels as we know one more win will guarantee us a home final for the first time ever.”
“The conditions were absolutely horrendous out there but the lads played really smart rugby especially in the first half when we had the wind behind us. We weren’t afraid to play either and scored some really good tries. In the second half we defended really well especially considering we were down to fourteen men for twenty five minutes. It was a really tough game to pick a man of the match as basically everyone played well. But we went for Andy Grace who’s one of our unsung heroes in the front row. Andy always puts in a strong shift for us and he sets the tone for the pack with his physicality and work-rate. Finally on behalf of the whole squad we want to thank the supporters who came out in dreadful weather to cheer us on.”
Man of the match: Andy Grace
Tallaght RFC
1. Alan Sower 2. Ken McGovern 3. Andy Grace 4. Alan Moore 5. Kevin Quinn 6. Jack Russell 7. Niall Mahon 8. Adam Nolan (Captain) 9. Andrew Rudd 10. David Clarke 11. Ciaran Rudd 12. Denny McCarthy 13. Padhraig Jones 14. Rob Hudson 15. Simon Collie 16. Andy Caswell 17. Tony McManus 18. Colin Morrison 19. Joe Ivers 20. Nick McGuinness 21. Daryl Keogh 22. Karl Segrave
With the Six Nations on a break week, it’s a busy weekend of club action.
On Saturday there’s another crucial clash in Division 6 for the men’s first team. They need just one more win to guarantee their place in the final and they take on Trinity College, the only team to have beaten them this season. Kick-off is 3.00 PM in Santry.
In the youths the Under 18s Bistos take on Mullingar on Saturday with a 12AM kick-off in Mullingar. The Under 14s girl’s scheduled home match has been conceded by Edenderry.
The under 7’s/8’s are away to Old Belvedere with a 9am kick-off. The under 11’s are also away to Old Belvedere kick-off 10am. The under 12’s are away to Clondalkin with a 10AM kick-off. The Minis and under 9’s have training as normal. The under 16s boys team are away to Clontarf in the cup with a 12AM kick-off on Sunday.
Please make every effort to support all our teams.
With the Six Nations continuing this weekend there are again no men’s senior fixtures. The women’s team are in action though on Friday evening with a rearranged fixture away to Athy in Division 4B of the women’s league. Kick-off is 7.45PM in the Showgrounds.
There is just the one youths fixture with the under 12’s away to Clondalkin, kick-off 10am, meeting at 9.30am in Clondalkin. All other teams training at normal times.
With the Six Nations beginning this weekend there are no senior fixtures but the youth teams are still busy.
On Sunday the under 16s boys are away to Balbriggan with a 12 noon kick-off. The under 12’s are away to St Brigids, kick-off 11am, meeting at 10.30am. The under 11’s are away to Old Wesley, kick-off 10am, meeting at 9.45. All other teams training at normal times.
Try: Aaron Shanahan, Ken McGovern Con: Rob Hudson 2
Coolmine 7
Metro League Division 6 Tymon Park 25/01/2020
It was first versus second as the Tallaght men’s first team took on Coolmine in Metro League Division 6. Tallaght started the game playing into the wind but it didn’t hamper them as they took the game to Coolmine. They should have scored the first try of the game from a blindside move off a scrum. Adam Nolan put Andy Rudd clear with a two on one but Rudd’s pass was a little high and Rob Hudson couldn’t take it so the chance went begging.
It was only a temporary setback though as Tallaght scored the first try of the game after seven minutes. A fine pass from Denny McCarthy put full back Daryl Keogh in space and he drew the last defender and then put winger Aaron Shanahan away for a fine try. Rob Hudson converted to make it 7-0 to Tallaght. Having shown how dangerous they were when they kept the ball in hand, frustratingly the Tallaght backs then spent the rest of the half kicking it away even when they had players in support. Coolmine’s gameplan was basic but effective and they were very good at keeping the ball for long phases as their big ball carriers made gains. Tallaght got trapped in their own half and eventually the pressure told and Coolmine forced their way over for a try which they converted to make it 7-7 at half-time.
