(NORFC U13s after their excellent win over Shannon RFC last Sunday in UL)
Senior Rugby: After a quiet few weeks over the holiday period, things pick up massively in intensity for the adult section of the club this week and will remain hectic for the remainder of the month. The Energia AIL kicks things off on Saturday with the mouthwatering prospect of the second leg of the Tipperary derby for this season after the thrilling contest between Nenagh and Cashel which was played out in Spafield, Cashel before Christmas. On that occasion Nenagh had just enough to take the spoils but Cashel will no doubt be feeling a little aggrieved at squandering a number of scoring positions in the final quarter of that game and be gung ho for revenge when they travel to Lisatunny on Saturday for a 2.30pm kickoff. It is not over stretching it to say that this is very much a must win game for the South Tipp men should they wish to stay in the hunt for automatic promotion to Division 1A. Meanwhile for Nenagh a win, even so early in the season, would put them a long way out in front as favourites for that honour. There is unlikely to ever be so much riding on a game between these two who never even need an extra incentive to duke it out with each other. Sports fans of any persuasion in Tipperary should look no further than New Ormond Park this Saturday if they seek a great afternoon's entertainment. We encourage as many supporters as possible to make it out and help to encourage the Nenagh team one step further along their path to the ultimate goal of Division 1 rugby.
On Sunday our 2nd XV make the long trip south to Dolphin RFC for the latest round in the Munster Senior Seconds League. With a home tie vs UL Bohs looming at the end of the month in the prestigious Munster Junior Cup the team will be anxious to get the calendar year off to a strong start.
Many of the same players involved on Sunday must venture to Cork once more on Wednesday evening as the U20.5 team have a daunting tie against high flying UCC in the Donal Walsh Trophy at the Mardyke. All in all this makes for a massive few days of action for the club in general and is testament to the hard work being put in by players and management alike to be fielding so many players in a short period of time. Best of luck to all involved and stay tuned to our social media updates for news, scorelines etc.
U13: While freezing conditions meant a false start for many of our underage sides expected to kick off their 2024 campaigns last weekend our U 13s kept up their strong season so far when their game did get the go ahead. In what was a home fixture this weekend we had to play the Astro in UL due to pitches being unplayable. The team put their long undefeated record on the line this weekend in what was a North Munster top of the table clash against a very strong and physically imposing Shannon team whom we defeated in the final of the Pat Lawlor so we expected a tough fight and we got one. We started poorly in general and allowed Shannon into an early lead of 5-0. While dominating territorially so many uncharacteristic handling mistakes allowed Shannon scrum platforms and their superb number 8 Fiach Browne made serious inroads through our defence. However we managed to take the lead through Aidan O'Gorman which gave us a lead of 7-5. Shannon responded soon after with a converted try which gave them a lead 12-7 but the ever dangerous Fionn Tucker pounced for a try to leave it at 12-12 at the half. We were not playing well and some lads seemed a to suffer a bit of stage fright as there was a large vociferous crowd in attendance and the intensity was up at levels our lads haven’t experienced before. Cubs like Shannon have a huge tradition and expect to win so they always bring intensity once they pull on the jersey, but the lads were hanging in. The second half went no better to begin with, our lads still making so many basic errors. Shannon scored 2 softish tries, one unacceptably through the middle of our forwards, but crucially they only converted one which left them slightly exposed. With 15 minutes on the clock after some inspired substitutions namely Tiernan Dillon, Liam O'Meara,Påraic Sheehy and Gavin O'Brien giving some fresh legs, our lads like a Ferrari trying to get out of a muddy field, finally found a few extra gears. We tore into Shannon and ended up with a 5 metre scrum from where Jack Comerford finally found some space and powered over from close range. Robbie Powell had a tight enough angle but the sideline were not a bit surprised when the Gortagarry man made no mistake with the conversion. 24-19. Nenagh caught the kick off and with some eye catching breaks from the second row partners Michael Cullinane and Tiernan Dillon we got a foothold in the Shannon 22. Fionn Tucker was prominent in some great play in and around the Shannon 22 and drew 3 defenders at least every time. This freed up space and after another great break from Fionn he offloaded to Robbie Powell who sniped in for a try. 24 all and conversion to come. A slightly easier angle than the last one but certainly not a gimme. Robbie made no mistake and drilled it straight over the black spot leaving it 26-24 to Nenagh. Shannon had time for one last attack but it was snuffed out by the ever vigilant Jack Comerford. The game ended in the Shannon 22 with some close in play but a final knock on finished the game. A great win which puts us in good position for the playoffs for the North Munster title. There are huge amounts to work on and possibly some games being won too easily led to a little complacency, but a sign of a good team is that when not playing as well they can, they found a way to get it done. It was a good eye opener for a lot of the lads of the standard required and the intensity involved going forward. We play Young Munsters away next Sunday and we train Wednesday night at 7
Split the Bucket: Well done to all our winners over the course of 2023. Our Split the Bucket fundraiser continues to hand out a minimum of €500 in prize money each and every week translating to over €25000 in prize money over the course of the year. Enter for as little as €2 per week at nenaghormondrfc.com/products or access the link on any of our social media pages. If you are not in yet why not get on board for 2024. Perhaps consider a subscription as a gift to a loved one this New Year. There are at least 25000 reasons why you should.
Underage Fundraiser: Our U12s are currently fundraising for an upcoming tour to Barcelona in march 2024. As part of their efforts they have arranged an event that will appeal to all rugby followers in the locality. “An Evening with Keith Wood” takes place on Thurs Jan 18th in the clubhouse at 8pm. Tickets are priced at €20 and available on nenaghormondrfc.com/products. All are welcome.
Fixtures:
Senior: Nenagh vs Cashel RFC. Saturday @ 2.30pm (Lisatunny)- Energia AIL
Senior 2nds: Nenagh vs Dolphin RFC. Sunday @ 2.30pm (Dolphin RFC)
U20.5: Nenagh vs UCC RFC. Wednesday @ 7.30pm. (Mardyke, Cork)
U18.5: Nenagh vs Highfield. Sunday @ 1pm. (Highfield)
U16: Nenagh vs Old Christians. Saturday @ 12.30pm (Old Christians)
U15: Nenagh vs Young Munster RFC. Sunday @ 11.30am (UL 4G)
U13: Nenagh vs Young Munster RFC. Sunday @11.30am (Young Munster RFC)
