Longford Rugby Club unlucky losers in a thriller against Kilkenny

Longford RFC . . . 22    Kilkenny RFC . . . 25 

Kilkenny are a powerhouse of Leinster Junior Rugby, who last season dropped from Leinster League 1A and yet contested last season’s Provincial Towns Cup Final. This is always one of the trickier fixtures of the season and Longford were going to have to front up if a result was to be achieved against a very good side.

Longford took to the field in the alternative Longford County Colours kit given that Kilkenny share a black theme to their jerseys.  

The game kicked off in perfect conditions for rugby and from the off Longford set the tempo with a thundering opening 5 minutes. Longford carried hard at the visitor’s line and made several important early impressions to let Kilkenny know that they were in for a hard day at the office.

 However, as has been the case too many times this season the opposition were permitted to exit despite solid Longford play to make their way up into the Longford half.

 Longford were dealt a hammer blow in this phase of play when No.8 and talisman Packie Molloy twisted his knee in a tackle and had to be substituted.

 It was rookie Eoin Murtagh who came into the fray intent on laying down his own marker which he did superbly throughout the rest of the match. Longford however were frustratingly pinged for an infringement on 6 minutes that gave Kilkenny an early 3-0 lead against the run of play.

In fairness Longford kept their cool and continued their early high tempo from the restart. The shape and intensity of the home side was very impressive, and they were rewarded on 11 minutes with a penalty which Ryan McHugh landed to bring the scoreboard to 3-3. 

For the next 15 minutes both sides exchanged blows evenly and if anything, the home side had the better of the exchanges. Longford were awarded what would normally be a very kickable penalty on 26 minutes that was sent narrowly wide by Ryan McHugh to let Kilkenny off the hook. 

But Longford to their credit kept the momentum and on 37 minutes one of the Longford players of the season to date, Andrew Farrell, launched one of his trademark barrelling attacks into the visitors 22. 

Longford moved the ball quickly from the resulting breakdown and it was Daithí Connolly who received the ball on the wing to finish clinically for a much deserved try to the hosts in the clubhouse corner. 

The difficult touch line conversion was missed but Longford had taken a merited 8-3 lead. That is how it finished at the break as the team regrouped to plot their second half game plan.

It was important that Longford landed the next blow and unfortunately it was Kilkenny who stole the honour. From a Kilkenny scrum inside the hosts 22, the ball was fed to their backs who got in for a very soft try on 46 minutes which went unconverted. The scoreboard moved to 8-8. 

Much to their credit, it was Longford who went again and surged upfield towards the Kilkenny try line. Longford launched several phases of aggressive drives close in which ultimately led to the ultra-physical Josefa Rokotakala smashing through the last line of Kilkenny defence on 54 minutes to swing the lead back in favour of the home side. Ryan McHugh converted to move Longford 15-8 ahead.

This was proving a game for the ages as both sides displayed superb skill and physical commitment that made the contest a compelling one. 

It was now pivotal that Longford at a minimum safeguarded their hard-fought lead and better still if possible, extend it. 

Alas, Kilkenny had other ideas and from a well-executed lineout in Longford’s 22 they set up a solid driving maul that drove hard at the Longford try line.

 Longford fought hard to negate their momentum but came up short as the Kilkenny forwards crashed over the Longford whitewash on 58 minutes. 15-15 and matters were all square again. The crowd in attendance could hardly draw breath.

The decisive 20 minutes of the contest then transpired, and it was a period that frustratingly went in the visitors’ favour. On 70 minutes Longford’s Eoin Murtagh was very harshly yellow carded for what looked like a perfectly executed defensive manoeuvre. Kilkenny nailed their resulting penalty to give the visitors an 18-15 lead. 

This was then followed up by a dreadfully soft try conceded to Kilkenny on 73 minutes as their hooker broke the initial tackle and skipped in from the halfway line to score under the posts to deliver a cruel blow that badly dazed the home side. The try was converted to push the scoreboard 25-15 in favour of the visitors. In 3 brutal minutes Longford had coughed up 10 unanswered points to Kilkenny.

In keeping with the much improved attitude displayed throughout, Longford didn’t give up and much to their credit set off again. There were 7 minutes left and there was still plenty to salvage if they could get the next score early. 

The ball was moved cleverly into the Kilkenny half and further towards their 22 as the home side tried to salvage the game. Kilkenny defended aggressively and scrambled well to hold out Longford until the 79th minute when the ball was spun wide for prop Liam Brady to crash over for a much deserved 3rd try for the hosts. Ryan McHugh converted, and the referee called an end to what was a pulsating encounter. 

Up front Longford were led by fine displays in the loose from Seamus McKeown and Josefa Rokotakala. Matt Gray and Fred Davis were securing precious ball from lineout and both Eoin Murtagh and Mark McHugh were everywhere in both attack and defence.

 In the backs, Robbie Shaw at scrum half kept things moving impressively throughout the game with Andrew Farrell, Cormac Casey and Ian McCormack also setting down real markers that kept the opposition honest throughout.

Cousins Daniel & Ryan McHugh pulled the strings from outhalf and first centre and largely kept Kilkenny on their toes as Longford attacked from multiple angles. 

However, it is Alan Crowe who lands this week’s Man of the Match accolade after a thunderous performance from Hooker. A fine display of old school physical rugby and leadership that set the tone for others to follow – an element the side has been at times shy of so far this season. 

For Longford a losing bonus point that could have been so much more. However, a vastly improved overall display that if harnessed right will give this talented young side a lot to build upon.

 Longford are away to De La Salle Palmerstown next Sunday for Round 8 of the Leinster League campaign. They are a position ahead of Longford as we enter the second half of the League season so a crucial fixture before the forthcoming Christmas break. All travelling support very much welcomed.

Longford Squad v Kilkenny RFC: 1 – S McKeown 2 – A Crowe 3 – L Adejinmi 4 – J Rokotakala 5 – M Gray 6 – F Davis  7 – M McHugh 8 – P Molloy 9 – R Shaw 10 – D McHugh 11 – J McGowan  12 – R McHugh 13 – A Farrell 14 – C Casey 15 – I McCormack 16 – E Murtagh 17 – L Brady 18 – D Connolly 19 – F McGowan 20 – J Geelan.