U17 Boys
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Sat 23 Feb 2019
Wexford Rfc
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Portarlington Rugby Football Club
U17 Boys
Port Show Class With Impressive Win in Wexford

Port Show Class With Impressive Win in Wexford

Barry Lambkin25 Feb 2019 - 10:03
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Now Mullingar await in the league quarter final

Portarlington’s u16s travelled to the south east last Saturday for the final round of the Leinster League where they took on familiar opposition in Wexford Wanderers RFC. The sides were meeting for the third time this season and it was an impressive Port team that left with the spoils as they cemented their place as second seeds ahead of the league play offs.
The hosts got off to the ideal start as they made early pressure pay crossing for the games opening try after multiple phases in the Port twenty two. However, the visitors weren’t phased by this early setback and when they were awarded a free kick off an attacking scrum, Séan Downey took advantage of the engaged packs and put faith in his own backline by taking a quick tap. The scrum half moved the ball wide through his half back partner Jack Hynes and centres Adam Kelly and Tom Walsh who fed full back Eoin Worrell and the speedster stepped his opposite number on the outside and finished in the corner.
The next score would be crucial and it was the Port men who took that momentum when Captain Adam Kelly broke down the blindside with support from back row Gavin Crampton. The centre drew a defender and cleverly offloaded to Crampton in contact and Crampton then found Ben McMahon who sailed in under the posts. Port then hammered home their advantage with a well worked backs move off a scrum. Kelly again impressed in the role of playmaker as he drew a defender before popping it to Worrell who ran a brilliant inside line that cut the Wexford defence open and allowed him to dot down under the posts. With the extras added Port led 5-19.
Coaches Richard Dowling and Adrian Murphy urged their players to maintain focus knowing that a Wexford fightback would be inevitable and this level of discipline was proved crucial as their hosts immediately looked to pile the pressure on but some patience in defence and good tackling from front rows Daragh Jewell and Oisín Mooney-Sherlock led to a turn over at ruck time and Port were able to clear their lines. Again, though, Wexford came back at them attacking around the fringes of the ruck and eventually they found a gap and broke through to score. This momentum swing continued until half time but dogged defending from Port meant that they took a 10-19 lead into the break.
The early moments of the second half saw Wexford repeating the fast start that they had enjoyed in the first period as they maintained the late first half impetus and strong work from their pack saw them powering over for a well worked score to narrow the gap to just four points. The home crowd sensed a comeback but the Port pack had other ideas and good carries from Declan White and Kyle Stacey put their side in position to strike and prop Jack McCann duly obliged as he crashed over the whitewash. Downey added the kick and the lead was out to eleven points.
Port though, failed to deal with the restart and they were punished severely as Wexford scored a converted try of their own to cancel out McCann’s success and again, we had a game on our hands. How Port would react to this setback and challenge would be hugely significant as they move into the business end of the season and their coaches will be delighted with the levels of leadership and togetherness that emerged under pressure. Spurred on by impressive tackles from Liam McCarthy, Tom Walsh and Osinín Mooney-Sherlock, the entire Port team defended brilliantly and eventually turned the ball over. Worrell broke and Hynes kicked deep into Wexford territory to the delight of his hard working pack. At the resulting line out Kyle Stacey applied pressure in the air and forced a knock on from the Wexford jumper. At the resulting scrum Port looked focused as they sought to bring work from the training ground into this crucial moment. Clean ball from a strong eight man push allowed Port’s half backs to feed centres Kelly and Walsh who attacked the gain line. The cavalry of the pack then arrived and took control, drawing in the Wexford defence and with cover thin out wide Hynes called for it at first receiver and moved the ball wide to Captain Kelly who scored in the corner to seal victory in this highly entertaining game.
Portarlington will now take on Mullingar in a league quarter final. Mullingar, who finished third in their own group will come into that tie on the back of a convincing 40-12 win on the road in Longford and no doubt the Port players and coaches will take that challenge seriously and will hope for a big home crowd to spur them on next Saturday at Lea Road.
Portarlington RFC Team: Darragh Jewell, Oisín Mooney-Sherlock, Jack McCann, Thomas Weight, Declan White, Kyle Stacey, Gavin Crampton, Liam McCarthy, Sean Downey, Jack Hynes, Ross Houlihan, Adam Kelly, Tom Walsh, Ben McMahon, Eoin Worrell, John Carty, Tadgh O’Donnell, Ruairí Maher, Cillian Carty, Dillon Payne.

Match details

Match date

Sat 23 Feb 2019

Kickoff

12:00
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Website Sponsor  - SEEC
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