Tullamore set sights on league leaders after scraping win over Dundalk
Tullamore Rugby Club news
Tullamore head into tomorrow’s crucial Leinster League Division 1A clash with Athy knowing they will need to improve significantly after scraping a dramatic 34–31 bonus-point victory away to Dundalk last weekend. While the five league points were welcome, the performance left plenty to be desired as Tullamore were forced to dig deep to rescue a game that threatened to slip away from them.
Tullamore started flat, and Dundalk wasted little time in capitalising, opening the scoring with a converted try to put the visitors on the back foot. Tullamore responded well, however, with two quick-fire tries from Adam Carthy and Alan Douglas. Both scores were built on powerful carrying close to the line, with the pack providing the platform for the visitors to turn pressure into points.
The momentum appeared to swing firmly in Tullamore’s favour when Karl Dunne produced a lovely grubber kick to find Cian Lynam in the corner. Lynam finished superbly to score Tullamore’s third try, and at that stage it looked as though the visitors were beginning to take control of proceedings.
Unfortunately, that proved to be as good as it got for Tullamore in the opening half. Dundalk responded with two converted tries of their own, punishing some loose defensive work to take a four-point lead into the interval.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the restart, adding two more tries inside the opening ten minutes of the second half. Tullamore looked short of their usual intensity and found themselves chasing the game, with the score eventually reaching 31–17.
To their credit, the visitors finally found another gear and began to take control. Tullamore worked their way deep into the Dundalk 22, where the ball found Lynam once again. The young back needed no second invitation, powering his way over in the corner to bring Tullamore back into contention. He struck again shortly afterwards, completing a superb hat-trick in just his second appearance for the senior side and setting up a tense finish.
With less than ten minutes remaining, Tullamore still trailed by four points and faced a difficult task to complete the comeback. They continued to pile on the pressure, eventually forcing their way back towards the Dundalk line through a series of penalties. The hosts struggled to contain the repeated carries, and Conor Dunne ultimately found a hard line to power over for the decisive try. He added the conversion to seal a remarkable 34–31 victory and secure all five league points.
Although the result was ultimately a positive one, Tullamore will know they made life far more difficult for themselves than necessary. Too many opportunities were left behind, while their defensive performance fell below the standards they have set for themselves. The character shown to fight back and claim victory was encouraging, but a similar start against stronger opposition could prove costly.
Cian Lynam had a brilliant game, marking just his second senior appearance with three excellent tries. His finishing and composure in the corner provided a major boost for Tullamore when they needed it most. Tiarnan Quinn also had an excellent debut for Tullamore. He made an outstanding defensive contribution and got through a lot of work on the field.
Attention now turns to tomorrow’s showdown with Athy, who sit top of the table with four wins from four and the maximum 20 points. Tullamore currently occupy third place on 15 points, and a victory would leave them in an excellent position heading into the winter months.
U18.5: Tullamore 36, Portarlington 12
Tullamore U18.5s travelled to Portarlington on Friday night for a Leinster league fixture, which on paper looked like a tough assignment.
On a blustery cold night, where the strong wind blew towards one end all night long, it looked like it could be a game of two halves and lots of kicking, but this proved not to be the case, as the Tulliers proved that their handling skills were well able to deal with the conditions.
From the outset, with the wind at their backs,the red warriors took the game to the Port lads, and resisted the temptation to kick possession away. In the No. 10 shirt, Daithi Guinan controlled the game throughout, his decision making, passing, and conversions reminded one of a young Finn Russell.
The Tullamore pack, though missing a few players, locked down the scrum all night, and front row of Harry Lynam, MJ Darby and Oisin Whelan ensured a solid platform to work from.Tullamore scored early, with a well worked score, which made its way through many phases before driving over.Scores for the two Dans, Leavy and Mangan, saw a score of 19-7 at halftime, despite the issuance of a yellow card.
The second row of Riain Guinan and Sean Healy got through a lot of work, with Riain excellent in the lineout, and Sean securing ruck after ruck.In the backrow, the constant carries of Mangan and Patrick Corcoran wore out the opposition. At 7, Darragh Hill carried out more unseen work than Simon Easterby in his prime.
Jeff Molloy was a constant sniping threat at 9, and the centre pairing of Leavy and Ruairi Dunne were a huge threat all night. Despite turning into the wind for the second half, Tullamore continued to pile on the pressure, with Ronan Dowling and Oisin Moran constantly a threat on the wings.
Stephen O Gorman had his first start of the season at 15 and was rock solid.Tullamore introduced James Keegan, James Keeney, Josh Gowing, Martin Conroy, Bill Culleton and Charlie Smith, which strengthened the team and allowed Tullamore to extend their lead.
Scorers: D Mangan 2xTry, MJ Darby 2xTry, R Dowling Try, D Leavy Try, D Guinan 3xConv
Tullamore:S O’Gorman, O Moran, R Dunne, D Leavy, R Dowling, D Guinan, J Molloy, H Lynam, MJ Darby, O Whelan, R Guinan, S Healy, D Hill, D Mangan, P Corcoran. Replacements: J Keegan, J Keeney, J Gowing, M Conroy, B Culliton, C Smyth,.