TALLAGHT RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

U.C.D. R.F.C. 24

Tallaght 1st R.F.C. 52

Tries: Adam Nolan, Joe Ivers, Simon Collie, Aaron Shanahan 2, David Clarke, Rob Hudson, Andy Rudd
Con: Adam Nolan 3, Rob Hudson 3

Metro League Division 7
Belfield
24/03/2018

Tallaght travelled to Belfield for their second last scheduled league game of the season. After the draw against Old Wesley the last time out, Tallaght’s position was clear. They needed to win their last two games against UCD and Seapoint, denying Seapoint a losing bonus point in the process. So first up was UCD, who were playing their last league game of the season in which they finished fourth in the table.

The match began with a minute’s silence to mark the passing of Derek Caswell, brother of Tallaght player Andrew. Traditionally Tallaght have started slowly in their recent games against UCD but this time they were on the ball from the start and after Simon Collie made the initial break, Adam Nolan sped away for the opening try of the match. Nolan converted his own try to make it 7-0 to Tallaght. Tallaght were soon back in the UCD half and from a lineout near the five metre line, the pack picked and drove repeatedly until Joe Ivers got over for the try which Nolan converted to make it 14-0.

The game was being played at a frenetic pass and straight from the restart Nolan’s lofted pass to the backline was picked off by UCD for an intercept try to make it 14-7.  This began a strong spell for UCD but led by the physicality of Jack Russell and Daniel Pomares, the defence stood tall and Alan Sower made a key turnover to get Tallaght the ball back. The scrum was also dominant with Andrew Caswell giving the UCD loosehead a torrid time. It wasn’t long before Tallaght were on the scoresheet again and centres Padhraig Jones and Ciaran Rudd combined well to put full back Simon Collie away and though he was partially tackled close to the line, he was able to get up and get over for the try which Nolan converted to make it 21-7.

Straight from the kick-off Tallaght scored again in a rather bizarre manner. Daniel Pomares had taken the kick-off and ran it back strongly to set up a good position to clear the lines but Nolan’s kick was charged down by UCD. However the ball ricocheted from the block-down straight into the hands of Aaron Shanahan who didn’t hesitate and just took off running from inside his own twenty two. He beat the UCD winger on the outside and just kept going for an outstanding individual try. Nolan’s conversion attempt hit the post but Tallaght were comfortable with a 26-7 lead at half-time.

Tallaght started strongly again but Daniel Pomares’s physicality got him in trouble with the referee. After being fortunate to escape a card for a high tackle straight from the restart, he did get a yellow card when his knee accidentally struck the head of a UCD player who was getting up as Pomares entered the ruck. Despite that setback Tallaght kept playing positive rugby and Ciaran Rudd made two big breaks in the move that ended with Nolan putting Aaron Shanahan away for his second try of the match in the corner to make it 31-7.

UCD hit back with a good try in the corner to make it 31-12 but Tallaght responded with another score when out-half Dave Clarke backed himself from a scrum and broke through to score a try. Replacement winger Rob Hudson took over kicking duties to knock over the conversion to make it 38-12 with twenty minutes to go. Tallaght looked set to cruise away to victory but on a sunny day on the artificial surface, they started to tire and things began to unravel. To their credit UCD never stopped trying and their nine, ten and twelve combination were causing the Tallaght midfield defence problems all day. They began to exploit the gaps better and they scored two tries to make it 38-24 with ten minutes to go.

Tallaght started to panic a little bit and started giving away silly penalties as UCD were suddenly within two scores of them in a game that should have been all but over. UCD’s tails were up and they looked set to score in the corner again but Rob Hudson did a lovely impersonation of Jacob Stockdale and intercepted the pass to race away for a try under the posts to seal the game. Hudson converted his own try and was on target again when Jack Russell offloaded to Andy Rudd for the final try of the match to make the final score 52-24.

