MONKSTOWN R.F.C. 07

TALLAGHT R.F.C. 40

Tries: Simon Collie 4, Aodhan Tinney, Aaron Morgan
Con: Willie Lambe 5

Metro League Division 7
Sydney Parade
31/10/15

Tallaght RFC won their first league game of the season with an emphatic win over Monkstown in Sydney Parade. New coach Tom Leigh has galvanised the team and it was just rewards for him and the effort of his lads. They were all thankful though for the contribution of Australian full back Simon Collie, who was simply outstanding in his second appearance for the team.

Collie didn’t wait long to make his first impact on the game. After a scrappy start, good running from Dave Kelly saw the ball released out wide. Fly-half Willie Lambe put Collie away and he beat two men before touching down under the posts. Lambe converted and Tallaght led 7-0. Flanker Aaron Morgan was having a big game in the lineout and soon Tallaght were in position to score again. This time Stephen Heaney made a great burst and when the ball went wide Collie was in over the line again and when Lambe converted they led 14-0.

It wasn’t all about Collie though, in the pack Kevin Ennis, Kevin Quinn and Stephen Kelly were all putting in strong shifts. Dave Clarke in the centre made a great burst that Tallaght should have scored from, but Monkstown conceded a penalty close to their line. Clarke had to leave the pitch injured but Tallaght eventually took advantage of the position and despite nearly mucking it up, they scored in the corner through scrum-half Aodhan Tinney. Lambe missed the difficult touchline conversion, but Tallaght led 19-0. They still weren’t finished scoring in the half though. Collie took the ball out wide in his own half and put on the afterburners and Monkstown were simply powerless to stop him. As Lambe kicked the conversion from in front of the posts, the game was effectively done at half-time, 26-0.

In the unseasonably warm October weather, Tallaght fell off somewhat in the second half. But they still scored two more tries. First Collie scored his fourth try after good work from Karl Seagrave and Kevin Quinn. Then after great carrying from Tony McManus, Sean Judd and Paul Cunningham, Lambe put Morgan through with a soft pass to score under the posts for Tallaght to lead 40-0.

A game Monkstown side kept going and scored a deserved converted try to make the final score 40-7 in a scrappy final quarter. But Tallaght will be delighted with their first win of the season and the prospect of seeing more of the electric Simon Collie in their side.

Man of the match: Simon Collie (D’uh!)

Tallaght RFC

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

8. Sean Judd
7. Aaron Morgan
6. Kevin Quinn
5. Kevin Ennis
4. Paul Cunningham
3. Dave Kelly
2. Stephen Kelly
1. Mark Gaynor

Replacements:

16. Tony McManus
17. Emil Wyrebiak
18. Arran O’Loughlin
19. Conor O’Dea
20. Gavin McKeon
21. Colm O’Reilly
22. Andrew Rudd

Jim O’Connor ©