As we reached the halfway point in this season’s Leinster League campaign, Balbriggan travelled to Roscrea, a place which has never been a happy hunting ground for the North Dublin side. In almost 50 years since Balbriggan’s men first started playing Roscrea, the men had never won a tie in Streamstown, either in the League or the Cup. It was just as well that this year’s side, infused with fresh blood from the U18s, were unaware of this doleful history as they travelled in good spirits with high hopes of building on their fine win two weeks ago against North Kildare.

In the first half of the match, Balbriggan were playing up the slight incline in the pitch, into a strong wind and with the low winter sun shining into their faces. Despite these hurdles, the men showed early on that they had a plan for the difficult conditions. They seized control of the ball from the off and held possession for much of the early stages of the game. The game plan in that first half soon became obvious. The forwards picked and drove with phase after phase of drives against a Roscrea side that defended stoutly. The Balbriggan forwards slowly but surely inched their way up field, gaining a toehold in the Roscrea 22. From this position, the forwards drove forward, and Conor Caldwell went over near to the posts for the game’s opening score. The conversion was good by Jack Scannell and Balbriggan had a precious early lead against the elements: 0 v 7. At this stage, Roscrea had not enjoyed any possession at all but were to enjoy their only real purple patch soon after the Balbriggan try. First, they were awarded a penalty between the halfway and Balbriggan 10 metre line. With a strong wind at their backs, they opted for the posts and the kick sailed over the bar with plenty to spare. They then had two further penalties awarded, both of which were narrow misses, one glancing off the upright and into goal. Their fourth penalty resulted in a fine kick and the score narrowed to 6 v 7. With a few minutes of the half remaining, Balbriggan gained possession inside their own 10 metre line and, through a wonderful passage of play, set flying winger Cal Sterio off up the left wing to score close to the corner flag. Balbriggan had stretched the lead again to 6 v 12. The drama of the first half was not yet finished. With a couple of minutes remaining in the first half, Roscrea, gained possession between their own 22 and 10 metre line. They swung the ball out wide to their left only for Balbriggan winger Jack Scannell to be adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball forward. Young Scannell was given 10 minutes in the bin and Balbriggan now had to work with 14 men. The lads held out and were pleased to reach half time with a 6 v 12 lead against the elements.

If the first half was good from a Balbriggan perspective, the second was even better. An early penalty allowed U18 debutant, Daragh McFadden, to kick at goal from just inside the Roscrea 10 metre line. The kick was a beauty and Balbriggan were now 6 v 15 to the good. What followed immediately was possibly the only real scare in the game. Balbriggan had been pressing again inside the Roscrea 22 when a turnover led to a kick and chase up field by Roscrea. The attempted clearance was blocked by Roscrea who suddenly found themselves inside the Balbriggan 22. A short passage of play led to a Roscrea try close to the posts. With the conversion added, Roscrea were suddenly back in the game with the score 13 v 15. Balbriggan struck back shortly after with their third try of the match. This try was the result of a magical interchange between forwards and backs, including a mighty burst through the Roscrea defence and offload by prop Adam O’Connor. Callum Breeds, who put in a fine display all afternoon, went over for the try. With the conversion added by Daragh, Balbriggan had stretched the lead back out to 13 v 22. Balbriggan were back on top again and did not let up. Further pressure in mid field led to two penalties, both of which were kicked by Jack to stretch the Balbriggan lead to 13 v 28. To cap off a great day for the lads, Daragh McFadden scored the bonus point try under the posts. The conversion was added giving the final score of 13 v 35. Roscrea never gave up and came close to getting a consolation try near the end. A superb tackle by full back Tomas Murphy forced the Roscrea player to drop the ball as he was diving over the line. That hard work, even when the game was long since won, epitomised the spirit of this Balbriggan team.

There were three U18 debutants on the day. Daragh McFadden who played the full 80 minutes, was joined on the pitch in the second half by Calum Beasley and Conor Mullen. Both Calum and Conor made a great impact when they entered the fray. Calum put in a number of hard tackles on the Roscrea forwards and won a lineout ball that was thrown to him. Conor propped up the scrum at loosehead with ease. That in itself was a fine achievement for such a young man playing against wizened heads in the opposition front row. A significant piece of history was made yesterday through a combination of the old and the new. Congratulations to coaches Mike and Graham, captain Tomas and to all the team for this well-deserved win.

Photographs below taken by Caroline McFadden.

