Pan Munster Bowl Dungarvan RFC V Charleville & District RFC

2nd February 2025

To say the season so far for U14/13 boys on match day has been challenging would be an understatement. Thrust into the toughest part of the province in their first set of competitive matches with a squad made up mostly of boys new to the fifteen as side game, the lads have come out on the wrong end at the final whistle on each occasion….and that’s on the days a match hasn’t been postponed due to wind, rain or snow.

But the dedication, commitment, and desire to keep getting up of the floor and go again is what sets this group apart. All through the season we practice, usually two nights a week, and rarely have less than twenty boys come out, looking to improve, learn new skills and enjoy their rugby with each other.

Such relentless intent to do better deserves its day in the sun. That day was today.

It was a sunny Ballyrandle with an on shore breeze that greeted the players. The clay ground of the pitch was damp, but not slippery and the boys got into their warm up routine with familiar grids and small sided games that are built around the skills and tactics best suited to the group and the way they need to play.

The team had one late change from the squad announced the day before with Eoin O’Brien coming into the second row alongside Sam O’Donnell. A versatile player, Eoin was the obvious choice to debut in that role, where is height complemented Sam’s and he is equally happy to carry into contact. The return of some players to match day saw some adjustment to positions. Bill O’Keeffe was back into his familiar backrow slot, where is carrying and work at ruck defence is vital. Another of our dynamic players, Stan O’Sullivan, completed the back row to allow Donagh Scully to go to full back and Sammy Hayes to take up the blind side wing. Darragh O’Sullivan and Hugh O’Donnell were reunited in the centre for the first time since October.

After squandering their chance to seal a win away in Killarney in their first round Pan Munster match, the boys have been focused on speeding up their ruck, being more aware of support runners and keeping the ball alive in attack. Work on our defence has been more rigorous to defend the edges of the breakdown and pile pressure on the half backs. 

The final message to the boys assured them that by playing the way we train, we still believed they could get wins. So, the stage was set with Charleville receiving kick off and playing towards the clubhouse with the fading breeze coming over their right shoulder. 

An immediate advantage came to Charleville, with the kicker underestimating the effect of the wind. The kick fell short of the 10m distance, giving Charleville a scrum in the centre of the park from which to attack either side. With a rock-solid scrum, as it would prove to be all day, Charleville started brightly with direct and fast carrying through their own Storm Darragh to get immediate forward ball and momentum in attack. A pattern of phase play of some of the best executed rucks all season took Charleville steadily up the pitch. Although the sequence ended without a score, it was clear from the start that Charleville boys were going to play very differently and look to move the ball through the hands. 

Dungarvan are a well drilled and organised side, with tactics they have relied on becoming obvious from the moment they got possession. With a large second row and No. 8, Dungarvan looked to punch holes with carries from these players and it took all the bravery and determination of the Charleville boys to stop them. But stop them they did. Without exception the boys threw themselves into hauling them to the ground, doubling up on them if necessary. This slowed Dungarvan ball right down and as they attempted to get the ball out to the backs, Charleville boys blitz defence came into play sending Dungarvan backwards and forcing errors. The pressure ball that the boys have been working on doggedly for weeks was paying back.

Soon after absorbing a series of Dungarvan attacks, Charleville boys got back in possession and went into their phases of quick clean ruck ball that led to short breaks through the centre. Momentum and, most importantly, that less familiar friend, belief, now surged into Charleville with each phase as they moved up the pitch. Like the waves breaking on Clonea Beach Charleville rucked and probed their way deep into the Dungarvan 22. With Dungarvan reeling with each phase to get beach and defend, Charleville boys shot up the left wing from close range before the pack barrelled over in the corner to score with Ryan Farrell emerging with the ball. 

Boyed by this success in executing the game plan, Charleville boys continued as they started, becoming more and more clinical in their breakdown and looking to move the ball through the hands. Dungarvan were not without their threats and managed half breaks of their own through their backrow, but outstanding cover defence from Charleville boys across the field snuffed out the Dungarvan attempts to turn the tide. Of particular note was Zac Carroll and Sammy Hayes who made several vital tackles in the opening period.