Head coach Tom Leigh was delighted with the win but said work was needed. “First off we did what we came here to do, which was to win. Secondly we played some outstanding rugby at times, scored eight tries and all of our squad made a big contribution to the win. However there are things we need to work on in our defensive line and especially at the breakdown. We also have to work on the mental side of the game as it’s not the first time this season where we’ve run up a big lead and then lost focus and let the opposition back into it. We also have to stay positive when things go wrong, we did that against Wesley and we’ll need to do that next week against Seapoint if we are to beat them by eight points or more and take our place in the final.”

“In terms of individuals, they are almost too many to mention. Our front five was excellent and gave our backrow and our halfbacks a platform to run the show. Our outside backs were all in form too and Rob Hudson made a key contribution off the bench. Two players I would like to mention though are Daniel Pomares, who had his best game yet for the club and our second row Joe Ivers. Joe is our most senior player and one of our unsung heroes but he sets an example for the younger lads with his relentless work-rate. His ball-carrying was immense today and he also terrorised the UCD lineout. He even got a try which is his first one for a number of years to cap off an immense all-round performance.

“We look to have a full squad to select from for next week and the level of performance from everyone will make that selection very difficult which is the best problem any coach can have. We know we have the game to beat Seapoint by the margin required, we just need to go out and execute the gameplan calmly and with positivity. If we do that, we’ll get the job done”.

 

Man of the match: Joe Ivers

 

Tallaght 1sts

15. Simon Collie
14. Aaron Shanahan
13. Ciaran Rudd
12. Padhraig Jones
11. Karl Segrave
10. David Clarke
9. Andy Rudd

1. Alan Sower
2. Ken McGovern
3. Andy Caswell
4. Joe Ivers
5. Paul Cunningham
6. Jack Russell (Captain)
7. Daniel Pomares
8. Adam Nolan

Replacements:

16. Rob Hudson
17. Tony McManus
18. Mark Keogh
19. Andrew Grace
20. Aaron Morgan

 

Report: Jim O’Connor
Photos: Anne Kavanagh

It’s another massive weekend for Tallaght rugby with all three senior teams in action.

For the men’s first team, it’s down to the last two games in the league. They know that they have to win both of them to make the league final and first up it’s UCD on Saturday in Belfield with a 3PM kick-off.

The Tallaght men’s second team are in action at the same time in their final league match of the season. They are away to the Kilkenny Normans in Division 11 of the Metro League. It’s a 3PM kick-off in the Sportsground in Knocktopher.

Then on Sunday the women’s team are in cup action when they take on Greystones in the Paul Cusack cup. Kick-off is 1.00PM in Pitch 100 in Firhouse.

 

Everyone at Tallaght Rugby was greatly shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing this week of Derek Caswell, the brother of our long-standing player Andrew. 

Our deepest sympathies go out to his parents Michael and Doreen, his siblings and his children. For all wishing to attend the funeral, the details are in the link below. 

https://rip.ie/showdn.php?dn=349574

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Old Wesley R.F.C. 13

Tallaght 1st R.F.C. 13

Tries: Adam Nolan
Con: Adam Nolan
Pen: Adam Nolan 2

Metro League Division 7
Donnybrook
14/03/2018

It was third versus second as Tallaght travelled to Donnybrook to take on Old Wesley in Division 7 of the Metro League on a Wednesday night. Both teams were level on points but Wesley lead in the table due to having lost one fewer game so things were tense as both teams continued their push for a place in the final. It was a filthy night to play rugby with strong wind and constant driving rain and luckily for the fans, the game was played on the main Donnybrook pitch so at least they could watch the game from the shelter of the stand.

Wesley started the better side and had the wind behind them for the first half. Their work at the breakdown earned them two kicks at goal in the first ten minutes and after hitting the post with the first effort, they converted the second to lead 3-0. Tallaght dominated possession for the rest of the first half but couldn’t find a way to translate it into points. They were possibly guilty of trying to play too much rugby out wide and with the ball a bar of soap, they couldn’t hang onto it long enough to convert chances. Old Wesley’s defence was very well drilled and they contained Tallaght and also pinned them back in their own half with some smart tactical kicking.

The first half finished without further score from either team, but Wesley capitalised on some Tallaght errors to kick a penalty to double their lead to 6-0 early in the second half. Things got worst again for Tallaght when Wesley kicked a penalty to the corner and managed to maul the ball over from the line-out. They converted to lead 13-0.

