By Finian Coghlan

U16s Youth  Cup

Final

(Replay)

PORTLAOISE RFC

Sunday 13th May

MULLINGAR 35

TULLOW RFC 31

Oh my word! After Leinster had us chewing our fingernails down to the quick on Saturday, Mullingar u16s had us dining to the first knuckle in Portlaoise on Sunday when they went all the way to the 213^th minute to find the only chink of daylight between them and a superb Tullow outfit in the most thrilling game of the season.

Remember, these were the All-Ireland league champions who Mullingar had to come from behind three times in Donnybrook on Bank Holiday Monday to earn this second bite at the cherry, and the lead changed hands six times in the game before McAndrew-Duffy eventually put them to the sword in the third – and last – minute of injury time. But it was by no means a one man affair, far from it.

Fionn O’Hara at out-half just about shaded the MVP award from Evan Molloy who seemed to be absolutely everywhere and who can now safely go home and tell his Heifer sister that she’s only the second best rugby player in the family. But throughout the unit it was their discipline that fed their confidence to go for that last, last push having conceded an 11-point lead with just seven minutes remaining, and pull an absolute miracle from the teeth of a considerable conflagration.

As was the case last week in Donnybrook, Tullow flew out of the traps and had Mullingar on an instantaneous back foot, and just like last week, they made this intensity pay within the first three minutes with the first try. Mullingar had seen this before and didn’t panic.

O’Hara dropped the perfect re-start at 10.01 metres to give his side a first platform, and this was capitalised on a few moments later with a penalty which O’Hara coolly slotted. Tullow, however, kept up their massive intensity, and in the 14^th minute they stretched their lead with another well-taken score.

They could have stretched it with a third two minutes later, but for some massive Mullingar defence. With confidence growing Molloy showed them the way in the 23^rd minute and Mullingar made it back to the opposing 22.

From a solid ruck and Treanor feed, O’Hara timed his release perfectly and Sam Caslin hit the hole at hot pace and sauntered in for their first try and parity.

With just moments remaining in the half the star of Donnybrook Conor Gibney made another very telling break to set up a beachhead on the Tullow 22 at which they infringed, and young O’Hara did what he chose not to do last Monday and again slotted for three and a half time lead. Once again Tullow roared back after the break, and within two minutes had enough numbers to force over at the sticks to re-take the lead. This they only kept for seven minutes before the moment of magic from O’Hara lit up the afternoon. Mullingar overhit a dinky chase leaving the Tullow fullback with a simple clearance.

With the breeze behind him he went for distance but didn’t make the safety of touch, instead dropping it into the grateful paws of O’Hara on his own 10m line.

He dropped the shoulder to lose one, and then a show ‘n’ go to burn the second, before changing his line at scaldy pace to spot a gap, hand off two and pirouette in for a joyous lead. Mullingar were now enjoying their supremacy, which was extended with a third O’Hara penalty in the 15^th minute from the Tullow 10m line. Three minutes later it looked like the day had fully turned for the Midlanders when Tullow’s influential  flanker got binned for a late hit on O’Hara, and they manufactured enough numbers to allow Flynn skedaddle in the left cornersoon after  for a 28-17 lead.

Home and hosed we thought, but that was a silly, silly underestimation. By sheer force of will they biffed like rutting buffalo and clawed the game back with killer tries in the 28^th and 32^nd minutes to command a three point lead at the end of normal time. But there was some red clock left and Mullingar rolled sleeves and believed in all the fellows beside them. On and on they clawed, with great carries from Conlon, Farrell-Daly, and Molloy again, as they finger-inched into the Tullow 22. All hands were made of Pritt and Uhu as they spread left and right looking for that chink.

In the 38^th minute of enormous desperation it looked like they found it when Williams managed to find Flynn in pacey space down the left.

Now, he could have made it but showed composure way beyond his years and stepped inside to guarantee possession rather than take the substantial risk of being tackled into touch. The ruck was formed on the Tullow line as they threw all measure of domestic reservoir at the Mullingar horde.

Treanor again found O’Hara who went so close, but he set it up for the forwards. Cronin was next to be rebuffed, but his presentation was all McAndrew-Duffy needed, and he put all of his substantial heft into a magnificent pick and dive through the tiniest gaps for the thrillingest of winners. Unsurprisingly, O’Hara put the cherry on top with a lovely conversion, before the delirious mob descended on these magnificent boys, and the curtain was drawn on the 2017-18 season in the most glorious of fashions.

Starting XV: 1.Liam Shaw, 2. Evan Molloy, 3. Conor Mooney, 4. Lee Crowley-Lyon, 5. Sean Cronin, 6. Dylan Farrell-Daly, 7. Michael Conlon, 8. Gerry McAndrew-Duffy, 9. Adam Treanor, 10. Fionn O’Hara, 11. Mark Flynn, 12. Sam Caslin, 13. Conor Gibney, 14. Rory O’Sullivan-Sexton, 15. Shane Williams.

Replacements: Oisin Burke, Jamie Daly, Hugh O'Neill, Ethan Heffernan, Lee Ryan, Fintan Larkin, Brian Farrell, Adam Bower, Joseph Boylan, Paddy Kane.

Scorers:

Tries: Caslin, O’Hara, Flynn, McAndrew-Duffy.

Pens: O’Hara (3)

Cons: O’Hara (3)