Loughrea RFC – Rugby Round-Up – 22nd September

U16 Girls

The weekend’s action kicked off with a thrilling encounter as Loughrea U16 girls faced Corinthians at home in the first of three matches against their rivals. The U16s set the tone ahead of Sunday’s U14 and U18 fixtures with a hard-fought battle on Saturday.

Loughrea came out strong, holding a determined Corinthians side scoreless for the opening 20 minutes. It was Ally Cannon who broke the deadlock, sprinting down the wing before cutting inside to dot down under the posts. Amy Moran coolly slotted the conversion, then quickly made her mark again with a try of her own. However, she hit the post on the follow-up kick, sending Loughrea into halftime with a 12-0 lead.

Corinthians roared back in the second half, scoring three unanswered tries to take a 19-12 lead. Loughrea responded with fierce determination, and it was Izzy Keane who came agonizingly close to leveling, only to be held up just short of the line by resilient Corinthians defense.

But Loughrea’s spirit couldn’t be broken. A well-executed team move saw Niamh Brady cross the whitewash, with Moran converting to level the game at 19-19. With time ticking down, Loughrea launched one final push. After a series of relentless phases, captain Amy Moran powered her way over for her second try of the match, then calmly added the extras to make it 26-19.

Corinthians mounted one last attack during injury time, but Loughrea’s defense stood firm. The ball eventually found its way back to Moran, who sealed the victory by kicking it into touch.

It was a bruising encounter, but the Loughrea girls showed immense grit and walked away with an impressive victory. And despite a few knocks (and some fake tan), nothing could stop them from making a quick dash to the disco to celebrate!

U13 Boys

Loughrea U13 boys kicked off their Bank of Ireland U13 Boys Non-Competitive League campaign in style with a commanding 28-5 victory over Monivea. The backline led the charge, with Antoni Jakuboszczak grabbing a brace of tries, while Mikey Reidy and Aaron Kelly each added one apiece.

Jakuboszczak was clinical from the tee, converting all four tries to secure maximum points for Loughrea in an impressive start to the season.

The U13 boys will look to build on this momentum when they host Corinthians 2 at Ballygasty on October 5th in their next fixture.

U14 Boys

Loughrea U14 boys continued their dominant start to the season with a commanding 42-8 victory away to Gort. Conor Brady was the star of the show, crossing the line four times to take his tally to nine tries in just two matches. Eoin Casey added a brace of tries, while Josh Maher also got in on the action with one of his own.

Brady’s all-around performance was capped by converting three of the seven tries, sealing an emphatic win. The victory keeps Loughrea’s momentum rolling as they establish themselves as early contenders this season.

U15 Boys

Loughrea U15 boys faced a tough challenge in their league opener, falling 52-0 to a powerful Tuam side on the road. Despite the heavy defeat, the match provided valuable lessons and plenty of “work-ons” for the Loughrea team as they look to regroup and improve.

With their next fixture set for October at home against Gort U15s, the squad will be aiming to bounce back and put in a stronger performance on home turf.

Senior Team

Loughrea’s Senior team made the journey down the M6 to face Corinthians 2nds in their Plate semi-final, delivering a valiant first-half performance before falling 64-9 to a dominant Corinthians side. The match was tightly contested in the opening 40 minutes, with Loughrea trailing just 17-9 at halftime, thanks to a strong effort on both sides of the ball.

However, Corinthians 2nds proved too strong in the second half, piling on eight tries to seal their place in the Plate final. Despite the defeat, Loughrea can take pride in their first-half resilience and will now turn their focus to the J1C league.

The team’s next challenge comes on the weekend of October 5th, when they kick off their league campaign at home in Ballygasty against Carrick-on-Shannon.

U14 Girls

The weekend’s fixtures rolled on as Loughrea U14 girls kicked off their league campaign with a spirited clash against Corinthians in their first match of the season. Despite strong individual and team performances, Loughrea were ultimately outgunned, falling 48-24.

Captain Ruby Stewart, MC Ní Ghréacháin, Leah Headd, and Orlagh Keane all delivered standout efforts, driving their team forward with powerful carries. MC Ní Ghréacháin led the charge, crossing the line for three tries and adding two conversions. Alannah Walsh also contributed with a well-executed team try, but Corinthians proved too strong on the day.

Despite the result, Loughrea’s resilience and attacking promise will give them plenty to build on as the season progresses.

U18 Girls

The weekend’s final fixture saw the Loughrea U18 girls host Corinthians in a fiercely contested match at Ballygasty. In an intense battle, Corinthians came out on top with a 31-22 victory, but Loughrea showed plenty of heart throughout.

Aibhin Tully led the charge for the home side, crossing the line twice, while Katie Griffin and Abi Young also added tries for Loughrea. Despite their best efforts, Corinthians proved just a bit too strong on the day, but the competitive spirit from Loughrea bodes well for the season ahead.