Tallaght looked in trouble but they started to attack Wesley around the fringes with some strong, direct carries from Aaron Morgan, Tony McManus and Sean Judd. Number eight Adam Nolan started taking on play-maker duties and he combined with Ken McGovern and Alan Sower with strong carries to win a penalty. Nolan converted it to make it 13-3. After conceding a string of penalties, the referee finally lost patience with Wesley and binned one of their players. Tallaght sought to take advantage but after a series of scrums on the Wesley line, the ball was lost forward and the chance was gone.

Tallaght kept on fighting though and they were aided by some quality tactical kicking from Nolan and Russell that put Tallaght into the Wesley half. When Tallaght won another penalty in their own half, Nolan found touch only ten metres out with a superb kick. Tallaght won the lineout and after a series of strong carries by the backs and forwards, eventually Nolan forced his way over for the try. His converted his own try to make it 13-10 with less than five minutes to go.

Buoyed on by the travelling Tallaght support who were noisy as ever, Tallaght were in the ascendancy now. Karl Segrave chased up another fine tactical kick from Jack Russell and tackled his man which led to another Tallaght penalty wide on the left. Nolan hooked this one, but moments later he another another chance to tie the match. It was further out but a straighter angle and Nolan nailed it to bring it back to 13 point a piece. Both teams tried to work their way into a position to get a winning score, but the match ended a draw which was a fair result overall.

It means that Tallaght still have their own fate in their hands in their quest to make the league final for the second year running. They need to beat UCD and then beat Seapoint by 8 points or more to deny them a losing bonus point. If they do that, they’ll finish ahead of Seapoint and will make the final.

Head coach Tom Leigh praised his side character. “It was a tough night to play rugby in those conditions and we struggled against the wind in the first half. It didn’t look good when they took a big lead early in the second half but the lads just fronted up and got us back into the match. Adam Nolan led the charge and showed real guts to make the kick after missing one beforehand. Our big ball carriers really showed up like Aaron Morgan, Ken McGovern and Jack Russell. The main thing is we’re still alive and can make it to another final with two more wins. We know what we need to do, now we just got to go out and do it.”

 

Man of the match: Adam Nolan

 

Tallaght 1sts

15. Simon Collie
14. Aaron Shanahan
13. Padhraig Jones
12. Stephen Heaney
11. Karl Segrave
10. David Clarke
9. Andy Rudd

1. Alan Sower
2. Ken McGovern
3. Tony McManus
4. Joe Ivers
5. Mark Keogh
6. Jack Russell (Captain)
7. Daniel Pomares
8. Adam Nolan

Replacements:

16. Sean Judd
17. Aaron Morgan
18. Andy Caswell
19. Daryl Keogh
20. Stephen Kelly
21. Ciaran Rudd

 

Report: Jim O’Connor
Photos: Anne Kavanagh

In a re-arranged fixture, the Tallaght men’s first team take on second placed Old Wesley in Donnybrook tomorrow evening at 7.45PM. Having suffered a heavy defeat to Tallaght earlier in the season Wesley will be gunning for revenge.  

Both teams are locked together on 30 points in the table but Wesley lead due to having lost one fewer game.  Both sides have three games left to play but with Wesley facing the two bottom teams in the league Navan and Blackrock, Tallaght really need to win this match to finish ahead of them in the table.  

Please make your best effort to get out and support the lads! 

Portlaoise R.F.C. 24

Tallaght R.F.C. 07

Try: Megan Fogarty
Conversion: Caoimhe Hogan

Women’s League Division 4 Semi-final
Togher
11/03/2018

Tallaght women’s team took to the road again to take Portlaoise in the the semi-final of Division 4 of the Women’s league. Portlaoise were undefeated in their pool and they had a big, experienced pack. Tallaght were competing well with them though and causing them problems when they moved the ball wide. It earned them a penalty kick at goal but unfortunately Caoimhe Hogan’s kick fell wide. Eventually Portlaoise broke through to score the first try of the game after fifteen minutes. They made the conversion to make it 7-0.