However, it is without doubt that Charleville’s work at the breakdown was giving them dominance and control like never before this season. Added to this was the speed at which Dungarvan ball was stripped away by a number of players, with Darragh O’Sullivan putting in a virtuoso performance at this skill. Penalties against Dungarvan for holding on as marauding jackals plagued them at the breakdown became frequent, causing huge pressure.

Turnover ball is deadly ball and it was one of these deep in the 22 that led to Dungarvan being caught short to cover the counter strike. With the ball first moved right and then sharply put left the miss match of forward on back drove Charleville forward before the ball came to Tom Mulcahy to score in the left corner much to the delight of his team mates. A fitting reward for a player always looking to have a crack at it.

Charleville continued to dominate at the breakdown and this saw them through to the end of the first period going into the break  0-10 up.

The Charleville boys were reminded that they were not home and hosed yet by any means. There were still improvements to make, especially if they looked to get the ball to the supporting runner faster still. 

The second period opened with a resurgent Dungarvan, who changed their tactics to move away from relying exclusively on their back row carriers and look to get the ball out to their wide players faster. The change in approach paid dividends soon after the restart as Dungarvan got the ball wide, making deeper breaks and Charleville giving away easy metres with offside penalties. Five minutes into the second period Dungarvan scored an unconverted try just to the left of the posts. 

Charleville boys where however armed with belief and the certain knowledge that their game plan was still the right one and exerted serious pressure on Dungarvan, following up hard on a fumbled low flat and deep kick off from Zac that camped the boys in the Dungarvan half. 

Eventually Dungarvan got relief though a penalty for holding on the floor. But the break was short lived. Having worked their way up to the Charleville 10m line, Charleville won another ruck turnover, a feature of their play that was now into the high double figures. The ball was moved quickly to Darragh O’Sulllivan, who taking the ball at pace stormed down the right of the pitch beating two defenders and leaving the cover in his wake to score an unconverted try to stretch Charleville’s lead to 5-15. 

Having put a bit of daylight between the teams, some substitutions to keep the pack fresh were made, with Paudie Sexton coming into the back row and Daniel O’Donovan coming in for a well-earned chance in the front row. Charleville were now playing some of the most consistent and best rugby of their season so far. Wave after wave of attack came through from devastating ruck ball with many pairs of hands carrying the cause into the Dungarvan red zone. In the 35th minute of the game the pressure was too much for Dungarvan to hold back and after another of his trademark carries, Sam O’Donnell was rewarded with a try to stretch Charleville boys lead to 5-20. The conversion fell just short.

Charleville maintained their standards through to the final whistle of the competitive fixture to seal a convincing win. 

The final 17 minute period saw all the squad get game time, with the fresh players given the message that they too had a chance to contribute to a great day out. And they didn’t disappoint, with Luis Cromwell, Tadgh Brosnan, Jack Gemmell, Mark Weir and Alex Moran all coming in and excelling. 

Charleville maintained the defence of their line throughout the period and added a score of their own. With too many excellent moments to recount from the players choice ones were Luis Cromwell outstanding running back tackle on a much bigger player to stop a certain Dungarvan score, Mark Weir accurate pass to release the centres to drive at Dungarvan that ultimately led to the only score of the period and Alex Moran’s eye catching turnover towards the end of the match that spoke volumes about his teams determination not to take their foot off the gas.

The performance and the result as reward for it is a great shot in the arm for the boys. Dungarvan complemented Charleville on being the best rucking team they have played all season saying they were “rucked off the park”. This is particularly gratifying, as the boot was very much on the other foot in the plate semi-final against Dungarvan in the same venue last season. 

Whilst the rugby played was top class, the match was played in an equally excellent spirit. Without an assigned referee, Peter, one of the Dungarvan coaches refereed the match and later remarked that Charleville boys play was matched by their impeccable behaviour that made it a pleasure to officiate the game. So, Charleville & District boys are a credit to their club and themselves in more ways than one.

The Pan Munster fixtures come thick and fast, with the boys taking on Fethard & District RFC at home next Sunday morning 9th February.