Portarlington RFC U14s travelled to Cill Dara for a Plate Semi-Final that was always going to be a tough, physical contest — and so it proved from the very first whistle.
Port arrived with intent and passion, setting about their task with real fire from the opening exchanges. The collisions were heavy, the tackles committed, and both sides made clear from the outset that this was not going to be a game for the faint-hearted.
First Half
The opening scrums told the story of what was to come — fiercely contested and hard-fought, with Port winning the push but Cill Dara showing clinical precision in getting the ball to their backline quickly. That backline would prove to be one of the key weapons in Cill Dara's armoury throughout the evening.
Six minutes in, Port struck first. Sean Fitzpatrick — an offload expert — found Tom Coen with a perfectly-timed pass on the overlap. Coen, a powerhouse of a young man, did what he does best — he pushed, pulled, and dragged Cill Dara defenders with him as he powered over from the 22m to score a magnificent opening try. A huge relief and a brilliant start. Captain Bradley Cooper stepped up with an impressively accurate right-footed conversion to add the extra two points. 7–0.
What followed was twelve minutes of intense, high-quality rugby — heavy tackles, promising carries, and some excellent breaks from both sides. Cill Dara's persistence was rewarded on 17 minutes when they crossed for a well-worked try. 7–7 — and everything to play for.
Port's defence held firm for long periods but in the final minute of the half, Cill Dara won a lineout on Port's 22m and drove over for their second try. 12–7 at the break — tight, tense, very much alive and all to play for.
Second Half
Port regrouped at half-time, made some changes to freshen up legs that had taken some serious punishment, and headed back out with renewed determination.
Cill Dara, however, came out with real purpose. Straight from the kick restart they ran in a third try to extend their lead to 19–7. Playing a fast, attacking game, they found gaps and capitalised clinically — adding further tries on 31 minutes (26–7) and 36 minutes (31–7).
Then came the moment that lit the fire again. Port intercepted a Cill Dara attack just outside their own 22, and Jack McDonald fed Bradley Cooper(C) a lovely swing pass. Cooper saw the gap, broke through along the right side, and advanced to the 50-metre line — but Cill Dara couldn't hold him. He slipped into sixth gear and covered the last 30 metres with defenders chasing on both sides. What a try. What a tension-breaker. The Port supporters erupted and the lads on the pitch had a renewed belief — a feeling that had been building all season and needed exactly this moment to release. Cooper(C) stepped up and converted his own try. 31–14.
Port were now thinking — two more tries and they were back in contention. Six minutes remained, plus whatever injury time the game would offer. What followed was nail-biting for supporters and coaches alike. Port attacked, Cill Dara defended. Cill Dara attacked, Port defended. The game swung from one 5-metre line to the other in a breathless closing spell that had everyone on the sideline on their feet.
In the end, it was Cill Dara who found a way, crossing in the left corner in the last minute of the game to the dismay of the gathered supporters on that side. The final whistle blew — 36–14 — and a sense of relief washed over the Port lads. They had given absolutely everything.
Well done, all.
Men of the Match: Bradley Cooper , Mark Finlay, Sean Fitzpatrick
Bradley Cooper (C) — for an outstanding all-round performance; line breaks, looping runs, try-saving tackles, accurate conversions, and above all for stepping fully into the Captain's role and leading his team from the back at 15.
Mark Finlay-- for excellent commitment throughout the game, great try saving catches and tackles, and for unseen support play
Sean Fitzpatrick-- for superb reading of the game , break throughs and his classic offloads.
Exceptional Performances: Mark Finlay, Sean Fitzpatrick, Oisin Geoghegan(VC), Tommy Walker, Finn Costello, Jack McDonald, Jack Turley, Thoma Mc Grath
Great support Play: Harry Robinson, Ciarain Moore, Luca Hynes, Tadgh O Connor, Michael Owens, Arran Dunne, Pierce Milner, Sean Kiernan, Michael Mc Callum
Special Mention: Charlie Merriman — for tireless, unseen work rate across the entire pitch and an unshakeable can-do attitude whether lining out at 9, 13, 6, 7, or putting in a superb shift at 8. The kind of player every team needs.
Team:
Jack Mc Donald, Ciarain Moore, Harry Robinson, Finn Costello, Oisin Geoghegan(VC), Tadgh O Connor, Luca Hynes, Charlie Merriman, Jack Turley, Michael Owens, Mark Finlay, Sean Fitzpatrick, Tom Coen, Sam Lyons, Bradley Cooper(C), Arran Dunne, Sean Kiernan, Tommy Walker, Thoma Mc Grath,Michael mc Callum, Pierce Milner, Sam Petriw.