MSM 56
Dunmore 15
The MSM senior rugby team continued its winning streak which now stretches back to when school sport resumed after the pandemic last year. The weather forecast had a warning of strong gales and torrential rain but instead Dunmore C.S. were met by a strong MSM scrum on a day that rained tries in Colts Park. The towns of Dunmore and Claremorris are little more than 20km apart as the crow flies - but there was quite a distance between the two teams when the final whistle blew on Monday.
MSM began the game with their now customary barn-storming opening. The first foray into Dunmore’s half saw some lovely interplay between speedy wingers Deirbhile Horkan and Alana Fitzpatrick who found gaps in the defensive line to arrow over for the first try. It wasn't Alana’s last try of the day and the chemistry between the Horkan-Fitzpatrick axis on the pitch was really eye-catching and caused numerous problems for Dunmore throughout the game.
This was followed shortly after by more strong running from Niamh Corless who always gets over the gain-line and her clever running lines make it impossible for opposition defenses to cope with her attacking threat. Niamh sets the tempo for her team and at one particular ruck she single-handedly cleared out two Dunmore defenders in a movement that was a mixture of judo and martial arts!
Leah Sheridan was abrasive in her carries and bagged a brace of tries either side of half-time. Leah has the ability to carry the ball in both hands which makes her a serious asset to the team at the line-out, but she also has the strength to power through tackles close to the line which added 10 valuable points to MSM’s tally.
Chloe Moran is a key cog in the team and her superhuman work-rate ensures quick ball at each ruck which allows the MSM backs to thrive in the open spaces. Aoibhinn Byrne and Jodie Monahan came on and both carried ball through the heart of Dunmore’s defense - their energy and appetite for work around the pitch helped MSM build a substantial lead going into half-time.
Aoife Kelly put in a huge defensive effort and her tackling ability on the goal-line was crucial in keeping Dunmore scoreless for long periods, at one point Aoife held up a Dunmore ball carrier from diving over the line to create a turnover for MSM. Aoife’s work was assisted by the excellent Molly Barrett who always produces a big performance on match day. Molly offers herself as a willing ball carrier each time and has a fearsome tackle which had Dunmore defenders retreating at pace.
The moment of the match came in the second half when off a quick scrum - the electric Saoirse Quinn slipped inside the Dunmore defense with a side-step that would be the envy of every nightclub dancer in Ireland, before beautifully delaying the pass to her partner-in-crime Máire Feerick who rounded off a wonderful move with quick hands and even faster feet. Máire has come into her own this year as she scans the backfield looking for opposition kicks and then the ‘Kilvine Rocket’ hits the line with such precision and pace that she has become an unstoppable force of nature creating overlaps and eating up precious yards with the ball in her hands at every opportunity.
Claire Scholl played her second game for the school and looks like she has been running with the oval ball all her life. Her low centre of gravity and bravery in the tackle means the MSM rugby team may not allow Claire to return home to Belgium at the end of the year! Jessica Commins entered the fray and has the potential to step up and become a household name in the senior team this year.
Gráinne Hahessy is the spiritual leader within the team and continues to defy logical on the rugby pitch as she can be found at the bottom of a ruck or in the middle of a lineout or burying opponents with robust tackles. . .before delicately chipping lovely drop-goals between the posts. On a playing surface that was retaining some excess rainwater in places, Gráinne’s composure and pin-point accuracy with her conversions was really admirable.
The gifted sports-star Siomha McNulty was called into action after the break and stepped into the enormous shoes of ‘Captain Fantastic’ Saoirse Quinn in the number 9 'scrum half' position. Siomha proved to be a very able deputy and showed that she is capable of excelling at the highest level by making a searing break late in the second half which left defenders trailing in her wake.
It again proved that this team’s greatest quality is that when top players take a break from proceedings or are rested that they are replaced by very capable rugby players who maintain the high standards of the team.
The player of the match on this occasion is try scoring sensation Alana Fitzpatrick who can turn the smallest opportunity into a try scoring movement and everything she touches seems to turn to gold within scoring distance of the try-line.
It was a complete performance from the MSM seniors who were actually missing two warrior women in Lisa Prendergast and Rhona O’Dea. The return of these two starlets to the panel shortly means that MSM players, supporters and the parishes around south Mayo can once again get excited about the prospect of another really memorable year. The game was expertly refereed by Connacht rugby ambassador Fergal Byrne who allowed the game to flow in the opening half, before being particularly strict on the MSM troops as the game entered the latter stages.
The Dunmore – Claremorris rivalry mirrors the long standing traditions of Galway and Mayo teams competing against each other across a series of different sports and disciplines down through the years. On this occasion it was a day for the women representing the ‘Green and Red’ rather than the ‘Maroon and White’ who took home the bragging rights, the match points and the prospect of another memorable cup run.
