Balbriggans 2nd XV play at home to Ardee this Sunday 4th January, in their first McGee Cup game of 2015. KO 2.30pm. All support greatly appreciated.

Here are some photos from our Tag Rugby morning.

Balbriggan RFCs Tag Rugby morning has been postponed until tomorrow, Sat Dec 27th at 11am, due to the bad weather this morning.

Balbriggan RFC are hosting their St Stephens Day Tag Rugby morning at 11am, Dec 26th. This year, it’s open to Men and Women, and all are welcome to come along, to play or watch.
Also, Balbriggan will play Skerries on Sunday Dec 28th in the McGee Cup, at home. KO 2pm.

Dear Members

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all those involved in Balbriggan RFC a happy and peaceful Christmas and Prosperous 2015.

The last three months have been a very busy time in the Club. On the playing side our 1st XV stand top of the Leinster League. It looks at this stage that the League Title will be decided in our final league game on Sunday February 8th when we host our nearest challengers Wexford Wanderers. We want a huge crowd out to support the team that day. We have also this season have been able to field a 2nd XV and they have been participating in the McGee Cup.

Possibly our biggest success story this season has been our Ladies team under the Captaincy of Sandra McAleer and mentor, former Club Captain, Mick McKiernan. Considering they only started in August they are now sitting top of their league in Leinster and are getting better with every match played. Some nights they have had more players training than the lads! The Ladies team even got special mention in a recent Leinster match programme. Keep spreading the word as we continue to develop the Ladies section.

It should be said that a huge debt is owed to Leigh O’Toole and Ivan McFadden who in effect have been looking after the three adult teams, something that cannot continue. If there is anyone out there who can assist them, or any other part of the Club, please step forward. You will be welcomed with open arms.

At our meeting in October I promised I would update the members on where we are at with Fingal Co Co regarding Project Phoenix. Following the AGM we again met with Fingal Co Co in relation to moving the project forward. Fingal undertook to seek fresh legal advice, funded by them, concerning aspects of the project. They engaged Eversheds, a major law firm, who are specialists in this area. The Council are awaiting receipt of the legal advice they have sought and emailed their solicitors last week outlining the urgency of the matter. We had hoped we would have had clarity by now but until Eversheds provide their advices on the project to Fingal we cannot progress the project. The Club has discussed with the Council the situation concerning the Grant money for the Clubhouse which is still tied up as part of the overall project. The Council have confirmed that they will support the Club’s request to provide a grant to enable us build our Clubhouse should Project Phoenix not proceed.

On the Youths and Minis sections we continue to grow. This season we are fielding U15, U14 & U13. For those who have been watching the U15s over the last few years not alone have we seen how they have physically grown but also how they have developed as a team under the careful watch of their coach Darren Nulty and his team. The U13 & U14s are struggling a little for numbers which has hindered their ability to get games but again there is great potential there. Coaches Victor, Keith and Stu are working hard with this group and deserve all our support and gratitude for what they have achieved in very difficult circumstances.

At mini level we unfortunately are not fielding U12 this season but have teams the rest of the way down to U6. Well done to all the coaches who give so enthusiastically every Thursday and Sunday. We held our Annual Santa blitz last week. This is now recognised as a major event in the Leinster Mini Calendar. Well done to Eamon and his team for the great work put in. On the day the U15s did a collection in support of two local groups, the St Vincent de Paul and Remember Us. The club were able to present cheques for €250 to each organisation.

So as you can see things are buzzing as we look forward to 2015. 2015 will be the 90th Anniversary of the original founding of the Club and we are looking at hosting some events to celebrate that landmark birthday next season.

Again, enjoy the Christmas season and if you want to work off those extra calories we can certainly find some way to do that for you at the Club. You can start by coming to the Club at 11am on St. Stephen’s day for a run out playing tag with current and former players, including some of our emigrants home for Christmas.

Gerry Hennigan

President

Balbriggan Womens team beat Greystones away in their final match before Christmas. Final score 0 v 5. The only try of the match was scored by Balbriggans Val Van Veen. The Womens team are still top of the League.

