All-Tipperary Schools Rugby Thriller - Clonmel High School pip Thurles CBS in try-fest

U14 School Rugby Friendly 

High School CBS 44 Thurles CBS 43

With the summer fast approaching, this panel of players looked forward to their ultimate match of the school year against an impressive Thurles CBS, with great anticipation.  

Twenty-six players participated with everyone on the panel contributing to an excellent and memorable performance played at Clonmel RFC in glorious April sunshine. 

From the start it was a keenly contested encounter with both teams carrying the ball well in attack. No. 8 Tony O’Brien was rampant for the High School and displayed great handling skills as he passed the ball out the line.  O'Brien scored first under the posts with out-half Cillian Flavin converting.  

Minutes later, High School open side winger Kayden O’Meara broke through to touch down in the corner only for the score to be disallowed. 

Thurles CBS fought back and took control of the match for the next quarter scoring two converted tries.  With a hard hitting back row unit, they proved difficult to contain.  

Before half-time, the High School took back control; they redistributed their players to advantage and broke through several times from the mid-field to threaten the Thurles try line.  Eventually, the pressure paid off with Sam Power driving over for a try.  

Thurles responded by winning the ball from their kick-off and building phases of play that culminated in a well worked try off a scrum. This score was matched by a High School try as the forwards drove over from a ruck.

In the second half, the Clonmel School got off to an excellent start with two tries from centre Aiden Gaffney.

Thurles CBS would not lie down.  Again from the kick-off they took control of the next period of play with three tries scored in succession.  The quality of rucking in attack was excellent and for a while Thurles CBS were camped in the High School 22.  Both teams' defensive tackles held otherwise rampant players at bay. 

In the final minutes, the High School took territorial advantage again.  Both winger Ahmad Al Musa and prop Rory O’Dwyer scored tries in the corners.  The level of support play and passing to enable these tries was impressive, a real team effort.

Throughout the match, which was fiercely contested, both teams moved the ball well, the passing was excellent and the willingness to chase down and commit to a tackle was evidenced on both sides.  

The High School: Sam Power (captain) , Blyce Baguio, Alex Byrne, Emmet Cagney, James Carroll, Bohdan Chumakov, Daniel Fahey, Ronan Fanning, Cillian Flavin, Aidan Gaffney, Daniel Hogan, Jack Kearney, Eddie Lawless, Jack Lynch, Finn Murphy, Tony O’Brien, Enaitz O’Donovan Garrido, Rory O’Dwyer, Kayden O’Meara, Cody O’Neill Crotty, Olivers Skudrins, Kaine Tobin, Kenzie Whelan Ahmad Al Musa, Sean Ryan.