Carlow 22
Tallaght/Garda Women 20
Tries: Clodagh McDonald, Ellen Barry, Kiva McGing, Megan White
Sunday, 1st November, 2026
Leinster League Division 5
Oak Park
The Tallaght/Garda women’s team took on Carlow away in Oak Park in Division 5 of the Women’s Leinster league.
Tallaght/Garda took the lead when scrum-half Clodagh McDonald broke away from a ruck and sprinted away to score a great individual try to make it 5-0. After that Tallaght/Garda got trapped in their own half and eventually Carlow took advantage to score a try to make 5-5.
Clodagh McDonald broke clear from her own half and ran nearly 80 metres to almost score a magnificent try. However with no support runners the ball was lost and she was injured in the tackle and had to leave the game. Then just before halftime a lack of concentration in the Tallaght/Garda half gifted Carlow a try to make the halftime score 10-5 to the home side.
Tallaght/Garda started to build some territory in the second half but there was then a lengthy break for a Carlow player getting treated for injury. When play resumed, Tallaght/Garda hammered away at the line with big carries from Laurileigh Baker and Sam Ledden, then the ball was worked wide to Ellen Barry who finished well on the right wing to tie the game at 10 points a piece.
Tallaght/Garda then took the kick off and instead of trying to kick the ball to get into the Carlow half they took the ball through fifteen phases of play in their own half. They just about made it to the halfway line before the ball was lost in contact. A Carlow player picked up the ball and ran in a try which was converted to make it 17-10 to the home team.
To their credit Tallaght/Garda came back and after several drives, Kiva McGing make it over the line to make it 17-15 with only a few minutes left. Tallaght/Garda worked the ball up the pitch again and from an excellent crossfield kick Megan White gathered the ball and scored what surely the match winning try at 20-17. But the referee insisted there was still time to play and allowed Carlow to restart.
Tallaght/Garda knocked on the restart to give Carlow a chance. From the scrum Carlow moved the ball close to Tallaght/Garda line, but they defending team turned the ball over to win a penalty under the posts. Tallaght/Garda just had to kick the penalty over the deadball line to win the game. Unfortunately they were under the impression that they had to kick the ball to the touchline, a much more difficult kick from under the posts. The kick to the touchline fell short and the Carlow wing gathered it and touched it down for the game winning try. It was a gut-wrenching way for Tallaght/Garda to lose what was a terrific game.
Head coach Amanda Garrett said “It’s tough to lose that way but it was a really good display and we played some great rugby.”
Player of the match: Karen Mooney
Tallaght RFC
- Kiva McGing
- Samantha Ledden
- Laurileigh Baker
- Ellen Kelly
- Karen Mooney
- Megan O’Callaghan
- Lucy Mangan
- Roisin Nic Uileagoid
- Clodagh McDonald
- Ellen Barry
- Megan White
- Lorna Quinn
- Martina Fitzpatrick
- Donagh Hanrahan