A slightly depleted Stingers squad travelled to Mullingar RFC this morning for a highly anticipated blitz. First match was against the DLSP Eagles – with many familiar faces in their squad. Additionally there was very welcome familiar faces in the Green of the Stingers with the return of captain David Sharpe,who was delighted to be back, and Bulldog extraordinaire Stephen who took advantage of the break in provincial rugby to make himself available! 

Early honours went the way of Balbriggan with a charging run and a clever offload from Josh sending Ashwin over the line. DLSP hit back with a quick try if their own – but the score line didn’t last as Dillon got one the scoresheet for the first of his tries today. Persistent defence by the Stingers thwarted the Eagles, then the mighty Philip ran the length of the pitch unopposed to make it 3-1. DLSP fought hard to cross the line just before the final whistle, with final score 3-2 to the Stingers.

Next up were the Clontarf Bulls who had both youth and numbers on their side. A very different game, the Bulls took an early lead finding gaps in the Balbriggan defence. What followed was a multitude of tags which frustrated the boys in green until Ashwin made a jinking run to touchdown and bring the sides level. Again the Bulls retaliated with a second score, but a well executed restart from the Stingers resulted in Josh being tagged on the Bulls line. Repeated attempts then brought success for the Stingers as Dillon crossed the whitewash for his second try of the day to level the scores again, but 2 further unanswered tries from the Bulls meant the final score was 4-2 for the opposition.

Still catching their breath from the challenge of the Bulls, it was straight into the next game against Westmanstown Wasps. While familiar opposition they took advantage of the Stingers missing some regular players to score two tries before Balbriggan could respond with another excellent team try finished by Stephen. There then followed time after time where Balbriggan were stopped just short of the line until Oisin spotted a gap and made a charging run to make it 2-2. But the sting was in the tail of the Wasps rather than Balbriggan when, after a number of attacks were held up short, Westmanstown sealed the games fate with a beautiful individual try to finish it 3-2 to the Wasps.

Final game saw the Stingers face host team the Lions. Looking like a replay of the previous match, the Lions were first on the scoresheet with a charging attack. Balbriggan however we’re not going to lie down and responded with multiple attempts, culminating in Dillon achieving a much deserved hat trick try. Showing speed, agility and leadership in equal measures, Ashwin then set up a Philip special to stretch the lead – but home town pride gave the Lions the extra impetus to score 2 tries in short succession to level the scores again. Philip was unlucky not to be awarded a second try when a TMO check found that he had been detagged inches away from scoring, but that did not deter him from the assist of the day as he again charged forward but, motioning to Oisin to move out wide, then sent a looping pass his way to a clear run in to put the Stingers ahead, but on pitch confusion caused by the adjacent referees whistle, along with quick thinking by the Lions, helped them to bring the score to a very well matched 4-4.

A fantastic day of sportsmanship, smiles and shenanigans for all!!

Seanson update on Balbriggan Women’s 1st XV v Tullamore 27/10 (home), Wicklow 10/11 (home), New Ross 17/11 (away).

Balbriggan women’s first XV have completed a successful block of three games with a hard-fought
win on the road to New Ross. Having secured their first home win of the season with an emphatic
victory over Tullamore they backed their form up with another big win at home to Wicklow before
the long trip to the south-east.
The Tullamore match was another that was weather affected with the visitors electing to play with
the elements in the opening half. However, a really positive start by Balbriggan off the back of a
strong scrum platform paved the way for a dominant performance. Strong carries by the forwards
sucked the Tullamore defence in which allowed the backs to strike out wide. Tullamore were shell
shocked after a barrage of tries from Logan, Dearbhla, Logan again, Rachel and Dearbhla again saw
us open up a 29-point lead approaching the break. Then, in a hammer blow for the visitors, the
forwards earned their reward when Alma burst through a weary defence to score her first try in
senior rugby to leave the score 36-0 at the half.
Tullamore to their credit dug in the second half and despite playing into the strong wind dominated
territory and possession for the opening 15 minutes of the half. Strong defence from Balbriggan kept
them out before eventually a missed tackle in midfield saw the visitors break through to score under
the posts. This score seemed to galvanise Balbriggan who hit back immediately with Dearbhla
completing her hat trick and Rachel getting her second. The scoring was rounded out with the try of
the match when Dearbhla was on hand to finish off a sweeping move that saw backs and forwards
make light of the conditions with brilliant handling to go from just outside their own 22 to score.
Shannon’s sixth conversion completed the scoring. Balbriggan 57 Tullamore 7. Player of the match
Logan Flanagan for a brilliant display of running and distribution.