Rachel Nolan came on for Tallaght and immediately made her presence felt with a powerful run that beat several defenders. However the support wasn’t there quick enough and the chance was wasted. Tallaght were defending well with the likes of Hogan, Jacinta Purcell and Ciara McLoughlin all making several big tackles. However they were struggling to get out of their half and eventually the powerful inside centre got through for a second Portlaoise try to make it 12-0.

Tallaght hit back though with an outstanding try. After powerful running from Aisling Pyke and Rachel Nolan, full back Megan Fogarty was released down the line and she showed superb balance and power to dance her way through and stretch to get the ball down over the line. Caoimhe Hogan kicked a fine conversion to make the score 12-7 at half-time to the home side.

In the second half, it was becoming an increasingly physical game and there were a few testy moments as both sides put it up to each other. The big Portlaoise pack had the edge in the scrums and from this, they were able to generate penalties to get themselves into position to score a third try which they converted to make it 19-7. Tallaght did their best to hit back but their handling let them down at crucial moments. Number eight Roisin Doyle was doing her best off the back of the scrum and made one excellent run down the blindside that gained huge ground. Doyle also made several big tackles including one that saved a certain try. However eventually the Portlaoise pressure told and they scored a fourth try that make it 24-7 and effectively ended the game as a contest.

However Tallaght never gave up and were attacking the Portlaoise line at the end, looking for a second score that would have given a fairer reflection of the game. They came close but it wasn’t to be and it finished 24-7 to the home team. Portlaoise were the better team and they now go on to to face NM Falcons who beat Tullamore in the other semi-final. However Portlaoise knew they were in a game and Tallaght were far from disgraced and showed they could compete at this level.

Tallaght coach Adam Nolan was proud of his side. “We started our season just looking to play all our games in the league, so to win eight out of eleven games and make a semi-final is a real achievement. Our preparations for this game were affected by the weather and we lacked some of our usual fluency out wide. But I can’t doubt the heart every one of our squad showed in taking on a big team physically and making them work very hard for everything they got. They had the edge on us in experience but that was the only difference. We’ve come so far in a very short amount of time and though the league is over for us now, we’ve got Greystones in the cup in a fortnight and we’ll be right up for that challenge”.

 

Player of the match: Roisin Doyle

Tallaght

15. Megan Fogarty
14. Jacinta Purcell
13. Cíara McLoughlin
12. Aisling Pyke
11. Gemma Segrave
10. Caoimhe Hogan (Captain)
9. Shauna Power

1. Lorraine McManus
2. Lisa Kennedy
3. Aileen McGovern
4. Caroline Lamba
5. Martina Fitzpatrick
6. Roisin Doyle

16. Rachel Nolan
17. Amyrs Foy

 

Report: Jim O’Connor
Photos: Anne Kavanagh

It’s a massive weekend for Tallaght rugby and the women’s teams have have top billing with their semi-final in division 4 of their women’s league. They travel to Togher to take on Portlaoise, the team who finished top of Division 4B. It will be massive task for the girls and they’ll need all the support they can get so please make the journey down if you can. Kick-off is the extra early time of 10.30AM (due to it clashing with Mother’s Day).

In the youths, the Bisto’s girls have training on Friday night. The Bisto under 16’s travel to Navan for an 11.00am kick off and the Bisto under 18’s are away to St. Marys, also with a 11am kick off. The Under 10’s travel to Barnhall for a blitz on Sunday. The Under 7’s, Under 8’s and Under 10’s have training at 10.00am on Sunday at Firhouse Community Centre. All older youths training is at 10.30am.

Also, Tallaght Rugby will be taking part in the Tallaght St Patrick’s Day Parade. Looking for all the club to represent. Meeting at 12.45 IT Tallaght, Kick off is 1.30pm and it should be well finished in time for the England v Ireland match.

Please make your best effort to get out and support all our teams.

 

 

Tallaght R.F.C. 10

Tries: Megan Fogarty, Cíara McLoughlin

Tullamore R.F.C. 43

Women’s League Division 4A
Pitch 100, Firhouse
18/02/2018

It was second versus first as the Tallaght women’s team took on the unbeaten leaders Tullamore in Division 4A of the Women’s league. It was a wet and windy afternoon and Tallaght had the misfortune to lose the toss and have to play into the wind. They got trapped in their own half and Tullamore soon took advantage by scoring two tries, both conceded due to poor defence. Tullamore converted one of the tries to lead 12-0.

