Powerful Portarlington in flying form heading into 2025

AFTER a stuttering start to the season, Portarlington RFC ended 2024 as the in-form team in Division 2B of the Leinster League. Ross Doyle’s side lost their opening two games, but won six of their next seven, including four wins on the bounce to end the year.

The season began for Portarlington with a 21-12 loss at home to Garda Westmanstown in September followed by another defeat two weeks later, going down by a single point away to North Meath. Portarlington were the better team on both occasions, but had only one losing bonus-point on the board.

Their first win of the season came at home to Midland Warriors in the midst of the first storm of the year, with Storm Ashley making her presence felt at Lea Road. Portarlington looked to have lost another game despite being the better team, only to be rescued by a last-minute try from Jordan Fitzpatrick.

Portarlington won again a week later, this time in more convincing fashion, beating Arklow 17-3 on the road. The half backs did the damage, with Keith Kavanagh scoring a try and Darragh Perry slotting four penalties.

Defeat to Newbridge in early November was no surprise, with the Kildare side in the middle of an all-conquering run of results. Portarlington would have been disappointed with the manor of the defeat, however, with Newbridge securing the four-try bonus-point even before half time.

But Port showed tremendous resolve to put that defeat behind them and kicked off a four-game winning streak with a phenomenal performance at home to Ratoath. Portarlington put up 50 points, including a Keith Kavanagh hat-trick, as they ran in eight tries on the travelling Meath side.

Up next was the highlight of the season thus far as Ross Doyle masterminded the win that brought Portlaoise’s unbeaten record to an end. The Portarlington pack targeted the scrum and the line-out, dominating both. That gave their backs a platform to run in tries, with Darragh Perry and Adam Lambkin each bagging a brace as they left the Laois derby with all five points.

Another bonus-point win was to follow, with Portarlington hitting the 50-mark for the second time in three games. This time Clane were the victims, as Portarlington went one better than the Ratoath win, scoring a remarkable nine tries.

Clane came into the game knowing they had to win to have any chance of taking the final spot in phase two of the competition. But Portarlington put an end to that notion after only 20 minutes, with the bonus-point secured inside the first quarter. Adam Lambkin was the star of the show on this occasion, with the utility back crossing the whitewash four times.

With a place at the top table already guaranteed for the new year, Portarlington travelled to Offaly to close out 2024 with a match against Birr. It was not quite a 50-pointer, but Port put in another powerhouse performance, thumping the home side by 43-0. Seven tries, including the club’s third hat-trick of the season – this time from Jordan Fitzpatrick – meant Portarlington finished phase one in fourth place on 29 points, just one point adrift of Portlaoise.

Portarlington’s success has come from their forwards, who have never looked so impressive in the set piece. Led by captain Warren Murray as well as the likes of Denville Maya and Jack Hennessy, the Portarlington scrum and line-out has been exemplary for the last three months and has provided the platform for many of their team’s big wins.

Forwards win matches, backs decide by how many – and one man who has been pivotal to the huge scorelines achieved by Port has been their powerful centre, Jack Hynes. His deceptive speed and obvious power make him a huge threat, but Hynes’ handling skills and decision making in midfield really help to make Portarlington tick.

Warren Murray will lead his men into battle on Sunday 19 January when they get phase two of the competition underway with a visit to Dublin to play Garda Westmanstown. Portarlington will be hoping to start the new year as they finished the last, and perhaps challenge for the crown.