Kilfeacle shade all-Tipperary clash in Munster Junior Rugby League

Kilfeacle 26 Thurles 23

After the previous week’s defeat it was vitally important for Kilfeacle to get back to winning ways on Sunday.

They started this game well and immediately pushed Thurles back into their own 22, and after two minutes opened the scoring when a sublime pass by Luke Heuston released Jacques van Wyngaardt untouched into the Thurles 22 and under the posts to touch down. Luke Heuston added the two points and Kilfeacle had the early lead 7-0.

Kilfeacle had the better of the early exchanges and on the 15th minute mark Timmy Clarke finished off an excellent whole team manoeuvre to dive over in the corner. Luke Heuston’s conversion attempt against the breeze was unsuccessful and Kilfeacle’s lead was now 12-0.

A long range penalty from Thurles in the 18th minute steadied the ship and opened their scoring. The score was now 12-3.

Kilfeacle had dominated the first 20 minutes but the roles were reversed for the second 20 minutes and Thurles came roaring back into the game, taking advantage of a badly misfiring Kilfeacle lineout. It was a Kilfeacle attacking lineout that laid the platform for the first Thurles try. Thurles capitalised on the poor lineout and excellently turned defence into attack. Some quick passing and strong running saw Thurles finish a fine team effort by crashing over Kilfeacle’s line and scoring their first try, which was converted for a 12-10 score.

Thurles were in the ascendency and were now dominating the lineouts, which were providing them with some excellent platforms to build up phases of attacking play. In the 28th minute Thurles once again breached the Kilfeacle defence to score their second converted try and wrestle the lead away from Kilfeacle, 17-12. Kilfeacle’s management decided to make some tactical substitution to steady the ship.

The “boys in blue” did manage to stifle Thurles in attack but the misfiring lineout was still causing problems. The half ended with Thurles increasing their lead to 20 points to 12 with a superbly-taken long range penalty.

From the restart, Kilfeacle immediately took the game to Thurles and gained territorial advantage. However, many of the forced and unforced errors that blighted the previous week’s second half performance reared their ugly head once again.

Kilfeacle had all the possession and all the territory for the first 15 minutes of the second half and after countless phases of play scored their third try after some fantastic work by both backs and forwards and scored by Kevin Kinnane. Luke Heuston converted from in front of the posts and Kilfeacle now trailed 20-19.

Thurles held their nerve and did not capitulate. They pushed Kilfeacle back and in the 62nd minute stretched their lead with a well-taken penalty. The score was now 23-19. The game was in the final quarter and Kilfeacle were now in pursuit of a bonus point try to regain the lead from their opponents, and there was little Thurles could do to stop the onslaught.

Kilfeacle were camped inside the Thurles 22 and only some excellent last-ditch defending by Thurles kept them at bay. Eventually, in the 70th minute Kilfeacle’s Gavin Heuston crashed over after some excellent work by his forwards to score Kilfeacle’s fourth try. Luke Heuston easily converted and the home side now led by 26-23.

Kilfeacle emptied the bench to give squad members more game time and the intensity dropped with all the positional changes. Thurles, to their credit, never gave up and caused some worrying moments for the home side as they went in search of a penalty to draw or try to win. However, the Kilfeacle defence stood strong.

Kilfeacle’s next game is a tough away game against Cooke RFC in the first round of the Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup on October 26.

Kilfeacle squad: 1 Bobby Purcell, 2 Brendan Barron, 3 Richard Whitney, 4 Darragh Kennedy, 5 Adam Crowe, 6 Thomas Fogarty, 7 Beau Walker, 8 Gavin McCormack, 9 Gavin Heuston, 10 Luke Heuston, 11 Killian Noonan, 12 Anthony Foley, 13 Jacques van Wyngaardt, 14 Dubhan O’Grady, 15 Timmy Clarke, 16 Daniel Lambe, 17 Paddy Finnan, 18 Cormac Ryan, 19 Kevin Kinnane, 20 Brian Barlow, 21 Cathal Hallissey and 22 Mikey Fitzgibbon.

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