To their credit Tallaght settled after the bad start and started playing some good rugby. Lisa Kennedy and Martina Fitzpatrick were carrying well and Rachel Nolan went close to scoring after kicking a ball through only for the chance to go begging. But then Tullamore built pressure again and went through phase after phase. Some fantastic tackling from Megan Fogarty and Caroline Lamba delayed the inevitable but eventually Tullamore worked the space to put their speedy young right wing in the for the try. Unfortunately the same player scored a try a minute later by capitalising on a mistake when the ball was kicked through and when they converted that try Tullamore led 24-0 at half-time.

After having come off in the first half due to a head injury, Tallaght scrum-half Shauna Power took to the field again in the second half only to be picked up and driven head first into the ground in a particularly nasty tackle. The Tullamore player responsible was lucky to only be shown a yellow card and Tallaght tried to take advantage. But just as they got to the Tullamore line the ball was intercepted and the Tullamore centre ran the length of the pitch to score another try.

Tallaght did finally get on the scoresheet when Megan Fogarty broke through for an excellent score. Gemma Segrave came on for her Tallaght debut and carried the ball with great purpose but Tullamore hit back when they worked their lightning right winger in for her hat-trick try. Tallaght hit back again with another try from close range from Cíara McLoughlin. Tullamore had the last say in the game though with another converted try to make 43-10 at the end.

Tallaght coach Adam Nolan said his side endured a tough lesson but will be better for it. “We got a kick in the arse today! It’s no fun but the vital thing is that we learn from it. If we want to compete with this sort of team we need to get tougher and meaner at the rucks on our ball and especially on their ball. But I’m proud of how we kept fighting to the end and got a couple of good scores on the board. We now face a semi-final away to Portlaoise but we know if we can bring our top game, we can compete with them!”

 

Player of the match: Martina Fitzpatrick

 

Tallaght

15. Megan Fogarty
13. Cíara McLoughlin
12. Rachel Nolan
10. Caoimhe Hogan (Captain)
9. Shauna Power

1. Lorraine McManus
2. Aileen McGovern
3. Lisa Kennedy
4. Roisin Doyle
5. Audrey Fulham
6. Martina Fitzpatrick

16. Jacinta Purcell
17. Amyrs Foy
18. Caroline Lamba
19. Gemma Segrave

It’s a massive weekend for Tallaght rugby as both the men’s and women’s teams have crucial top of the table matches.

The men’s first team take on second placed Old Wesley in Donnybrook on Saturday the 17th of February at 3.00PM. Having suffered a heavy defeat to Tallaght earlier in the season Wesley will be gunning for revenge. But having won a bruising encounter with Blackrock on Wednesday night, Tallaght have shaken off the rust from playing so little rugby recently and will be raring to go.

Then on Sunday it’s the women’s turn with second placed Tallaght versus first placed Tullamore, the only side to beat Tallaght so far this season. Tallaght are still gunning for a home semi-final in the play-offs and they will be determined to inflict their expansive game on a young Tullamore team. Kick-off is 1PM on pitch 100 opposite Firhouse Community School.

In the youths, the Bisto’s girls have training on Friday night. The Bisto under 16’s travel to Navan with a 10.30am kick off and the Bisto under 18’s play at home against Rathdrum (kick off 11am). Under 8’s travel to Coolmine for their first blitz on Sunday. The Under 7’s, Under 8’s and Under 10’s have training at 10.00am on Sunday at Firhouse Community Centre. All older youths training is at 10.30am.

Please make your best effort to get out and support all our teams.

