U14 Boys Rugby Match Report
Portarlington hosted Ratoath in their third league outing, with captain Harry Robinson leading the team out onto the main pitch for what would turn out to be a fantastic display of youths rugby.
From the opening whistle, both sides took a few minutes to size each other up in attack and defence. Portarlington struck first after seven minutes when Sam Petriw broke the deadlock with a superb run down the left-hand side. Ratoath responded strongly within five minutes to level the score at 5–5.
The contest continued at a high tempo, with both teams battling hard for possession. Port regained the lead when Bradley Cooper powered through the defence after receiving clean ball from a well-set ruck, adding the conversion to make it 12–5. Just before half-time, however, Ratoath struck back with a converted try of their own, leaving the score finely balanced at 12–12 at the break.
After a quick drink, a deep breath, the chats and a few fresh legs, Portarlington produced a 25-minute spell that showcased rugby played the right way — with passion, determination, and teamwork. Tom Coen was excellent at the lineout, tapping down quick ball to allow the backs to attack at pace. This paid off when Port overlapped twice, creating space on the right wing for Bradley Cooper to race in for his second try of the game.
Ratoath again showed their eagerness, replying to level the scores for the third time at 17–17, setting up a tense final quarter. A firm reset chat under the posts refocused the Port side, and from the resulting kick-off, Mark Finlay let Ratoath know he was up for the challenge. Initially stopped, he refused to go down, evaded two tackles, regathered the ball on the stand side, and powered his way from the 22-metre line to score a superb and well-deserved try. Cooper added to make it 24–17.
With momentum firmly behind them, Portarlington struck again. Michael McCallum finished off a textbook backline move on the left-hand side, showing great pace to score his first try of the season, with Cooper once more adding the conversion.
With four minutes remaining and the score at 31–17, Charlie Merriman capped off a memorable performance by collecting his first try of the season, stealing possession and sprinting down the right-hand side to the delight of players and supporters alike.
A thoroughly deserved win and a performance full of heart, skill, and togetherness.
Outstanding Performances:
Jack McDonnell, Ciarain Moore, Harry Robinson, Finn Costello, Jack Turley, Charlie Merriman, Bradley Cooper, Sam Petriw, Tom Coen, Mark Finlay
Great Supporting Play:
Aidan Scully, Sam Lyons, Tadgh O’Connor, Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Owens, Oisin Geoghegan, Arran Dunne, Sean Kiernan
Man of the Match: Luca Hynes
Team:
Jack McDonnell, Ciarain Moore, Harry Robinson (C), Finn Costello, Luca Hynes, Charlie Merriman, Sam Lyons, Tom Coen, Tadgh O’Connor, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jack Turley, Bradley Cooper, Michael Owens, Oisin Geoghegan, Sam Petriw, Arran Dunne, Mark Finlay, Michael McCallum, Sean Kiernan, Aidan Scully