Recap

If you heard strange noises coming from Aghadoe today, don’t worry—it wasn’t a local tectonic shift. It was just our U14 Boys putting in a shift that would make a Spartan blush.
​Our resident drill sergeants—sorry, coaches—Fergus and Brian, kicked things off with a rigorous “warm-up” that looked suspiciously like a Navy SEAL selection course. By the time the whistle blew, the boys were so ready to hit the pitch running that they nearly broke the sound barrier.

​The “Two-Minute” Heartbreak

​In the opening 120 seconds, we played some rugby that was frankly too good for this hemisphere. We were so close to the try line we could smell the Newport whitewash, but the ball decided it preferred the grass to the goal area.
While Newport arrived with the kind of precision usually reserved for Swiss watchmakers, they didn’t account for the Joe Bradley Factor.

​Our No. 8 decided he’d had enough of the “scenic route” and took the direct approach. Using a blend of raw power and the kind of skill that suggests he might be part bulldozer, Joe went on a tearing run and dotted the ball down for a cracking try.
Newport might have been well-drilled, but our lads went down fighting like absolute warriors. They proved that while you can drill a play, you can’t drill the kind of heart these boys showed on the pitch today.

​Huge thanks to Newport RFC for a tough, sporting game, and to the parents for the world-class sideline vocal support.
A big shout out to the parents who helped setup and serve food and refreshments to both sets of players and coaches after the game.

They U14s are back on the road next week with a trip to Galbally RFC. Onwards and upwards. We will see all the boys at training on Thursday evening at 7pm.