Portlaoise dreams of a first U/18 Leinster rugby title are shattered by Kilkenny

Leinster U/18 Tom Darcy Cup Final

Kilkenny 21 

Portlaoise 20 

THIS is a result that will haunt these young players for manys the long day. There was no denying which were the better team on the day. Portlaoise looked fitter, better drilled, on top in almost every facit of the Tom Darcy Cup final, but they were the ones who headed down the congested N7 empty handed.

They had every reason to feeling confident heading to Dublin on Sunday morning. They had put in some very impressive displays over the course of the season. And that is not to say they arrived in Donnybrook over confident or cocky. They went out and played their game the way they have all season but credit to Kilkenny they stuck with the Togher lads.

Even when Portlaoise had opened up a 13-point gap well into the opening half they were unable to build on it. If fact the opposite was the case Kilkenny rallied before the break to score a try and cut the deficit to six points at the break.

The lead was swapped twice in the second half, and just when it looked like Portlaoise had held out for victory, their world was crushed when Kilkenny crossed the line in the closing minute, and the try converted.

Portlaoise had opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Conor Deegan pulled off a great jackal from which his side won a penalty on the Kilkenny 10 metre line. Out half Daniel Whelan displayed great confidence to land the kick.

Just ten minutes later, Portlaoise using the powerful running of forwards Brando De Donatis, Dennis Phelan and Shane Foley, were to score the first try of the game.

Portlaoise disrupted a Kilkenny line out from deep inside their half. The ball was spread across the backs where Padraig Culleton made the decisive line break, before being stopped. From the ruck Whelan found a fabulous 50/22 and a lineout which ended with Eanna Moynihan crashing over the make 8-0.

And while Kilkenny did make occasional forays into Portlaoise territory the just could not breakdown the stiff defence.

Try number two came in the 24th minute and again Culleton was very much involved. When Portlaoise won a scrum on the Kilkenny 10 metre line across the back line and back again finding Culleton in space. He made headway down the right and with a perfectly timed pass sent Matthew Cunningham n for his try.

And when it looked like Portlaoise would take that 13 point advantage into the break, Kilkenny came back with a bang. Portlaoise were penalised for being offside and Kilkenny elected to tap and go, and it proved top be the right decision when their number 8 Cillian McElwee barged over and Scott O’Shea converted.

The 13-7 scoreline became 13-14 just four minutes into the new half as a result of Portlaoise conceding another penalty. This time Kilkenny elected for a lineout from which they went through the phases ending with Oisin Barry crossing the line and O’Shea again on target.

That was how it remained for the next ten minutes until Whelan put a delicate chip through. The ball was gathered by the Kilkenny full back but Cullan Kirwan was following up and bundled him into touch.

From the lineout the forwards trundled forward ending with Moynihan getting if for his second try. Whelan’s conversion left it 20-14.

With time running out Kilkenny upped their challenge but ever onslaught was rebuffed. But if there was a fault with the Portlaoise game plan was the fact that time and time again they attempted to run the ball clear from deep inside their own territory. Grand, they were playing into a breeze getting the ball out of play would have given them some respite from the pressure.

And just when it looked like they had held out for a history making win, reality hit with a minute of normal time remaining on the clock. From a close in lineout Kilkenny mauled the ball, got over the line and the out half converted to give then a single point lead.

Amazingly Portlaoise were to get what seemed like a golden opportunity to still grab the win. From the kick off a Kilkenny player knocked the ball on and from the scrum Portlaoise won a penalty deep in Kilkenny territory.

With one point separating the sides, surely they would go for the kick. Amazing they went for the corner, and the throw into the lineout was deemed top be crooked.

Game over.

KILKENNY: Fearghus O'Connor; Liam Davis, Sean Daly, Jack Rhatigan, Cooper Delaney; Scott O'Shea, Patrick Kennedy; Theodore Drennan, Ian McDonald, Rory Dunne; Alexander Dooley, Patrick McDonnell; Ollie Molloy, Oisín Barry, Cillian McElwee.

Replacements: Ryan Jackman, Michael Lawler, Kirills Dovbijenko, Paul Murphy, Conor Deegan, Dylan Brennan, Darragh O’Callaghan, Conor Marry.

PORTLAOISE: Paul Byrne; Cullan Kirwan, Daithi Quirke, Padraig Culleton, Matthew Cunningham; Daniel Whelan, Daniel Maunsell; Brando De Donatis, Dennis Phelan, Excel Onosedeba Ekemhenrekhian; Shane Foley, Josh Carney; Joe Carroll, Conor Deegan, Eanna Moynihan.

Replacements: Jack Dowling, Bill Rigney, Mark Fennell, Fionn Hanley, Adam McCabe, Oran Darcy, Zach Mgainness, Aaron Fitzpatrick.

Travelling Cover: Alex Sheehan, Theo Adams, Ricky Lyons.