Kilfeacle strike a blow for Tipperary rugby by reaching Munster Junior Cup final

Kilfeacle 18 Highfield 12

Kilfeacle and District RFC made a declaration of intent the previous week when they defeated the mighty Shannon RFC on their own home turf to reach the semi-final of the Munster Junior Cup. This victory earned them a home draw against Highfield RFC.

When a junior club welcomes a senior club to their home ground for such an encounter, the expectation is for the junior club to stifle their opponents and hopefully eke out a victory. If this is what Highfield were expecting they were soon delivered a rude awakening, after a blistering start by their opponents.

Kilfeacle immediately took the game to Highfield and two early penalty attempts presented them with the opportunity to take an early lead. Luke Heuston stood over both attempts, knowing that his father Seanie and brother Jamie were prowling the sidelines, living every second with him and urging him on. The first attempt on the three-minute mark was missed and the second in the sixth minute was scored so Kilfeacle had a 3-0 early lead.

Two penalties from Shane Buckley saw Highfield go into a 6-3 lead after 16 minutes. It was a very tight game for the first 20 minutes but slowly Kilfeacle, buoyed by their vocal and exuberant home support, started to gain the upper hand.

Highfield were unable to cope with Kilfeacle’s rolling maul. In the 28th minute, after another rolling maul was brought down just short of the Highfield line, Gavin Heuston saw the opportunity and dived over the line to score Kilfeacle’s first try. His brother Luke was deadly with his conversion attempt, which meant that Kilfeacle led by 10-6.

The next 10 minutes was all Kilfeacle but several gilt- edged opportunities went a-begging. The home fans were growing concerned, as against opposition of the standard of Highfield you can be made pay for not converting opportunities to scores on the board.

The half-time whistle sounded with Kilfeacle in the ascendency and deservedly in front but the scoreline of 10-6 made it still all to play for.

Highfield started the second half with the intention of reversing the first half trend of Kilfeacle dominance but two minutes later found themselves further behind. Once again a powerful scrum set up the platform for the backs to display their attacking prowess. An excellent backs move culminated in Jacques van Wyngaardt scoring in the corner. Luke Heuston was unable to convert so Kilfeacle now led 15-6.

Kilfeacle had once again gained the upper hand and Highfield could not get out of their own half. Kilfeacle made some changes to the front row, with Cormac Ryan having to go off injured, and welcomed Darragh Kennedy onto the pitch.

These substitutions added impetus for Kilfeacle and heaped misery onto Highfield. In the 61st minute a rare venture into Kilfeacle territory saw Highfield awarded a penalty for offside, which once again Shane Buckley kicked to bring the score to 15-9 and reduce Kilfeacle’s lead.

In the 69th minute Luke Heuston nailed another penalty for Kilfeacle to restore their nine-point lead, 18-9. Kilfeacle and District were now on top and were hunting for another score that would most certainly seal the win. In the 74th minute, while playing advantage, Bobby Purcell crashed over the line but to his disbelief the referee called the play back, ruling that he had impeded a Highfield player, who might have had some impact on the scoring of the try.

It was a huge let-off for Highfield, who tried to capitalise on it. In the dying seconds of the game Highfield were awarded a long-range penalty. They opted to kick the three points and Shane Buckley duly obliged. It was back to a six- point game, 18-12.

Kilfeacle had to restart the game and give possession to Highfield. Highfield had to score and convert a try to win. The referee announced it was last play. Three phases of play later, while still in their own 22, Highfield were forced into touch by Kilfeacle. The referee sounded his whistle to mark the end of the game. It marked another historic victory on the Hill for the Boys in Blue by 18 points to 12.

Kilfeacle team coach Conor Keyes said “I thought that this was an excellent squad performance, with the only negative being the injury to Cormac Ryan. Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery.

“I am proud to say, and in fairness it hasn’t sunk in yet, that we, Kilfeacle and District RFC are now in the final of the Munster Junior Cup. It was a team performance and result that lifted the heart. A final against University College Cork RFC will be a very tough task and they will be odds-on favourites to beat us but we have fried big fish before and will again, so who knows”?

The final against UCC RFC will be played this Sunday April 28. The team are delighted by the amount of support they receive and hope that their supporters will continue to come along and support the “Boys in Blue”.

Kilfeacle: 1 Brian Barron, 2 Brendan Barron, 3 Richard Whitney, 4 Bob Purcell, 5 Cormac Ryan, 6 Rian Doody, 7 Jonah O’Keeffe, 8 Kevin Kinane, 9 Gavin Heuston, 10 Luke Heuston, 11 Christopher Thomas, 12 Jacques van Wyngaardt, 13 Darren Lowry, 14 Keith Bourke, 15 Kevin Doyle, 16 Simon Barry, 17 Diarmuid O’Donnell, 18 Darragh Kennedy, 20 Killian Noonan and 22 Adam Crowe.