In the second half Tallaght made good use of the wind at their backs with Denny McCarthy and Adam Nolan making several fine territorial kicks for good territory. However Tallaght’s discipline was poor and twice they were marched back ten metres for backchat to the referee. Coolmine has a chance to go ahead with a penalty kick but it drifted wide. Coolmine kept coming at Tallaght for long phases but the Tallaght defence held out with the likes of Ken McGovern, Joe Ivers and Jack Russell making huge numbers of tackles. Adam Nolan kicked deep into the Coolmine half and Aaron Shanahan chased up to force the Coolmine winger into touch five metres out from the Coolmine line. The Tallaght pack mauled the ball over the line from the resulting lineout and hooker Ken McGovern got the touchdown for the try. Hudson kicked an excellent conversion to make it 14-7 to Tallaght.
Tallaght went looking for another score to kill the game off. Aaron Shanahan was put through with a clear run for the line but the referee called it back for a forward pass from David Clarke. Rob Hudson had a penalty kick at goal but it just drifted wide. There was some tense moments for Tallaght to negotiate but their defence held out for a 14-7 win. They know just need to win two of their last three games for a home final.
Tallaght coach Tom Leigh said it was hard-fought win. “Coolmine always play tough, direct rugby and we had to work really hard in defence. We left a few tries behind us that would have made our lives easier and at times we made some poor decisions in attack. But we showed great character once again to grind out the win while not playing at our best. We were missing a lot of players today for various reasons but guys like Joe Ivers and Mark Keogh came in and made a big impact. We have had a tough January but we’ve won all our three game and are now in great shape for a home final for the first time in club history. We had a massive crowd watching us again today and the coaches and players want to thank everyone who came out to support us.”
Man of the match: Ken McGovern
Tallaght RFC
1. Tony McManus 2. Ken McGovern 3. Andy Grace 4. Alan Sower 5. Joe Ivers 6. Scott Hyland 7. Jack Russell 8. Adam Nolan (Captain) 9. Andrew Rudd 10. David Clarke 11. Aaron Shanahan 12. Denny McCarthy 13. Padraig Jones 14. Rob Hudson 15. Daryl Keogh 16. Andy Caswell 17. James Carr 18. Mark Keogh 19. Colin Morrison 20. Simon Gaskell 21. Simon Collie 22. Wayne Stewart
On Saturday there’s another top of the table clash in Division 6 for the men’s first team. After beating Terenure with a last minute penalty last week Tallaght now take on second placed Coolmine. The northsiders come into the match full of confidence after winning their last three games and kick-off is 2.30 in Tymon Park. The men’s second’s scheduled match in Division 11 has been conceded by Railway Union.
Then on Sunday the Tallaght women’s team travel to Kildare to take on Athy in Division 4B of the women’s league. After a encouraging draw against Barnhall last week Tallaght will travel with confidence. Kick-off is at 1.00 PM in the Showgrounds.
Update: This game has now been postponed due to a fixture clash for Athy
In the youths the Under 18s Bistos take on Barnhall on Saturday with a 12AM kick-off in Parsonstown. The Under 14s girls are away to Tullamore on Saturday with a 2.30PM kick-off.
On Sunday, the Under 7’s and Under 8’s have a blitz in St Marys, meeting in Templeville Road at 9.30am. The Under 9’s have a blitz with Bective, venue and time to be confirmed. The rest of the teams all have training as usual.
Please make every effort to support all our teams.
Tallaght RFC had a special visitor last Sunday morning. Ireland skills & kicking coach Richie Murphy led a kicking session and there was representatives from the Tallaght Men’s, women’s and youths sides.
Richie arrived early and stayed late and gave player his time and expertise. Tallaght RFC wishes to express their immense gratitude to Richie for giving up his Sunday morning to help out the club. Also big thanks to Tallaght men’s coach Gary Brennan for helping to organise the session.
The Tallaght men’s first team took on local rivals Terenure in Metro League Division 6. Tallaght had taken top spot in the table last week from Terenure by beating Seapoint and they were looking to keep it. Terenure had the best of the first twenty minutes though as Tallaght gave away several penalties. Eventually Terenure took advantage when they kicked a penalty to take a 3-0 lead.