Next up was a home game against Wicklow. In a carbon copy of the Tullamore game, Balbriggan
blitzed the visitors with an early flurry of scores. Alma, who has really grown into senior rugby in this
her first season at this level, started the scoring with 2 tries in the opening 10 minutes both resulting
from strong carries through the defence. Wicklow had no answer to this opening onslaught and soon
Logan and Shannon had added further 5-pointers to stretch the lead out to 24. A penalty to
Balbriggan saw them opt to kick to the corner where a strong line out maul saw Sydney dot the ball
down for another try. There was still time before the break for Laura Mc to finish off another great
attack to leave the half time score at 36-0 for the second week in a row.
Balbriggan resumed where they left off at the start of the second half when Shannon got her second
of the match within 2 minutes of the restart. Wicklow didn’t lie down and came back into the game
with a couple of tries of their own either side of a score by Louise McCleery. Balbriggan’s bench then
helped see the side home as further scores by Rachel, Logan and a hat trick try for Alma saw the
game finish Balbriggan 61 Wicklow 10. Player of the match was Lauren Bryce for a dominant display
in the scrum and strong ball carrying in the loose.

The final leg of this trilogy of games was the long road trip to New Ross. Always a tough place to go,
this was a real dog fight of a match in wet conditions on a heavy pitch. Both teams cancelled each
other out with some ferocious hits in defence before Logan broke the deadlock, darting over to
score in the corner. New Ross then camped in the Balbriggan half for the next 10 minutes before
forcing their way over for the equalising score. The hosts were unfortunate to see the conversion
effort rebound off the post. New Ross then tried to capitalise on their dominance, but resolute
defence kept them at bay. Then, against the run of play and right on the stroke of half time, Logan sliced through the home defence before a fantastic sidestep took her around the full back to score
under the posts. Shannon’s conversion saw the half time score 5-12 to the visitors.
The second half resumed where the first had left off as both teams’ defences dominated and the
game became a battle of attrition. Eventually Balbriggan established territorial dominance and
pinned New Ross in their 22. This pressure paid off when Shannon dotted down in the corner to
extend the visitor’s lead. New Ross hit back though to bring the game back to a one score difference
as we entered the final minutes. Balbriggan seemed to have put the game beyond doubt when
Dearbhla crossed for the bonus point try, converted by Shannon. There was still time for a restart
and New Ross battled their way down to field to have the final say with the last act of the game.
Final score New Ross 15 Balbriggan 24. Player of the match was Alma Atagamen for some massive
hits in defence and tireless ball carrying all match.
Balbriggan now sit second in the table as we approach the half-way mark in the season. A
tremendous effort in their first season at this level. Next up for the D1 side is a trip to Clondalkin on
1 December.

Before that, the D5 team have their first home match of the season on 24 November also against
Clondalkin. The team has had a couple of tough away games where the team battled hard and
showed glimpses of what they can do. It is blend of new and experienced players led by Gemma
Kerrigan who scored the team’s first try of the season against Athy. In a tough away fixture to MU
Barnhall the team again displayed great spirit and no little skill to battle to the end against a strong
home team. Balbriggan were rewarded with a try in her first ever game of rugby by Kacey Caldwell
and another for the evergreen Lisa Kelly. The D5 team need your support so it would be great for
them to get a big crowd for this game.

