Leinster Women's Division 1

Final

Mullingar 23 

Edenderry 3

Mullingar take Leinster title with glorious display at HQ

by Finian Coghlan

And there it was at the final whistle, that moment of exquisite bliss.

After just five years in existence, and with three defeated finals to be exorcised from the collective psyche, Mullingar did just that with a most scintillating second half on the magic carpet of a sun-drenched Donnybrook to be crowned champions of Leinster and earn admission to the hallowed realms of senior rugby.

Despite a few early stutters against a formidable foe, Mullingar stuck diligently to their game plan and were rewarded in super spades in front of a very satisfied travelling crowd.

It was a gargantuan team effort, and though the dazzling Louise Kelly was voted MVP, it could honestly have gone to any one of seven or eight of them, such was the broadness of majesty within their ranks.

Tracey Talbot was pumped like a gladiator and had her best game in a Mullingar shirt, while the back row of Crosby, Layde and Cleary hunted with such predatory efficiency that hyenas everywhere in the world are a little bit sad today and they don't know why.

However, it was the corps de ballet - from 9 to 15 - that was the difference between the two teams and oh, did they shine like a tray in de Beers.

Before the game it was widely felt this was going to be a game of biff v dash, and Miller tailored the game plan accordingly to keep as much ball away from their major yard plunderers by kicking it into Edenderry territory and forcing them to start again deep.

Edenderry, from their perspective, chose then to focus on what they thought was the weakest link in the defensive chain, and they targetted some monster charges down the right at the diminutive frame of Teenie Burke.

Well, that they encountered the most murderous religion teacher since Torquemada minding the house was almost an understatement, and she put every interloper to a ruthless sword, to maintain the absolute virtue of her neck of the woods.

This spirit percolated, and the policy of 'No Pasaran' unnerved Edenderry, who just assumed their tanks would roll unscratched into no mans land, and all they had for the great efforts approaching the break was three points from a silly Mullingar concession in front of the posts in the 19th minute.

Then, in the fourth minute of first half stoppage time, the dancing girls finally caught fire and almost delivered the imperious Gibson to the left corner.

Edenderry infringed, Mullingar bravely chose to scrummage from five out and they locked it. Holmes whipped right to Crilly in off the left who fed Butler, and then to Taite at pace into the line, who popped a beaut out to the Ginger Winger Burke who stepped through two tackles and plunged a dagger through Edenderry hearts with the opening score.

This was the confidence valve release, and when they came back out, there seemed to be a dandier skip in the Mullingar gait.

Within minutes Taite and Kelly had fly-hacked Mullingar into their opponent's 22 and a couple of pressured phases later the former had Mullingar 8-3 up.

In the 12th minute Mullingar brought on Andrews and Boland into the engine room for Bagnall and Farrelly who'd left their lot out there.

Three minutes later Taite had her first big run from deep and set up a ruck in midfield.

Holmes went quickly left through Kelly, Gibson and out to Crilly who was just caught on the line.

However, following up as she always does, Kelly was first to the recycle and pulled a superb pick'n'dive to the left to give Mullingar a 10-point lead.

This should've been stretched in the 21st after an Olive Butler break into the 22 with Tayto and Teenie outside, but poor hands saved the Offaly women.

With Andrews now the main airborne target the line-out became sacrosanct again, and this platform set the line off again with great hands going left and right, but just short again.

In the 24th minute an Edenderry break into the Mullingar 22 reminded them of the dangers of the opposition, but Layde and Talbot suffocated this dying wasp, and after Edenderry were penalised for holding on, the inevitable began.

Andrews won the line-out, deftly feeding Holmes from the air, and Butler was off before she had even landed.

Despairing lunges was all she felt as she backed herself all the way to her 13th try of the season, and an 18-3 lead with just 10 minutes to go.

The touchline buzz was now growing but out on the paddock the warriors knew  a job was still at hand against a team who had been just one point better than Mullingar in the 14-13 aggregate of their two previous meetings this season.

Edenderry again tried to force on, but a brilliant rob by Sarah Crosby allowed Tayto clear over the halfway.

With two minutes remaining it looked like Kelly was home and hosed for her second, but she was just held short.

This irked her competitive juices, but they only had to stew for another three minutes.

In the first minute of injury time Andrews was again rock solid in the air under the stands, and Holmes let slip her dogs of war once more.

Kelly lit the burners 50m out, and all she felt was flapping as she galloped to dreamland and a historic 23-3 victory.

Teams:

Mullingar: 1. Aoife Bagnall, 2. Claire Farrelly, 3. Tracey Talbot, 4. Claire O'Brien, 5. Sylvia Rattigan, 6. Sarah Crosby, 7. Katie Layde, 8. Clodagh Cleary, 9. Sinead Holmes, 10. Olive Butler, 11. Martina 'Teenie' Burke, 12. Jenny Gibson, 13. Louise Kelly, 14. Niamh 'Crilly' Kennedy (Captain), 15. Ellen 'Tayto' Taite. Subs: Stacy Boland, Adrienne Andrews, Nicola Rountree, Catherine Graham, Julie Ann Dunne, Gillian Kelly, Aoife Hynes, Alwyn Gibney. Injured medallists: Gemma Egan, Emma Gillespie, LeeAnn Maye.

Edenderry: 1. Siobhan Cullen, 2. Aoife Byrne, 3. Lisa Moore, 4. Miriam Holt, 5. Denise English, 6. Mary Grogan, 7. Martina Russell, 8. Emma Coyne, 9. Grainne Vaugh, 10. Oonagh Mulligan (c), 11. Evelyn Russell, 12. Serana Dowdall, 13. Shauna O'Brien, 14. Anne Marie Quinn, 15. Jane Fitzpatrick. Subs: Aisling Daly, Stacey Brennan, Lorrie O'Brien, Rachela Gill, Briona McEvoy, Caroline Fawcett, AnneMarie Manley, Martina O'Rourke, Paula Grehan.