Senior Rugby – Ulster Bank Division 2A
With all our Rugby teams in Tipperary now back in full flow, our two senior teams, Nenagh Ormond RFC and Cashel RFC, take centre stage this weekend.
Nenagh make the daunting 5 hour trip up North to face a Dungannon team steeped in tradition at senior level, with a constant conveyor belt of Irish & Lions Internationals, including, David Humphreys, Stephen Ferris, Paddy Johns and Kieran Campbell to name a few. Nenagh have their own products also though, in Trevor Hogan and current International Donnacha Ryan, both proud North Tipperary men.
Preparation for life in Division 2A hasn’t been plain sailing with a couple of uncharacteristic defeats in recent weeks to Old Crescent in the Limerick Charity Cup and most recently to Sundays Well in a Friendly game, both games the club has come accustomed to winning in recent years.
Despite this, come 5pm Saturday evening, don’t be surprised if you look up the results to see Nenagh crossing back over the border with a positive result. They are where they are on merit, have a great squad of players and won’t have any fear travelling up to face the Ulster men, especially with the likes of Dolphin, Young Munster and Garryowen being downed by Nenagh in recent history.
The travel itinerary doesn’t read much kinder for the men from Cashel, as they face into a trip across the border to face a Banbridge side that finished just 2 points lower than Cashel last season.
Rory and Simon Best are the most decorated players to come out of Banbridge where Boherlahan-Dualla man Denis Leamy holds pride of place at Cashel.
No game is ever easy up the North, but Cashel’s preparation has seen them come agonisingly close to defeating Cork Constitution in the Cork Charity Cup Final but for a try scored at the death, they bounced back from that disappointment to record a 45-7 over the newcomers to the senior ranks, Kanturk.
Junior Rugby Roundup:
Thurles RFC – Courtesy of Club PRO
Having lost out to Nenagh Ormond’s 2nd XV two weeks previous in the Mansergh Cup on a 19-10 score line, last Saturday Thurles welcomed Division 1 side Waterpark to Loughtagalla for a pre-season friendly where they ran out 36-0 victors with tries from Colm Skehan, Eoghan O’Dwyer, Aidan Dwyer and a couple from Nicky Irwin. This result didn’t flatter Thurles but with just 2 weeks to the start of the League, there is still a lot of work to be done on the training field in build up for the trip to Waterford City in two weeks’ time. The past few weeks has seen two debutants to the Thurles First Team with, Sam Devaney and Shane Butler making big impressions in the push for a starting jersey. Training continues Wednesday and Friday nights at 7.30pm sharp, keep an eye on the Thurles RFC Facebook page for updates or changes. New players always welcome.
Thurles RFC Squad 2014/15: Colm Skehan, Adam O’Malley, Dave Kelly, Jason O’Mahoney, Tommy Keane, Ger McCormack, Conor Cooney, Brian Lyons (Capt.), David Walsh, Paddy Phelan, Emmet Kavanagh, Larry O’Gorman, Donnacha Duggan, Eoin Long, Dan Lanigan-Ryan, Phil Kelly, Paudie Carey, Dwayne Stanley, Sam Devaney, Joey Kelly, Nicky Irwin, Deano McCormack, Sean Fitzgerald, Peter Coman, Adrian Bourke, Tommy Connelly, John Coman, Aidan Dwyer, Shane Moloney, David Maher, Eoghan O’Dwyer, John Loughman.
Mansergh Cup
Having defeated local rivals Clanwilliam in the quarter final on a 22-17 score line, Kilfeacle & District are in action this weekend in the Semi Final against near neighbours Galbally, who overcame Nenagh Ormond’s 2nd XV at the weekend on a 20-10 score line.
Clonmel await the winners in the final having defeated Newport and Cashel’s 2nd XV on route to decide the winners of this season’s first bit of silverware.
Saturday 20th September 2014
AIL Division 2A: Dungannon v Nenagh Ormond, Stevenson Park; 2.30pm
Banbridge v Cashel, Rifle Park; 2.30pm
Sunday 21st September 2014
Mansergh Cup: Kilfeacle v Galbally, Kilfeacle, 12.30pm
Junior Friendlies: Clonmel v Clanwilliam, Clonmel, 1.30pm;
Fethard v Waterford City, Fethard, 2.30pm
Thurles v Dungarvan, Thurles, 2.30pm
Any clubs in Tipperary wishing to have notes featured on our weekly club update; please forward all information or photos to aidan@tipperarytimes.com, many thanks to the Clubs who contributed this week.