Kilkenny 1st XV 20-17 Boyne 1st XV
Leinster League 1B
By Orla Hennebry
Kilkenny eased the pressure from their mediocre start to the Leinster League with a vital three-point win over Boyne at home last Sunday.
Kilkenny were the first to strike, with Jason Connolly scoring a try after Boyne received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on just 12 minutes into the game. Connolly, returning to action after a four-year break due to injury, showed no signs of rust with a strong performance in the back row.
Boyne quickly responded two minutes later, capitalizing on a penalty from Kilkenny to slot a kick between the posts in challenging windy conditions, narrowing the score to 5-3. Boyne went on to cross the try line in the first half, taking a 10-5 lead. Despite trailing, Kilkenny dominated in the set piece, and second-row Jake Caldbeck made a big impact, disrupting several of Boyne's lineouts. However, Kilkenny’s kicking game struggled in the near-gale-force winds, giving Boyne easy possession in the first half. Going into halftime just five points behind wasn’t the worst situation, given the conditions.
The second half got off to a rocky start for Kilkenny as Boyne intercepted a pass from Dan O’Neill on their own 22-meter line and scored a length of the pitch try. The successful conversion extended Boyne’s lead to 17-5. Kilkenny needed to respond quickly to stay in the game, and they did just that. After several phases of solid ruck play, captain Garry Dunne scored a superb try under the posts. O’Neill added the conversion, cutting Boyne's lead to 17-12.
Kilkenny's final try came from debutant Jack Campion, son of Kilkenny club legend Neill Campion who represented Kilkenny in the early 2000’s. His try, following a great inside pass from Podge Mahon, levelled the score at 17-17, leaving the home crowd on edge. Kilkenny's defense held strong with huge tackles and key turnovers, and their hard work was rewarded when referee Bernie White awarded them a penalty, putting them ahead 20-17 with about 10 minutes remaining. A strong Boyne finish had Kilkenny defending desperately inside their own 22 until a turnover from Joey Manuel in the dying moments sealed the win for Kilkenny.
This victory will be a huge morale boost after last week’s disappointing loss to Wexford Wanderers. Kilkenny made several changes to the backline, notably restoring the long-standing centre partnership of Joey Manuel and Podge Mahon.
With the Leinster League on pause until November 3rd, when Kilkenny travel to face Del La Salle Palmerstown, they will need to build on this performance if they are to push for promotion to Division 1A.
Kilkenny 2nds were narrowly defeated by Boyne, 22-17. Battling against a strong wind in the first half, Kilkenny fell behind 12-0. Despite some good phases of play, they missed two try-scoring opportunities before Liam Phelan crossed under the posts just before halftime, reducing the deficit to 12-7. Having played against the strong wind, this was a positive score and hopes were high leading into the second half.
However the second half started poorly for Kilkenny as Boyne scored quickly and took control of the game. A combination of errors and one-dimensional attacking with one-off runners hindered Kilkenny's efforts. Caleb Hogan-Eyre scored Kilkenny's second try with a brilliant pickup and finish in the corner, and Alex Reynolds added a final try, earning a losing bonus point. While the performance was disappointing, Kilkenny took some consolation from securing the bonus point.
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