MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.

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Mullingar vs Garda

November 25, 2014

November 23, 2014. Leinster League Div2A.
Garda 5 Mullingar 62
Mullingar turn their season on top with 10-try romp in Westmanstown
By Finian Coghlan
In the week before their main title rivals come to Cullion for the showdown
of the season, Mullingar had a most enjoyable confidence-giving display
against table-proppers Garda RFC in their own back yard in west Dublin.
Winger Andrew Coade returned to the side with some effect, scoring four
tries from about six touches, and leapfrogged his younger brother to top of
the try-scoring table, and surpass already Anthony McGivney’s leading total
for the entirety of last year.
The team also surpassed the total amount of tries scored last season on
Sunday, and their 30 points in the league is just one short of last
season’s total, and the buzz is becoming infectious.
Pace and verve were in plentiful display from one to 22, and Garda had no
answer to attacks that literally came from everywhere.
In fact, so complete was the Mullingar display that there were only two
blots on the copybook – Eoghan Gantly’s hamstring injury, and captain
Darryl Quinn getting burnt on his outside by probably the fattest player in
the league. Twenty two stone he told me he was.
Mullingar started ridiculously fast, and your reporter barely had his biro
uncapped before the mountain of heft Samuel Blair had thundered over for
the opener.
Next, it was Pyke and Tighe who made good ground down the left, almost to
the line, but when it was whipped to the right Alan Brabazon found the line
he has been threatening all season to sythe through untouched.
Conor Jack copied this manoeuvre for the third try in just the 12th minute,
and now everybody was looking for it.
Five minutes later it looked like he was in again only for the ref to have
adjudged Quinn’s feed to the breadbasket slightly forward.
But no matter, because it only took another four minutes to rectify this,
when Jack and Brabazon chose to utilise the Coade delivery system for the
first time.
Now 26-0 up inside 21 minutes and the bonus point secure, Mullingar chose
to doze, and allowed their hosts in for an inexplicable blemish.
Stung back into action, and offering game that Garda had no answer to,
Coade added another pair of corner jobs before the half time whistle after
Quinn and Blair had bashed the available space.
With North Kildare in mind, Derek Maybury made four halftime substitutions,
but it was only moments later he had to re-jiggle when the unfortunate
Gantly’s hammy went twang.
However, he was able to call on the versatile Pyke to drop out of the pack
and re-acquaint himself with his 2010 centre partner Brabazon.
As if to say sorry for taking Gantly on his terminal sprint, Nigel Mill
capitalised on a period of line-encampment when he powered over from short
range.
Mullingar took the foot off a bit, and it took nearly quarter of an hour
before they extended their lead, but it was worth waiting for.
Collecting a kick-ahead just inside the Garda half, he set up the counter,
he handed off two opponents on a diagonal run for a well earned dive and
slide to the corner to put up the half century.
With the pack rampant it was only a matter of time before they cut loose
again. Jack and Tighe made the break down the right, and though stopped
Arthur flashed fast to over-numbers on the left. Henry Reilly went to feed
Coade his fourth but dummied inside to the galloping Pyke for a well-earned
score. Then it was the turn of the Butler to set one down over the line.
Coade was not going to be denied his proper punctuation moment and
chose to do so with a spectacular Tommy Bowe.
With Garda pressing surprisingly in the Mullingar 22 Coade chanced his arm
and intercepted brilliantly. The ears were pinned back and the burners lit,
and not even one of their high pursuit vehicles in the car park would’ve
got him in time as he went the distance for a superb fourth try.
Other news
Congratulation are due to the women’s team who got their season back on
track with another fine win on the road after they beat near neighbours and
one-time title rivals Longford 29-0.
This now perfectly sets up the double mouth-watering fixtures in Cullion
next week, with the women hosting their main title rivals Tullow at 1pm,
and the 1st XV taking on the team in second place – North Kildare at 2.30pm.
Both games have the power to define each team’s season, and both
oppositions have been a thorn in Mullingar sides over the last two season.
Thoufgh the women narrowly beat Tullow home and away in the league last
season, Tullow gained silverware revenge by beating them in the League
final – on penalties – and in the Leinster Cup.
Against North Kildare last year Mullingar needed a last gasp try for a
losing bonus point in the last game of the season to stay in this division,
and in the opening game of this season, did exactly the same to go one
better and nick a draw on their patch.
These are going to be absolute crackers. Do come and enjoy.
Tries: Andrew Coade 4, Blair, Pyke, Butler, Alan Brabazon, Jack, Mills.
Cons: Butler 6
Team: 1. Darren Brady, 2. Nigel Mills, 3 Ciaran O'Donoghue, 4. Niall
Hannon,, 5. Darryl Quinn , 6. Ritchie Pyke , 7. Cormac Dunne , 8. Samuel
Blair, 9. Arthur Brabazon, 10. Conor Jack, 11. Ryan Tighe, 12. Eoghan
Gantly , 13. Alan Brabazon,14. Andrew Coade, 15. Johnny Butler. Subs used:
Henry Reilly, Darech Geraghty, Jamie Taaffe, Davy O’Reilly, Alex Moran.

Top try scorers 23.11.14: Andrew Coade ,Olive Butler (10) , Matthew Coade,
Paul Maxwell , Sam Blair (6) Louise Kelly, Johnny Butler (5) Stacy Boland,
(4), Diarmuid Raleigh, Conor Jack (3), Adam Kerroum, Davy O’Reilly, Richie
Pyke (2), Darech Geraghty, Darren Brady, Ronan Wallace, RyanTighe, Cormac
Dunne, Darren Brady, , Luke Peppard, Eoghan Gantly, Nigel Mills, Alan
Brabazon.
Tries for: 55, Against :16.

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