Here are some photos from last Sundays Balbriggan RFC Santa Blitz. Thanks to all the teams that participated. Thanks to Eamon for all his hard work in organising this event. And thanks to all our volunteers who helped on the day. We raised 500euro for two local charities; St Vincent de Paul and Remember Us. From all at Balbriggan RFC, we wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Balbriggan RFC’s women’s Team beat their nearest rivals Greystones RFC in the Leinster League on Sunday, 0 v 5. This top of the table clash was billed as the pivotal game in Leinster League Division 4. Going into the match, Balbriggan were 4 points clear of their nearest rivals Greystones, but had played a game more. This was a return fixture, the previous encounter in Balbriggan earlier in the season ending in a 5 v 5 draw.

Given that the two teams were first and second in the Table and that they had drawn their previous match in the league, this was always likely to be a close, hard fought encounter. And so it was to prove. The first half raced by a blur of fast paced high octane action. The teams were very evenly balanced, both teams enjoying periods of pressure in their opponents half in that first period. The half ended with Balbriggan beginning to gain some measure of control through a sustained period of pressure in the Greystones half of the pitch. However honours were even at the turn with the score at 0 v 0.

Balbriggan turned to face into the breeze in the second half; and what a second half it would prove to be. Balbriggan quickly established field position in the Greystones 22 and were to remain there for all but the final 3 – 4 minutes of the second half. The game now evolved into a war of attrition with Balbriggan constantly working through the phases, using forwards and backs to inch their way towards the Greystones line. Captain Sandra McAleer bravely charged down a clearance kick, putting her body on the line for her team. That effort alone epitomised the guts and determination of the Balbriggan team and helped maintain territory for the visitors whilst keeping pressure on the hosts. Others did their bit for the cause including Marie Claire Bellew who led the tackle count for the visitors, ably assisted by others including Dearbhla Sheridan at out-half and Michelle Hutcheson and Anne O’Brien. The pack worked really hard and out scrummaged their hosts whilst the lineout purred efficiently throughout the game. Greystones for their part defended their line heroically, putting in countless crunching tackles and showed their discipline by conceding few penalties in the siege of the second half. Balbriggan were held up just short of the Greystones line on a number of occasions. Scrum half Aoife Casey went over for a try mid way through the second half in the left corner, only for the touch judge to raise the flag for a foot in touch, inches out from the corner flag. The break through finally came after Balbriggan broke from a scrum to the left of the Greystones Posts on the Greystones 22. The Balbriggan pack mauled their way forward and after a number pf phases with their forwards, drew the Greystones defenders in, creating an overlap on Balbriggan’s right wing. Quick hands by the Balbriggan back line sent Balbriggan winger Val Van Veen over in the right hand corner, touching the ball down whilst holding off the despairing tackles from two Greystones defenders. The conversion came up short so Balbriggan only held a narrow 5 point lead with about 5 minutes of the game left.

Greystones had no choice but to throw caution to the wind. They were awarded a series of penalties all of which they chose to run rather than kick to the corner. Balbriggan’s defence held firm, and the relief to the team, management and sizeable travelling support in the stand in Dr. Hickey Park was obvious to all.

This victory puts Balbriggan clear of Greystones by 7 points, though Greystones still have that game in hand. There are some difficult games ahead in the New Year, but for now, Balbriggan ladies can enjoy their Christmas break happy in the knowledge that they are on top of the Leinster League.

Wexford 14 Balbriggan 13

Balbriggan fell agonisingly short in their top of the table encounter with Wexford Wanderers in Wexford on Saturday night. Balbriggan went into the game having won seven games out of seven in the Leinster League and knew that victory would have placed an almost insurmountable hurdle over their nearest rivals Wexford. As it was, Balbriggan were felled by a very late penalty having lead for the entire match.