Tallaght’s lineout was struggling and Terenure were competing smartly at the breakdown. It meant Tallaght couldn’t get any platform to launch their dangerous backline. The likes of Denny McCarthy and Adam Nolan made some good individual runs but ultimately they didn’t lead to scores. Eventually Tallaght did score off a great individual moment. After a good run by Kevin Quinn put Tallaght close to the Terenure twenty two line, scrum-half Andy Rudd made a great break from the ruck. He broke one tackle and then wriggled his way out of a second one before stepping the full back to score a great try under the posts. Rob Hudson converted to make it 7-3 to Tallaght.
The try gave Tallaght some confidence and now Terenure were the ones giving away penalties. Twice Terenure gave away kickable penalties but Tallaght decided against going for the posts and instead kicked for a lineout. However on both occasions the lineout was botched and the half-time score remained at 7-3 even with Terenure down a man through a yellow card. In the second half Tallaght kept putting themselves in good territory through the excellent tactical kicking of Denny McCarthy. However they couldn’t translate that territory into a score to ease the nerves.
They weren’t helped when centre Padhraig Jones was show a yellow card for reacting off the ball. The Tallaght defence managed to see out the ten minutes Jones was gone however and the centre made amends with a smashing tackle to put a Terenure player out of touch to stop an attack. Terenure weren’t giving up however and from a lineout maul they managed to run forty metres up the field as the Tallaght pack were in disarray. Tallaght eventually collapsed the maul to concede a penalty that Terenure unwisely quick-tapped allowing Tallaght to tackle them out of touch. However Tallaght’s lineout malfunctioned again and Terenure were able to regain possession and force their way over for a try to make it 8-7 to the visitors with only a couple of minutes of added on time remaining.
However Tallaght didn’t panic and kicked their way into the Terenure half through McCarthy. They eventually won a scrum near the Terenure twenty two and when the ball went wide to the wing Terenure conceded a penalty. It was a tough kick wide on the right but Hudson nailed it to win Tallaght the game with a final score of 10-8.
Tallaght coach Tom Leigh was pleased to win but wasn’t happy with the performance. “First, I want to commend the character of the side. After conceding the try we challenged the team to get back up the pitch for winning score and Rob Hudson showed real bottle to convert the kick. But the players know the performance was way off our normal standard and were honest enough to admit that afterwards. We now have a huge game next week against Coolmine who have won their last three games to move up to second place in the table. We have a massive week ahead in training to put the issues we identified today right.”
Man of the match: Denny McCarthy
Tallaght RFC
1. Tony McManus 2. Ken McGovern 3. Andy Grace 4. Alan Moore 5. Alan Sower 6. Jack Russell 7. Kevin Quinn 8. Adam Nolan (Captain) 9. Andrew Rudd 10. David Clarke 11. Karl Segrave 12. Denny McCarthy 13. Padhraig Jones 14. Rob Hudson 15. Ciaran Rudd 16. Andy Caswell 17. James Carr 18. Scott Hyland 19. Pádraig Ó Ciardha 20. Nick McGuinness 21. Daryl Keogh 22. Aaron Shanahan
On Saturday there’s a top of the table clash in Division 6 for the men’s first team. First-placed Tallaght take on third placed Terenure. Kick-off is 2.30 in Tymon Park. The men’s second team’s scheduled match in Division 11 has been conceded by Stillorgan-Rathfarnham.
Then on Sunday the Tallaght women’s team take on MU Barnhall in Division 4B of the women’s league. Kick-off is at 1.00 PM on Pitch 100.
In the youths the Under 18s Bistos take on Greystones on Saturday with a slightly early 11AM kick-off in Dr. Hickey Park. The Under 14s girls are at home to Longford on Saturday at 12pm on pitch 100. On Sunday the under 12’s have a match in Terenure time tbc. The rest of the teams all have training as usual.
Please make every effort to support all our teams.
