MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.
MULLINGAR RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
BUILDING A COMMUNITY SINCE 1925.
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CHAMPIONS 2015
March 23, 2015
Leinster Division 1 final, March 21, 2015 at Donnybrook.
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
betweent 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 almoist 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 sufficated 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.
Team:
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 (c), 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
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
betweent 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 almoist 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 sufficated 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.
Team:
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 (c), 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
Official website of
Mullingar Rugby Club
- Mullingar RFC,
- Shay Murtagh Park,
- Castlepollard Road,
- Cullion,
- Mullingar,
- Westmeath