Tallaght R.F.C. 15

Tries: Simon Collie, Dave Clarke
Con: Willie Lambe
Pen: Willie Lambe

Navan R.F.C. 08

Metro League Division 7
Tymon Park
28/11/15

After suffering a heavy defeat last week away to Greystones, Tallaght took on Navan in Tymon Park looking to get back on track. After the rain in the morning the pitch was heavy and the wind was blowing hard. However Tallaght got off to an excellent start when the backs worked Australian full back Simon Collie into space. He showed his excellent footwork once again to create a gap which he exploited for another try, his eighth in four starts for the team. Five minutes later and it appeared Collie was in for his second try but Aaaron Morgan’s pass, which had put him clear, was adjudged forward by the referee. After Tallaght’s bright start Navan gradually got into the game through their experienced pack. They attempted to maul over the line several times and they came close but Tallaght’s defence led by Simon Gaskell, Mark Conway and Dave Kelly kept them out and Tallaght led 5-0 at half time.

Tallaght started the second half well and after powerful runs from Paul Cunningham and Tony McManus, Simon Collie looked to be away again but Stephen Heaney’s pass was adjudged forward by the ref. Heaney made up for it with a series of crunching tackles and eventually Tallaght got the score their play deserved. After a smart run from scrum-half Aodhan Tinney, Kevin Quinn exploded into a powerful run and he offloaded inside superbly to centre Dave Clarke who ran in to score Tallaght’s second try. Willie Lambe converted and Tallaght led 12-0. In truth Tallaght should have made the game safe in the next ten minutes but two more good chances were wasted.

They left themselves open and Navan almost took advantage in the final twenty minutes. Their tall inside centre looked certain to score a try but Simon Collie saved the day with a superb last-man tackle. It was only a temporary respite though as the same Navan player squeezed in at the corner on the next play. Navan missed the conversion but at 12-5, they were suddenly within a score. Tallaght responded well though, working their way up the way up the pitch with a couple of excellent counterattacks from wing Karl Seagrave. The pressure led to Navan conceding a penalty and though it was a good distance out, Willie Lambe nailed it to make it 15-5.

Navan still didn’t give up though. They increasingly found gaps in Tallaght’s defence and had them under genuine pressure to protect their line. There was some terrific tackling from the likes of Stephen Kelly, Andrew Rudd and Sean Judd to keep the line intact. Navan kicked a penalty to make it 15-8, which earned them a thoroughly deserved bonus point, but Tallaght held firm in the final two minutes and the game finished appropriately with the outstanding Kevin Quinn winning the ball, kicking ahead and then driving the Navan player into touch.

Tallaght head coach Tom Leigh was very proud of his team after the game. “This win was all about the squad. We were missing fifteen players today for one reason or another but I am very proud of every single lad who started and the boys who came on. Every player knew their job and went out and played their heart out for the team. In terms of the man of the match I can’t separate Aaron Morgan and Kevin Quinn who were both outstanding in the back row. We’ve now played two games at Tymon Park this season and we’ve won both of them. We’ve two more home games before Christmas against quality teams in Tullamore and Barnhall but I want to make our ground a place other teams hate to come to. If everyone keeps up the effort and commitment I know we can get more points on the board beford Christmas.”

 

Joint Man of the match: Aaron Morgan/Kevin Quinn

 

Tallaght RFC

15. Simon Collie
14. Mark Conway
13. Stephen Heaney
12. Dave Clarke
11. Karl Seagrave
10. Willie Lambe
9. Aodhan Tinney

8. Simon Gaskell
7. Aaron Morgan
6. Kevin Quinn
5. Paul Cunningham
4. Sean Judd
3. Tony McManus
2. Stephen Kelly
1. Dave Kelly

Replacements

16. Kevin Ennis
17. Gavin McKeon
18. Emil Wyrebiak
19. Adam Nolan
20. Andrew Rudd
21. Aaran O’Loughlin
22. John Cowan