Tuam/Oughterard Colts 23/24 Connacht Senior Cup Champions
(Article appeared in Tuam Herald)
TUAM/OUGHTERARD COLTS 82 UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY 12
Tuam/Oughterard Colts put in a devastating performance as they swept aside University of Galway to claim the Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior Women's cup for the very first time.
Sunday's win at Dexcom Stadium, completed a provincial treble for this phenomenal team as they added the cup to their league and Invitational cup success.
To say they were outstanding last weekend would have been an understatement as nine first half tries saw them 51 points up at the break. University of Galway just had no answer for their opponents fast paced attacking rugby which was relentless in the opening half.
There was no let up in the second half either as the Colts ran in five further tries in a seventy points trouncing. Although they were totally outclassed on the day, the students did manage to get two tries on the board.
These two sides also contested the league final this year with Tuam/Oughterard crushing the University side 65-0 so it was no surprise the Colts were red hot favourites for Sunday's tie.
It took the league winners just five minutes to get the game's first try as Hannah Clarke got in in the corner after being set up by Karly Tierney.
Although they were playing against a strong wind, Owen Lydon and Norman Tierney's side launched wave after wave of attacks and it was no surprise when Karly Tierney added try number two in the thirteenth minute.
An incredible individual try by Clarke in the fifteenth minute which saw her race from her own 10 metre line to touch down under the posts brought the loudest cheer of the day from the big crowd in attendence. Éabha Nic Dhonnacha added the conversion as already this looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for University of Galway.
So it proved, as Dominika Lukasik soon added another try before Hannah Clarke, this time running from the halfway line, weaved her way through the students defence for another five pointer under the posts to complete her hat-trick. Nic Dhonnacha once more converted.
Clarke turned provider in the thirty-first minute as Nic Dhonnacha scored and converted her first try of the day. The game was being played in the University half for almost the entirety of the first half and anytime they did venture out of the half, they were punished by Clarke's blistering pace. She got her fourth of the half running from one wing to the other before touching down in the corner.
Nic Dhonnacha broke in the thirty-sixth minute to get her second of the afternoon before Katie Creavan got in on the try scoring act just before the half-time whistle to leave the Colts 51-0 up at the break. An incredible scoreline but one that was fully merited. Tuam/Oughterard were just a joy to watch.
The second half was only three minutes old when Karly Tierney got her second and Nic Dhonnacha converted with a drop kick.
It was a tough afternoon to say the least for University but after being whitewashed the last time they met, they did manage to cross the Colts tryline when Rebecca Farrell got in for a 46th minute try.
However, a minute later, Keannah Irons got her side's eleventh try of this one sided final before fellow substitute Molly Boote got a converted try as Tuam/Oughterard now led 70-5.
In their league final meeting, Hannah Clarke scored four tries but she went one better here as she accelerated from inside her own half to once more touch down under the posts. Unbelievable to think Clarke is still only eighteen and studying for her leaving cert. An exceptional talent. Nic Dhonnacha converted.
Both sides emptied the benches and University did enjoyed a sustained period of possession for the first time all day and were rewarded when Jasmine Morgan got in for a try which Charlotte Miller converted.
Nonetheless, Tuam/Oughterard were just unstoppable and Molly Boote, on her return from a long injury lay off, had the final say of the day with her second try to round off an outstanding performance by her remarkable team.
No one would gave beaten Tuam/Oughterard last Sunday. They were just phenomenal. The last act of the day was Connacht Rugby vice-president, Jimmy Staunton, presenting Sarah Jane Fox with the Bank of Ireland Connacht women's senior cup.
HERALD PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Hannah Clarke
TUAM/OUGHTERARD COLTS: H. Clarke; K. Creavan; É. Nic Dhonnacha; A. Burns; D. Lukasik; E. Burns; S. Quinn; N. Corless; SJ Fox; H. Daly; K. Burns; G. Hahessey; C. O'Grady; K. Tierney. Replacements: A. O'Callaghan; E. Burns; D. Byrne; À. Lydon; G. O'Rourke; A. Gibbons; R. Forkan; K. Irons; M. Boote; F. Cummins Costello, R. Ganley; A. Larkin.
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY: A. Mulhall; R. Connolly; E. Cafferkey; R. Farrell; N. Deacy; C. Geraghty; C. Miller; J. Houlihan; M. Finnegan; J. Morgan; A. Hahessey; K. O'Meara; J. Phelan; B. Nee; A. Roche. Replacements: M. Malaquais; A. Graham; K. Atkinson; C. O'Sullivan; C. Claffey; A. O'Morain; A. McWilliams; L. McLoughlin.
