Training, Fixtures, U13 Blitz Report & Coaching Course

Mini Training

Mini’s Training continues on Sunday’s at 10.15am. This is for all U7’s, U8’s, U9’s, U10’s, U11’s and U12’s. All new players are welcome – just be at the Rugby Club on Sunday morning and bring a gum shield. Hilary Davis is the Mini’s Co-ordinator and can be contacted at (087) 2535859

Please make sure to have membership paid in order to take part in games and make sure that your details are on the text list.

Youth’s Training

U13’s

Players born 2003. Head Coach Brian Dillon (086) 2307320 is training on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm

U14’s

Players born 2002. Head Coach Gerry Carthy (086) 8046857 is training on Monday & Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm

U15’s

Players born 2001. Head Coach Jimmy Murphy (086) 2555621 is training on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm

U16’s

Players born 2000. Head Coach Richard Poyntz (086) 1900809 is training on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm

U17’s

Players born 1999. Head Coach Matt Hanly (087) 6739514 is training on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm

U18’s

Players born 1998 & after 31st June 1997. Coach Kurt Beeney - Manager Noreen Allen (087) 2819895 Training on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm

New players are welcome at all age levels – just come to the club on the relevant training night or contact the coach above for details. Don’t worry about not having played before – we have the coaching staff to teach the basics to any player. Karen Lennon is the Youth’s Co-ordinator and can be contacted at (087) 7449228

Youth’s Fixtures

U13’s
Sun 4th October; Malahide Away

Leinster League

U14’s
Sat 3rd October; Clane Away
Sat 10th October; Midland Warriors Home

U15’s
Sat 3rd October; Portarlington Away
Sat 10th October; Ashbourne Home

U16’s
Sat 3rd October; Navan Home
Sat 10th October; Wicklow Away

U17’s
Sat 3rd October; Edenderry Away
Sat 10th October; North Meath Home

U18’s
Sat 10th October; Naas Home

Coaching Courses

We are hoping to have a Foundation Level Coaching Course in the club in October. Anyone interested – existing or new – please contact Trevor McHugh (087) 2532614.

Referees News

Congratulations to two of our club referees who had there first experience of All Ireland League rugby is the past few weeks. Declan Conlon officiated as Touch Judge for the recent Tullamore and Old Crescent AIL fixture while Liam Walsh was Touch Judge for last weekends Navan vs .Bruff game. Well done lads – onwards and upwards!

Best wishes to our Director of Rugby, Damien Curley, who is recuperating in hospital after knee surgery – one of a very small group of people in England with a smile on their face on Saturday evening !

Match Reports

U13 Midland League Blitz

Longford Under 13s started the competitive season on home soil, with a blitz format round-robin versus Mullingar, Birr and Tullamore in glorious autumn sunshine. There were new faces in the squad, and latest recruit forward Kevin Hannon lined up for his debut, only joining in the last week, despite the overtures of Creggs RFC.

Longford 19 Mullingar 5

A scoreline that looks more comfortable than it was, the “auld enemy” started strongly building though the phases into the Longford 22, but sterling work by Cormac Hoare forced the turnover, and wing Brendan Davis gathered on his own line, and leaving stricken defenders in his wake went the length of the pitch to touch down under the posts. Another debutant, wing Orinn Greene was as cool as ice as he slotted the extra two. Mullingar hit back and got a deserved try to make it 7-5 at half-time. Longford started strongly in the second-half though and go-forward ball from Conor McGovern and Kevin Duignan gave Longford territory. Fine forward play was capped as lock Kola Adejinmi carried strongly, spinning in the tackle and added another try. Things were to get better for Longford as full-back Josh Sorohan, as he has always done, straightened the back-line and found a gap, to ground for Longford’s third. Things nearly got better for Longford as wing Patrick claimed an excellent pass from Cormac McDonagh, but a last ditch tackle prevented a deserved try for the new man.

Longford 19 Birr 5

Birr are always a tough outfit but Longford’s confidence was up. Hooker Patrick Connaughton was demonic in the tight giving excellent go-forward ball. Another debutant, Callum McEntire, starting at centre, was composed, snuffing out Birr’s backline and regularly turning over ball for the Longford pack to deal with. The three tries in this match were built on a platform of confidence, defence, patience and discipline. Josh Sorohan added to this tally for the day with another scintillating line break; the conversion added by Matt Duffy. The rest of the “Dromard Mafia” laid the platform for this win, with captain Oisin O’Toole pulling all the strings from scrum-half, and James Brady proving his flexibility, slotting in at back-row, and building on his Richie McCaw. Matt Duffy on the other flank picked and went to keep Birr on their toes and creating the space for Cormac McDonagh to burst through and change the angle of attack to add a second try. Josh Sorohan then had his hat-trick for the day as Longford comfortably saw out the in from Offaly side.

Longford 0 Tullamore 12

If the score against Mullingar flattered Longford, the scoreline here flattered Tullamore. A real tete-a-tete, that was won on two opportune moments. Longford battled bravely and were tenacious in defence, no better demonstrated by the tackle five metres out from man-of-the-match Mark Bracken to prevent an early try. Keelan Costello bossed the lineout and clicked superbly with hooker James Brady. Kevin Hannon was dynamic in the loose and Granard’s Dylan Reilly showed his arsenal with some craft footwork in the back-line. Longford talisman Jason Glancy tackled incessantly and, standing on the sidelines, was a marked man as the Tullamore coaching staff realised the danger in attack and defence he poses.

All said, it was a great day and three great performances by the lads. The Midland League starts soon, so we’ll be on the road a lot. Up next is a friendly on Sunday in Malahide, before the seniors play the Dubliners, followed by (hopefully) an Irish win against Italy . We’ll be running a bus for the players and supporters, so let us know if you’re coming.

Squad: Kola Adejinmi; Mark Bracken; Brendan Davis; Matt Duffy; Cormac Hoare; Conor McGovern; Oisin O’Toole; Josh Sorohan; Kevin Duignan; Patrick Connaughton; James Brady; Cormac McDonagh; Jason Glancy; Keelan Costello; Patrick; Dylan Reilly; Orinn Greene; Callum McEntire; Kevin Hannon.