The Women’s First XV continued their promising start to season with a great win on the road at Naas
last Sunday. Forenaughts has not been a happy hunting ground for Balbriggan in recent years and
the approaching Storm Ashley meant it was always going to be a difficult day for both sides.
Balbriggan kicked off with the benefit of the elements and put the hosts under immediate pressure.
The scrum, which proved to be a weapon all day, dominated an early engagement, driving Naas off
their own ball and quick hands saw Shannon Campbell crossing for the opening score. Having run
around under the posts she completed the conversion for a seven point lead.
Balbriggan continued to take advantage of the strong wind to keep Naas pinned deep in their own
half and the pressure soon resulted in another score. Naas trying to play out from their own 5m line
were turned over and after a couple of surges from the forwards quick hands saw Shannon almost in
for a second try. Instead great cover defence held her up just short of the line. From the ensuing
ruck, Logan Flanagan took advantage of the stretched defence to dive over. Shannon judged the
wind magnificently to add the extras.
Naas did well to keep Balbriggan out again as the visitors camped in their half and in truth Balbriggan
could and probably should have had a couple more scores. Eventually from a line out on their own
10m line Balbriggan struck again. A lovely line off Logan’s shoulder saw Dearbhla Sheridan scythe
through the defence where only a desperate cover tackle stopped a certain score. However a quick
recycle saw full back Sarah McDonald race in to score in the corner from 20m out. This time the
conversion was missed. Balbriggan now led 19-0 as we approached the break.
Unfortunately, Sarah had to leave the field shortly after having picked up a knock on her knee. Her
sister Laura replaced her and nearly had a score of her own as we approached the break. Balbriggan
were almost in again but the ball was lost forward in the act of touching down for a score that would
not have flattered their first half dominance. From the resulting goal line drop out a sliced kick in
midfield saw the Naas centre react quickest and race home from 60m out. The conversion left the
hosts 7-19 down at the break.
The second half started with Naas reinvigorated by their late score and with an ever-strengthening
wind it was the hosts turn to set up camp in the Balbriggan 22. Balbriggan repelled a succession of
Naas attacks but started to give away a number of penalties. Eventually Naas took the option of
kicking for goal from one of these opportunities and reduced the deficit by 3.
As both teams tired the introduction of a number of subs gave Balbriggan some fresh impetus. Some
strong carries from Holly Keogh and the very impressive Eadaoin Cannon created space for Logan to
exchange passes with Rachel Fanning and burst through the defence to score the bonus point try
from half way. Shannon couldn’t add the difficult conversion and the lead was out 24-10.
Naas showed their worth by then laying siege to the Balbriggan line where some fantastic goal line
defence kept them at bay. After turning the ball over an attempted clearance kick from behind her
own line by Dearbhla was charged down allowing Naas the easiest of scores under the posts. The
resultant conversion brought the hosts to within one score.
It was Balbriggan that finished the stronger though. From the base of scrum on our 22, player of the
match Eadaoin, picked and carried play up to the 10m line. Two further surges by Ava Govern and
Sydney Sterio created time and space for the backs. Great interplay between Dearbhla, Shannon and
Laura brought play into the Naas half where Logan spotted a gap at the fringe of the ruck. She
darted through and drew a couple of defenders before releasing captain on the day Louise McCleery

to race home from 40m for a fantastic team try. Shannon judged the wind correctly to add the extras
and restore Balbriggan’s 14 point lead.
This score finally killed off the Naas challenge and Balbriggan was able to see out the final 5 minutes
without too many scares. Final Score Naas 17 Balbriggan 31.
A great result for the team who have now won two tough away games in a row. The League
continues with a home game on 27th October against Tullamore. All support welcome.

The latest addition to BRFC are the Bulldogs, our mixed ability team (male).  Mixed ability is a 15 aside game played by teams that are a mix of disabled and non disabled people on each team.  It is full contact rugby with uncontested scrums, played at a much slower pace than a IXV game!

There are a number of our tag playing Stingers who want to step up to this level, and we are now looking for those adults who may want the opportunity to play the game, but not at the ferocity of one of our senior teams.  The game would be a great way for our coaches who have never played at adult level to get a real feel for the game!  It may also suit some of you who are newly retired from playing.

For more information on Mixed Ability rugby, check out the IRFU page HERE.

To get it off the ground we are looking to have a training session every second Monday night starting next Monday 14^th October at 7.30pm.  Please come along and help create a new Balbriggan team.

The objective in season one is for the team to play 4 matches.   For further information please contact Robert Cashell – 086 242 1880 or rcashell@eircom.net

