Rugby Roundup – 25th January

Loughrea U18 Girls made the long trip north to Sligo knowing they would be in for a stern test, and the early exchanges proved exactly that in this return fixture.

The opening 15 minutes were a real arm-wrestle. Sligo’s defence was determined, physical and well organised, soaking up wave after wave of Loughrea pressure. Eventually, persistence paid off as Loughrea broke through to open the scoring, only for Sligo to respond almost immediately with a score of their own to level matters and set the tone for a competitive contest.

From there, the girls from Killimor, Portumna, Craughwell, Loughrea, Bullaun and the surrounding areas began to find their rhythm. The pack laid a solid platform, and the backs made full use of the space created, stretching the Sligo defence with pace and precision. Tries from Katie Griffin, Caoilinn Corban, Rhea Sestak and Addyson D’Arcy saw Loughrea pull clear, rewarding a spell of confident, attacking rugby.

Crucial to the scoreboard pressure was the boot of Saoirse Cahill, whose excellent kicking ensured that six of the eight tries were converted, keeping the momentum firmly with the visitors. As the game wore on, Loughrea’s fitness and cohesion told, with slick handling and strong support play allowing them to continue adding to their tally.

At the final whistle, the scoreline read 52–12 in favour of Loughrea, a deserved result after a disciplined, composed and energetic performance away from home. It was a fine all-round team effort and another encouraging step forward for this talented U18 side.