Wicklow RFC’s U18s see off Boyne to secure a terrific treble

Wicklow RFC U18s manager Stephen Clarke paid tribute to his talented squad for their hard work following their victory over Boyne in the Tom D’Arcy Cup final in Energia Park on Monday afternoon, completing a remarkable treble for the Ashtown Lane side.

“We are very very proud of these boys,” said Stephen. “They have worked so hard this year and achieved something really remarkable. The goal now is to get as many of these lads as possible playing senior rugby in Wicklow over the coming years. We do hope to field an under 20s next season for the first time and will be announcing details shortly,” he added.

The talented U18s have written themselves into Wicklow Rugby Club folklore by beating Boyne 26-10 to claim the Tom D’Arcy Cup at Energia Park on Monday where a brace of tries, from Darragh McCormack, the electric Brendan Stone and replacement Euan Gallagher Doyle, sealed the cup triumph for Wicklow.

Boyne had their own purple patch at the end of the first half. Senan Gough’s try left the score 12-10 at the interval.

But it was Stephen Clarke’s youngsters who raised the intensity in the second half to steer themselves towards their third trophy of the year: South East League champions, Leinster Premier League champions, and now Tom D’Arcy Cup champions – a season that will never be forgotten.

The Ashtown Lane side travelled to Donnybrook with the aim of completing an incredible treble. The latest crop of fresh Wicklow RFC talent have enjoyed a memorable season. They won the South East League back in January before claiming the Leinster Premier League title after a 39-19 victory over Boyne in the final a fortnight ago.

The same two teams went toe-to-toe for the Tom D’Arcy Cup. Wicklow’s route to the final was done the hard way, all on the road. They had victorious trips away to Edenderry and Portlaoise before beating Naas 27-19 in the semi-final at Tullow RFC.

Boyne dispatched of Kilkenny, Mullingar, Cill Dara, and Athy 19–17 in the semi-final at Mullingar RFC on their journey to Donnybrook

It was clear from the outset that this was a game between two evenly matched teams. There was an early war going on at the breakdown. Kieran Hunter and Senan Sloan Kelly were hungry for work, while Irish U18 player Mahon Ronan and Lincoin De Year looked like real handfuls on the opposite side.

In the 13th minute, Wicklow opened their accounts. A penalty gave them easy access into the 22. From a crafty peel at the lineout, the powerful Hunter edged them forward. From here, they stayed patient, using a pick-and-go strategy to good effect before loosehead prop McCormack wrestled his way over the whitewash for his first try of the day.

A couple of minutes later, Boyne had an opportunity to respond through the boot of Tadg Duff, but his attempt was unsuccessful.

The boys in red, white, and black looked the more settled of the teams. Another needless penalty let them back into attacking territory. The lineout set the stage once more.

On this occasion, they spread the ball wide. Hugo Sloan Kelly and Stone combined to release left winger Ben Harris, who was stopped a couple metres short of the scoring zone.

The ball was recycled quickly, giving the defence little time to reset before Stone accelerated through a gap to score underneath the sticks. The conversion was simple for Brian Johnston. 12-0, the score after 20 minutes.

The Co. Louth lads kicked into gear after that try, finally warming to the task. Full-back Duff got them ticking on the scoreboard through a well-struck penalty.

On the half-hour mark, they followed up that score with their first try of the afternoon. A clever cross-field kick from out-half Mahon Hall launched the ball into the path of Gough, getting a favourable bounce, it sat up nicely for the right winger, who scored in the corner. Duff added the extras from a difficult touchline conversion.

The Boyne tails were up. They could have put themselves into the lead before the break, but Duff’s penalty was missed. A welcome half-time whistle for Wicklow. 12–10, the story after the first 35 minutes of play.

The impact of the half-time team talk was evident. Wicklow started the second half on the front foot. Lovely soft hands from Johnston created the space for charging centre Tom Murray to run into. His individual break brought them right into the opposition red zone, where they were later awarded a penalty.

They kept the pressure on, and through Boyne’s ill-discipline, they kept knocking at the door before the bulldozing McCormack powered over for his second try. Johnston was good again from the kicking tee. 19-10, the score heading into the last 25 minutes of the final

From that moment on, they were firmly in the driving seat. Jamie Murray, Ricardo Whelan, and Cuan Beirne led from the front on the defensive shift as they managed to keep their opponents scoreless in the second half.

Fullback Stone seemed home and dry for his second try as he went sprinting down the right wing, but a reckless tackle from De Year halted his progress illegally. The number 8 received a yellow card for his trouble.

Boyne’s only meaningful shot at the try-line during the second half came when speedy full-back Duff looked destined to touch down in the left corner, but he decided to look for support. His last pass was intercepted by Will Fitzpatrick, who showed his wheels to track back and provide a try-saving intervention.

Wicklow still held a nine-point cushion as the clock continued to run down. All the rugby was being played in the right area of the field for the leaders, as they pinned the opposition in, keeping them under the pump. They couldn’t get out.

A huge rip and steal from Murray won Wicklow back possession. He offloaded the ball to substitute Gallagher Doyle, who put the icing on the cake by strolling in for their fourth and final try. Johnson made sure of the conversion.

They just had to retain the ball for a couple more phases before Johnston poked the ball into touch, bringing with it the sound of the referee’s final whistle and jubilant Wicklow celebrations. It was a special day for the club, who won the U-14 final earlier in the day.

Wicklow RFC: Brendan Stone; Will Fitzpatrick, Hugo Sloan Kelly, Tom Murray, Ben Harris; Brian Johnston, Eric Peterson; Darragh McCormack, TJ Kennedy, Kieran Hunter, Cuan Beirne, Jack McConnell, Jamie Murray, Ricardo Whelan, Senan Sloan Kelly (capt.). Replacements: Cormac Murphy, Stephen Duke, Jack McCall, Euan Gallagher Doyle, Theo Pennell, Niall Connolly, William Clarke, Darragh Carey.

Boyne RFC: Tadg Duff; Senan Gough, Donal Quinn, Alex Hermitage, Loclainn Harris; Mahon Hall, Adam Dooley; Morgan O’Reilly (capt.), Dean Carolan, Sam Brennan, Jonah Nelson, Mahon Ronan, Ciaran McGinty, Theo Sheridan, Lincoin De Year. Replacements: Leon O’Dowd, Bryan Keelan, Matthew Duggan, Obinna Nkpa, Seán Ronan, Byron Carolan, Daniel Carolan Maher, Rian Kindlon.