Balbriggan started the encounter brightly, moving the ball quickly through their backs and constantly probing the Wexford defence for gaps that would bring an early score. Constant pressure from Balbriggan eventually brought a penalty which Kyle Healy put away from an angle and some distance out from the posts. Three v Nil up was the least Balbriggan deserved having applied all the early pressure. That penalty was quickly followed by a superbly worked try, scored by out half Ian Murphy out on the left wing. The try came after a series of probing drives by the Balbriggan pack which culminated in the backs moving the ball wide and Murphy burrowing his way through a dense crowd of Wexford defenders. Unfortunately, the difficult conversion was very narrowly missed. From the restart, Wexford were immediately awarded a penalty after Balbriggan were pinged for not releasing the ball in the ruck. The Wexford outhalf landed a monster kick which was an ominous portent of what was to happen later in the match. Soon after this penalty, Wexford enjoyed their first, and only period of pressure in the first half when, with about 10 minutes to go to half time, they worked a move through their backs down Balbriggan’s right wing and were only held up just short of the line by some desperate but brave tackling. The half time score of 8 v 3 to Balbriggan was poor reward for the travelling team who had enjoyed much the better of it in that opening half.

The second half was to prove a different affair than the first. Wexford, having weathered the Balbriggan storm in the first half, grew in confidence and struck within three minutes of the restart with a try through their backs. A couple of missed tackles in the mid field and some very fast running allowed Wexford score out wide on the left wing. The conversion was very narrowly missed and the score were even at 8 v 8. Balbriggan then immediately struck back with a wonderfully worked try of their own scored on the wing by Con Casey, who was playing in an unfamiliar position on the night. This was to be Balbriggan’s last score and there was still a half an hour of the game to run. From this point on Balbriggan came under sustained and intense pressure from Wexford. The Wexford lineout functioned very well on the night whilst Balbriggan’s was under constant pressure. The Balbriggan scrum and maul were more than up to the task, but what proved the difference on the night was the constant threat posed by Wexford’s backs and their kicking skills. With about 15 minutes of the game left, Wexford were awarded a long shot at goal from a Balbriggan infringement. The Wexford kicker didn’t miss and with the scores now at 11 v 13 to Balbriggan, we were set for a grandstand finish. The killer blow was struck with about 7 minutes of the game left when Wexford, having been held out after wave upon wave of surging moves by their forwards and backs, were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts on the 22. The kick was good and Balbriggan were now, for the first time, behind in the game and a man down after a player had been yellow carded in the incident that lead to the penalty. The team faced an uphill struggle from here, but heads did not drop and the team gave it one last big effort to salvage the win. Balbriggan were rewarded for their valiant efforts with a long range penalty from the Wexford 10 yard line, but the kick at goal came up short and the last chance for victory was gone.

This was a tremendous match which showed all that is good about the amateur game of rugby. The game was played in a good spirit, and though it was a hard encounter between two evenly matched teams, it was a clean and exciting game. Balbriggan remain 6 points clear of second placed Wexford but have played a game more that their nearest rivals. There will be a return fixture when the two teams meet for the final time this season in Balbriggan in early February. That game already has the feel of a Cup Final about it.

Balbriggan 31 Ratoath 7

Balbriggan continued their good run with a home win against Ratoath. Balbriggan started the stronger and had the better in the up front encounters where the forwards were delivering good ball for the backs. Balbriggan were looking to develop their running game which resulted in centre J Mullen getting in for the first try and full back Danny McGrogan getting in the corner soon after for the second. The third try came when out-half Casey dummied the ball and instead of letting it out wide took it on himself to score under the posts. After this early onslaught Ratoath steadied the ship and started to be competitive themselves pushing Balbriggan back but the Balbriggan defence held strong. As the half neared the end it was skipper Malone who finished off a forward move and got in under the posts.

When it looked as if Balbriggan would push on it was Ratoath who were the more dominant force in the second half and a good break by their centre saw him run through the defence to score under the posts. Balbriggan put together a number of attacks. Skipper Malone made a good break and the line looked to be at Balbriggan’s mercy when he popped the ball up to flanker McFadden, who must have been still suffering the effects of a major birthday on Friday night, when he unexpectedly fumbled the ball over the line.

Malone made another break and a clever grubber kick looked as if he would make the line but Ratoath just cleared to touch. From the line out Balbriggan put the ball straight across the line and substitute Stu Mullen scored in the corner.

Another bonus point win but second place Wexford had a similar margin win against Midland warriors setting up an intriguing encounter next Saturday in Wexford at 5pm.