Blackrock R.F.C. 24

Tallaght 1st R.F.C. 30

Tries: Adam Nolan 2, Simon Collie, Karl Segrave
Con: Adam Nolan 2
Pen: Adam Nolan 2

Metro League Division 7
Stradbrook Road
14/02/2018

Tallaght travelled to Stradbrook Road on a cold St. Valentine’s night to play their re-arranged fixture in Division 7 of the Metro League. Having played only one match this year, Tallaght were rusty and they took a while to get going. Blackrock dominated possession and territory in the first twenty minutes and trapped Tallaght in their twenty two. But led by the line-speed of out-half Dave Clarke the defence was terrific and they held Blackrock out.

Finally a penalty at the breakdown gave them a chance to relieve the pressure and kick out of their half. From the resulting lineout the ball was spun wide and Ciaran Rudd and Simon Collie combined to put Aaron Shanahan clear and he looked set to score but was held up over the line. But from the resulting scrum Adam Nolan eventually powered over for a try to make it 5-0. Tallaght scored straight again from the kick-off. Aaron Morgan took the restart well and the ball was worked to Simon Collie who took off from deep in his own half and scorched home from eighty metres out for a superb individual score. With Rob Hudson having injured a hamstring, Adam Nolan took over the kicking and made the conversion to make it 12-0.

Tallaght were well in control now and they dominated the rest of the half. Ciaran Rudd made a strong carry to get them close to the Blackrock line and they won a penalty ten metres out. Adam Nolan showed good awareness to take a quick tap and power his way over for his second try of the night to give Tallaght a 17-0 lead. Tallaght looked in total control but then some sloppiness defending a lineout maul let them down. There was no one marking the blindside and Blackrock had the space to score a simple try to make it 17-5 at half-time.

That try created a doubt in Tallaght’s heads and Blackrock took full advantage at the start of the second half. First a chip down the line was regathered by the Blackrock winger who showed great gas to score a try under the posts which was converted to make it 17-12. Then more sloppy defence let Blackrock through again for a try to tie the game at 17 points each. Skipper Jack Russell rallied his troops well though and led by example with some punishing carries. The Tallaght forwards ground out territory with hard carries from the likes of Aaron Morgan, Ken McGovern, Andy Grace and Tony McManus. It earned them two kickable penalties which Nolan slotted to make it 23-17.

Fly-half David Clarke was also showing his strength managing to constantly break through tackles to start attacking moves. One of Clarke’s carries put Simon Collie into space and he linked up with Nolan who drew his man superbly before putting replacement winger Karl “Moonbeam” Segrave away for a superb team try under the posts. Nolan converted to make it 30-17 to Tallaght with ten minutes left.

However to their credit the home side didn’t give up and they hit back with another try to make it 30-24 with five minutes to go. It made for a nervy finish for Tallaght but they defended bravely and Clarke won a penalty from a turnover to seal the win. Nolan gladly kicked the ball out to finish off a fantastic game of club rugby which was a credit to both teams.

Head coach Tom Leigh was disappointed with losing such a commanding lead but delighted with the composure his side showed to steady the ship and earn the win. “It was a great first half but then we lost concentration either side of half-time to let them into it. But we didn’t panic, we just rolled up our sleeves and got the points we needed against a good team. It was a very hard job to pick a man of the match tonight. Adam Nolan was massive for us tonight, both as a creator and a leader and he scored 20 points. Aaron Morgan’s carrying and work-rate were off the chart and Andy Rudd had one of his best games of the season. But we felt we had to give it to Dave Clarke who was just huge for us in defence and attack and put his body on the line with some massive hits and carries. We’ve got to focus now on Saturday’s game away to Old Wesley. It was a tough match tonight but in some ways that’s the best training session you’ll have to take on a side like Wesley”.

 

Man of the match: David Clarke

 

Tallaght 1sts

15. Simon Collie
14. Aaron Shanahan
13. Ciaran Rudd
12. Padhraig Jones
11. Rob Hudson
10. David Clarke
9. Andy Rudd

1. Alan Sower
2. Ken McGovern
3. Andy Caswell
4. Joe Ivers
5. Mark Keogh
6. Jack Russell (Captain)
7. Aaron Morgan
8. Adam Nolan

Replacements:

16. Karl Segrave
17. Tony McManus
18. Paul Cunningham
19. Andrew Grace
20. Daniel Pomares

Report: Jim O’Connor
Photos: Anne Kavanagh