Match Report Mullingar v Balbriggan Leinster Women’s League Division 1

Balbriggan Women kicked off their first ever campaign in Division 1 with a memorable win away to
Mullingar. Playing in tough conditions with a strong wind and rain both teams showcased the best of
women’s rugby with a committed and skilful display.
Playing with the benefit of the wind in the first half, Balbriggan pinned the hosts back in their 22 in
the opening minutes. Strong tackling from debutant Alma Atagamen in particular, kept Mullingar
hemmed in. Mullingar were able to break out, and a missed tackle in midfield saw the hosts burst
through to score under the posts against the run of play.
Despite this setback Balbriggan went straight back on the attack. The scrum was completely
dominant and was the launch pad for some sustained attacking. In one instance Balbriggan drove
Mullingar off their own ball for a turnover that led to our opening score. A powerful carry from
number 8 Eadaoin Cannon from the back of the scrum sucked the home defence in and then quick
hands released winger Siobhan Verdon in the corner where she was only stopped from scoring by a
high tackle. The referee awarded a penalty try to bring the sides level.
With the benefit of the wind Balbriggan dominated territory for the remainder of the half with a
really determined effort by Mullingar particularly at the ruck keeping the visitors out. Eventually
Balbriggan did make the breakthrough and again off the back of a dominant scrum. Eadaoin again
making the initial surge before the ball went wide and wing Shannon Campbell got close. Some
powerful drives from Alma and Steph Campbell brought us right up to the line and with a penalty
advantage Abi Dungan was able to dive over from close range to score. The difficult conversion was
missed, and the half time whistle blew with Balbriggan leading. Half-time Mullingar 7 – Balbriggan
12.
With the elements now in their favour it was the home team’s time to dominate field position.
Balbriggan hung on to their slender lead and managed to fight their way into the Mullingar 22, but a
turnover and clearance kick caught the visitors out as Mullingar were able to regather and run a
score in from halfway which tied the game.
Buoyed by this success the hosts came strongly again, a storming run down the wing fending off
several attempted tackles saw a wonderful try for Mullingar under the posts. The conversion saw
them take a 7-point lead which in the conditions looked decisive.
Balbriggan dug in and benefitting from fresh legs off the bench began to exert some pressure on
Mullingar. It was one of the subs Dearbhla Sheridan that sparked the next score with a strong run
out of defence towards the half-way line. Quick ruck ball saw Logan Flanagan release another sub,
Jess Kelleher, for a storming run down the wing that only saw her stopped by a fantastic cover tackle
5m out by the Mullingar full back. The ball was quickly spun left, and Alma looked certain to score
but was hauled down just shy of the line. The defensive effort had sucked in the Mullingar backs and
another quick recycle saw Laura McDonald run in unopposed to bring the deficit down to 2 with less
than 5 minutes remaining.
From the restart a rejuvenated Balbriggan went in search of a winning score. Playing with renewed
energy the quality and speed of ruck created time and space out wide. In an almost identical move
to that which had released Jess minutes earlier, Logan, instead of giving the pass scythed through
the defence and stormed home from half-way for a wonderful try. Balbriggan now led by 3 with just
over a minute to play.

Mullingar regathered for one last effort and forced there way into the Balbriggan 22. Quick hands
left gave them an opportunity but a tremendous tackle by Jess bundled her opposite number into
touch with the last action of the game. Final Score Mullingar 19 Balbriggan 22.

A tremendous victory for Balbriggan in their first appearance at this level was well received by the
travelling support who had gotten behind team all game. This was really a squad effort to get over
the line and everyone, even those who didn’t get on, contributed to this performance. A word of
praise to Logan, Alma and Lauren Bryce who all made their Balbriggan senior debut on the day.

Next up is our first home game of the season for our First XV against a strong MU Barnhall team on
Sunday 6 th October at 1pm and all support is welcome.

Our Second XV kicks off their Division 5 campaign on the same day away to Athy at 12pm. All support for both teams is welcome.

Balbriggans men’s 1xv made the long trip to Longford on a wet & windy miserable Sunday afternoon.

This is their second game in division 1A & their first away game.
Due to a number of injuries they only traveled with 18 men.
Longford had won their first game so we’re looking to build on that.

Balbriggan started strong by putting pressure on Longford from the kick off with some lovely set plays being actioned but Longford’s defence held out.

That was until 20 minutes in when Brian Mollahan took an inside pass off Matthew Jendra to score just right of the posts, beating a number of defenders in the process.
Jack Scannel converted.

Both teams discipline at the break down was poor but neither side could capitalise. That was until the 39th minute when Longford gave away a penalty from a high tackle on Callum Sterio, Jack duly converted from the touch line and Balbriggan went into the half leading 10-0.

Longford started off the better in the second half and were making strides into our 22 but the work on our defence structure shone through and Balbriggan through Caldwell & Breeds kept them at bay.

As Longford were camped on our line ,we unfortunately gave away a penalty which led to a yellow card, with us down to 14, they were able to come back with a penalty and a converted try to level the score.

