Tallaght 0
Edenderry 27
Paul Cusack Cup semi-final
Kirwan Park
07/04/2024
The Tallaght women’s team took on Division 4 champions Edenderry in the semi-final of Paul Cusack Cup.
With the council calling the Tymon Park pitch off yet again, DLSP kindly agreed to lend Tallaght a pitch for the day. Tallaght had lost twice to Edenderry in the league, but both games were competitive affairs with identical 22-14 score-lines. But playing into the wind, Tallaght set out their tactics early on that they would try to run the ball out of their own twenty two. But Edenderry just continually turned the ball over and used that possession to score three unconverted tries in the first quarter to take a 15-0 lead. Tallaght defended bravely for the rest of the half to keep the score at 15-0 at half-time.
In the second half, Tallaght had a bit more territory and possession, making some use of the wind at their backs. But their handling skills let them down when chances appeared and Edenderry scored two more tries for a deserved 27-0 win.
Head coach Hayley Whyte thanked her players for the season. “Edenderry were the stronger side today and good luck to them in the final. They just shut us down and didn’t let us play much rugby. But the girls worked hard and put their bodies on the line. There was some strong carries and big hits and everyone gave it their all, so we didn’t pick a player of the match.”
“While it’s a tough way to end the season, we played a lot of good rugby and won a lot of games in our first season at this level. I want to thank all the players for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. I want to thank my assistant coaches Andy Grace and Shane Martens for their hugely valuable contribution all year. I also want to thank our sponsors 123.ie and the committee for the great work they do for the team. Finally, our supporters came out in great numbers again today, like they’ve done all season, and we can’t thank them enough.”
Tallaght RFC
- Lorraine McManus
- Orlaith Plunkett
- Karen Corrigan
- Martina Fitzpatrick
- Abbie Keeley
- Kim Littlefield
- Lisa O’Connell
- Louise Leonard Flood
- Eileen Shanahan (Captain)
- Grainne Leonard Flood
- Sorcha Burns
- Nicole Fanning
- Aisling Pyke
- Ellen Crotty
- Roisin Ni Uileagoid
- Lisa Kennedy
- Laura Dalton
- Kirsty McCrory
- Emma Irvin
- Chloe Conroy
- Niamh Moore
- Jensen Byrne
Photos: Mark Luttrell