REFEREE: Siobháin Daly
TUAM/OUGHTERARD COLTS 82 UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY 12
Tuam/Oughterard Colts put in a devastating performance as they swept aside University of Galway to claim the Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior Women's cup for the very first time.
Sunday's win at Dexcom Stadium, completed a provincial treble for this phenomenal team as they added the cup to their league and Invitational cup success.
To say they were outstanding last weekend would have been an understatement as nine first half tries saw them 51 points up at the break. University of Galway just had no answer for their opponents fast paced attacking rugby which was relentless in the opening half.
There was no let up in the second half either as the Colts ran in five further tries in a seventy points trouncing. Although they were totally outclassed on the day, the students did manage to get two tries on the board.
These two sides also contested the league final this year with Tuam/Oughterard crushing the University side 65-0 so it was no surprise the Colts were red hot favourites for Sunday's tie.
It took the league winners just five minutes to get the game's first try as Hannah Clarke got in in the corner after being set up by Karly Tierney.
Although they were playing against a strong wind, Owen Lydon and Norman Tierney's side launched wave after wave of attacks and it was no surprise when Karly Tierney added try number two in the thirteenth minute.
An incredible individual try by Clarke in the fifteenth minute which saw her race from her own 10 metre line to touch down under the posts brought the loudest cheer of the day from the big crowd in attendence. Éabha Nic Dhonnacha added the conversion as already this looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for University of Galway.
So it proved, as Dominika Lukasik soon added another try before Hannah Clarke, this time running from the halfway line, weaved her way through the students defence for another five pointer under the posts to complete her hat-trick. Nic Dhonnacha once more converted.
Clarke turned provider in the thirty-first minute as Nic Dhonnacha scored and converted her first try of the day. The game was being played in the University half for almost the entirety of the first half and anytime they did venture out of the half, they were punished by Clarke's blistering pace. She got her fourth of the half running from one wing to the other before touching down in the corner.
Nic Dhonnacha broke in the thirty-sixth minute to get her second of the afternoon before Katie Creavan got in on the try scoring act just before the half-time whistle to leave the Colts 51-0 up at the break. An incredible scoreline but one that was fully merited. Tuam/Oughterard were just a joy to watch.
The second half was only three minutes old when Karly Tierney got her second and Nic Dhonnacha converted with a drop kick.
It was a tough afternoon to say the least for University but after being whitewashed the last time they met, they did manage to cross the Colts tryline when Rebecca Farrell got in for a 46th minute try.
However, a minute later, Keannah Irons got her side's eleventh try of this one sided final before fellow substitute Molly Boote got a converted try as Tuam/Oughterard now led 70-5.
In their league final meeting, Hannah Clarke scored four tries but she went one better here as she accelerated from inside her own half to once more touch down under the posts. Unbelievable to think Clarke is still only eighteen and studying for her leaving cert. An exceptional talent. Nic Dhonnacha converted.
Both sides emptied the benches and University did enjoyed a sustained period of possession for the first time all day and were rewarded when Jasmine Morgan got in for a try which Charlotte Miller converted.
Nonetheless, Tuam/Oughterard were just unstoppable and Molly Boote, on her return from a long injury lay off, had the final say of the day with her second try to round off an outstanding performance by her remarkable team.
No one would gave beaten Tuam/Oughterard last Sunday. They were just phenomenal. The last act of the day was Connacht Rugby vice-president, Jimmy Staunton, presenting Sarah Jane Fox with the Bank of Ireland Connacht women's senior cup.
HERALD PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Hannah Clarke
TUAM/OUGHTERARD COLTS: H. Clarke; K. Creavan; É. Nic Dhonnacha; A. Burns; D. Lukasik; E. Burns; S. Quinn; N. Corless; SJ Fox; H. Daly; K. Burns; G. Hahessey; C. O'Grady; K. Tierney. Replacements: A. O'Callaghan; E. Burns; D. Byrne; À. Lydon; G. O'Rourke; A. Gibbons; R. Forkan; K. Irons; M. Boote; F. Cummins Costello, R. Ganley; A. Larkin.
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY: A. Mulhall; R. Connolly; E. Cafferkey; R. Farrell; N. Deacy; C. Geraghty; C. Miller; J. Houlihan; M. Finnegan; J. Morgan; A. Hahessey; K. O'Meara; J. Phelan; B. Nee; A. Roche. Replacements: M. Malaquais; A. Graham; K. Atkinson; C. O'Sullivan; C. Claffey; A. O'Morain; A. McWilliams; L. McLoughlin.
REFEREE: Siobháin Daly
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