Historic Weekend for Clon

The weekend of 26 September 08 will be a weekend long remembered in Clondalkin Rugby circles. On Saturday the 3rd team who are embarking on a league campaign for the first time in fifteen years put down an early marker with a 19-5 victory over CYM Terenure while on Sunday the first and second teams played in the second tier of the Leinster rugby marking their arrival with victories over division two stalwarts Edenderry.

The third team managed by John Stapleton set the ball rolling with a 19-5 victory away to CYM Terenure 2nds. The only Clondalkin try of the game came through a nice backline move that was finished by U20 graduate Ciaran Jones. The third team was originally formed with the intentions of keeping some of the Golden Oldies involved with the club but given the fact that young players like try scorer Ciaran Jones, Darach Finegan, Andy Tyndall and Dave Gilmore amongst others togged out on Saturday the plans to bring back the Oldies may have to be put on ice. Rumours had it that Ray Kelly and Eamon Stapleton are taking things easy this year but the CYM number 8 and 9 will be the first to disagree with this notion. Bone crushing displays like these mark this team down as being in contention to win their metro J4 league.

The seconds were the next Clondalkin team to take to the field against a much hyped Edenderry 2nd team who came into the game on the back of an impressive 43-17 win over Roscrea. Added to this, the fact that Clondalkin came into the game on the back of three heavy defeats in the Lalor Cup made the odds looked extremely stacked against the Clondalkin men. However, the second team fielded in the Lalor Cup bore little resemblance to the team fielded on Sunday. Back into the fold came last years first team members Peter Fitzgerald, Paul Fitzgerald, Mark Molloy, Paddy Burke, Finbar Butler and Colm Tighe returning to the fold it was bound to be a much more polished performance by the 2nd string. In fact 4 of the six tries came from this lot with Paddy Burke and Colm Tighe touching down for a try a piece and Peter Fitz showing that he is still the ultimate finisher scoring two impressive length of the pitch tries. The other two tries came from another U 20 graduate Lee Beresford showing his dancing feet and for once touching down in the field of play as opposed to over the dead ball line. Noteable performances from Sean Dunne and Greasey Cux were registered marking these two down as ones for the future. Clondalkin roll into next weeks game away to Mullingar with the spring in their step starting to return. Second team manager Conor Steed had this to say following the game “Sorry I missed the game lads. I had a puncture on the way”.

The firsts were the last team to take the field over the weekend and despite looking like the game was comfortably in the bag at half time injuries to key players Alan O’Brien, Alan Hickey & Paul Hickey made for a tough second half playing uphill against a team who had beaten Roscrea 43-0 the week before. However, big defensive performances from Sean Brennan, Tom Duffy, Simon King, Kevin Hanlon and the returning Paul Nolan meant that Clondalkin registered a historic victory over their Offaly rivals. Historic in so far as this was their first win in the second tier of Leinster rugby and also because this was their first win on the opening day of the season for many years now.

Clondalkin now move on to face Mullingar next weekend and the signs are ominous for a great season ahead.

Added by Murts September 30, 2008 (4:52PM)

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