Balbriggan regrouped and with a move off the training ground saw Brian Mollahan once again break through the Longford defence on half way, as he made his way past numerous defenders, he was brought down just 2 metre short of the line by a high tackle, deemed not a penalty try and on the subsequent scrum, Balbriggan who were the dominant pack all day and a penalty given against them.

The game finished 10-10.

Try scorer Brian Mollahan
Conversion & panalty Jack Scannell.

The 1xv have a break this weekend but out 2xv are playing on Friday night, in the North East McGee Cup league, KO 8pm in Balbriggan v Boyne.

The 1xv next home game is on Sunday 13th October vs New Ross 3pm ko.

Thank you to the travelling support as always for making the trip on a cold and wintry Sunday.

A travelling party of 24 gathered in Dublin airport early last Friday for the Balbriggan women’s team pre-season trip to Bergamo. After a refreshing lunch the squad made the trip to Linate to play local club Parabiago. Both teams are in pre-season mode and took part in a joint warm up and drills, with Balbriggan showing off their new training tops. A 20 minute session of less than full contact was followed by a proper half of rugby. Balbriggan dominated the initial exchanges, forcing the hosts into conceding a succession of penalties. This dominance led to the opening score from newly appointed team captain Holly Keogh. But Parabiago, who finished 2nd in their group in Serie A last season fought back to edge a close encounter by 2 tries to 1. Afterwards the hosts put on a great spread and both squads enjoyed the refreshments! On the Saturday the tourists enjoyed a great day exploring the old town of Bergamo in spectacular sunshine before gathering for an exchange of “colourful” shirts and heading out for a wonderful night in the Tucan’s Irish bar where a kangaroo court was held and suitable punishments meted out for any transgressions on tour. The weather broke on the Sunday with the rain driving everyone indoors. Half the squad took the opportunity to visit nearby Milan with the remainder staying put in Bergamo before all meeting up for the return flight to Dublin late on Sunday evening. The team would like to thank our hosts, Parabiago for a great game and post-match reception. We wish them well for their coming season.

We would also like to thank team sponsors Herbie Tyres and Balbriggan Braces for their continued support, and Tracey McFadden from McFadden’s who sponsored our tour tops.

Membership for the upcoming 2024/25 playing season is now open – click HERE to go to our Clubforce page. If you’re a player, don’t forgot to register on SportLomo too.

If you have any issues getting yourself or a family member registered, please contact the coach or coordinator, and they will help you out. Alternatively, you can contact the club at info@balbrigganrfc.com

Balbriggan relinquished the Beechy Cup in a narrow defeat to Boyne in the final, the final score being 12-7.

With a number of teams dropping out late, the day was left to four teams, Athboy, Boyne, Balbriggan and Swords. Each team played the other, with both Boyne and Balbriggan being too strong for Swords and Athboy. It was a useful run out for the Balbriggan side and despite losing the final, they looked the most disciplined of the sides and the efforts of pre-season were there to be seen. In the first two games the backs showed some good running skills and quick breaks that augur well for a tough league ahead.   Gerry Ahern showed some great finishing skills on the wing. A summer playing rugby league showed up in Ciaran O’Donoghue’s huge tackle count. Callum Breeds was looking good and one breath absorbing run saw him score under the posts. Great to see Conor Caldwell enjoying himself with a few barnstorming runs. Jack Scannell was on form with the boot adding conversions and also made some good runs with ball in hand.

Balbriggan played all their games on the one pitch into the wind which in the final probably played more against them. In the final Boyne came at Balbriggan from the start with waves of attack and their large tight head was making serious ground before he was downed. The pressure finally told and Boyne scored but missed an easy conversion.  Balbriggan then got in their stride and took the game to Boyne, and levelled matters with Jack Scannell adding the extras with the most unusual conversion.  Unfortunately, there was no video replay to confirm what had happened but it appeared that the ball bounced in front of the posts and then went over the bar… all that matters is that the touch judge flags went up and the two points were given. Balbriggan continued to have the better of the play but one slip and using the wind Boyne got into the Balbriggan 22, while Balbriggan got the ball back the ball carrier got isolated and from the ensuing penalty, Boyne got within 5 metres. Despite valiant defending Boyne eventually got over. While Balbriggan tried the clock, in a 25 minute game time was against them and Boyne hung on to win 12 -7.   The overall Balbriggan player of the competition was James Gibbs, he scored a number of tries, tackled everything and was at the heart of all the moves.