Kilkenny Women battle hard in thrilling clash with Greystones

There was no shortage of drama at Foulkstown this past weekend as the Kilkenny Women’s team hosted Greystones in a highly anticipated second-round fixture of the Paul Cusack Cup.

The match got off to a high-octane start. Within just a few minutes, Greystones were awarded a penalty deep in Kilkenny territory.

They wasted no time converting the opportunity into points, crossing the whitewash to claim the opening try of the game.

The conversion attempt fell short, but the visitors took an early 5-0 lead.

Kilkenny, unfazed by the early setback, responded with determination. The physicality ramped up quickly, with both forward packs locking horns in several keenly contested scrums.

Kilkenny’s Anita St Ledger was instrumental in getting clean ball out to the backs, and one such phase saw a quick chain of passes release Laura Delaney down the wing.

Delaney’s pace and power had the crowd roaring, but she was held up just short of the line in a brilliant piece of defensive work by Greystones.

From there, the game settled into a tense, tactical battle. Both sides demonstrated their hunger for victory with strong carries, crunching tackles, and clever kicking.

Kilkenny’s forward pack earned a crucial scrum penalty, and the team capitalised with some excellent build-up play.

Eve Cronin combined smoothly with both Delaney and Caroline Quirke, who drove the attack to within inches of the try line before being forced into touch by the narrowest of margins.

The rest of the first half played out like a chess match, with territory and possession frequently changing hands due to penalties and turnovers.

Despite numerous promising opportunities for both sides, the scoreboard remained unchanged, and Greystones held onto their slender 5-0 lead going into half-time.

The second half saw Kilkenny come out with renewed energy and purpose.

A booming territorial kick from Megan Callahan pushed Greystones back, and moments later Kilkenny won the turnover.

With momentum building, Delaney fed Cronin, who burst through the defensive line with pace and purpose to score Kilkenny’s opening try.

Emily Kenny stepped up to calmly slot the conversion, putting Kilkenny in front for the first time, 5-7.

Buoyed by the score, Kilkenny pushed hard for a second try, dominating possession and stringing together impressive phases.

Several times, they came within metres of the Greystones line, only to be denied at the last moment.

Then, against the run of play, Greystones capitalised on a lapse in defensive structure.

Spotting a gap out wide, they darted through for their second try of the game, reclaiming the lead at 10-7.

The game’s tension ratcheted up as both teams wrestled for control.

Greystones were hampered by a series of unforced errors in their lineout, and Kilkenny took full advantage.

Awarded a penalty in a kickable position, Kenny stepped up once again and struck the ball sweetly through the posts to level the score at 10-10.

Kilkenny weren’t done yet. A surging collective effort from the entire team set the platform for another brilliant attacking move.

With Greystones on the back foot, Laura Delaney spotted her moment and crashed over for Kilkenny’s second try, sending the home supporters into a frenzy.

The conversion didn’t go over, but Kilkenny now led 15-10 with the clock ticking down.

Just as it seemed Kilkenny might close out the game, Greystones found one final spark. Their number 10 seized upon a narrow gap in the Kilkenny line, slicing through and diving under the posts for a devastating late try. The successful conversion nudged the visitors ahead 17-15 in what would be the final score of the match.