Buccaneers U20s captured a first ever Leinster title when they defeated Naas 24-20 in a keenly contested J.P.Fanagan Leinster Premier 3 Division encounter at Forenaughts, Naas, on Sunday - victory over their closest challengers ensured that the Pirates were champions with one round of this league yet to be played.
On a wet and windy afternoon at 5.15pm, 135 minutes after their top of the table game started and eight months into their league campaign, the young Pirates became league champions.
In a similar fashion to the Ireland win in Twickenham 24 hours earlier these young heroes secured a four try bonus point win on the road but, unlike the great Irish senior players, the Pirates came from being three points behind to win the game and league at the death with a grandstand finish.
With the title in the balance between two ferociously competitive teams the referee announced two minutes to go, Lorcan Fallon made a very fast and determined 50-yard metre break to set up Cian McCann on the wing to score in the corner to win the game and this Leinster U20’s league. Ruaidhri Fallon nailed the conversion and Buccs won a dramatic event filled game 24-20.
Earlier in this epic encounter following great play from David Colgan, Lasha Laoshvilli got the game’s first try from a pick and go with Ruadhri Fallon converting putting Buccs 7-0 up at half time. Despite Buccaneers scrum and lineout dominating all day, next to score was Oscar Cauley for Naas with Shane Penrose converting under the posts 7-7.
Then the unstoppable Kieran Egan powered over for the first Buccs try of the second half. Buccs back in front 12-7 until Patrick O’Flaherty touched down with the Naas stars striking back with some fine play from former Newbridge College boys to score under the posts. Naas were building momentum now in the home straight and looked like taking control of the game following a Penrose penalty that pushed them 17-12 ahead.
Scoreboard Retrieval
But even down by five points, inspirational sounds could be heard from the Buccs players’ huddle behind their own post, the mantra was “stick to our plan and we will win, lads” even against a gale force wind and a slope in the second half.
These players never stopped believing in themselves and the young Pirates started building phase after phase with powerful forwards Aaron Burke, Koronata Kiripati, Cian Malone, Joe Henderson, Luke Balsinger, Fionn McDonald, Evan Gallagher and Cameron Brill all gaining yards with strong disruptive runs into the Naas defensive lines.
On the 12th phase of possession the talented opportunist Cian McCann makes it 17-17, getting his first try of the afternoon from a close range surging drive. Buccs were back in the game and a draw would have been enough to secure league glory. But neither team were going to settle for a draw. From the next kick off the referee gave a penalty to Naas and Penrose maintained his 100% record as he slotted it over to great jubilation from the home supporters who now believed 20-17 should be enough to see off the challenge from the Athlone men.
It was a deja vu moment for Buccs under their own posts again in the huddle as captain Tom Shine rallied his troops to give it one final push and stick to the plan with news filtering through from Corinthians to the exhausted U-20’s warriors that the Buccs Women had beaten OLBC and got into a first ever cup final. More morale boosting news was coming from Creggs that the Juniors had created an upset.
The lads left their huddle determined to make it a hat trick of wins on the day for adult Buccaneers teams. The talented Orrin Burgess won the kick-off and gained territory for a ruck to be formed in the centre of the pitch where the excellent Luke Duane fed his halfback partner Fallon who off loaded to the light-footed forward Lorcan Fallon. With power, pace and elegance he started breaking tackle after tackle until he was at top speed racing for the corner with his entire team chasing him in support as the covering Naas full back David O’Sullivan was coming to meet him. He perfectly offloaded to his fellow lock, a sprinting McCann who dived over the try line to score in the corner.
Buccs were back in front and up stood Ruaidhri Fallon with ice cool composure to convert from the touchline to edge Buccs ahead 24-20. Ben Daly dealt with the high ball restart and passed to Mark Glynn, both of whom were comfortable all day dealing with everything the home backline had to offer in attack as the midlanders saw off the challenge of the County Kildare club in a game that was officiated excellently by referee Jason Le Lievre.
Connacht Senior Cup Final on St Patrick’s Day
Buccaneers and Ballina contest the Connacht Senior Cup final at Galway Sportsground on St Patrick’s Day with a 1 pm kick-off time.
This promises to be a keen and even battle for silverware with the Greens seeking a very rare double as they captured the Connacht Senior League crown early in the season. En-route to that triumph they defeated Buccs 26-12 at Dubarry Park last August.
Buccs were well off the pace at that stage of the season and trailed 19-0 at halftime but they could not reel the north-westerners in despite an improved second half showing.
Although the Pirates cannot play their Connacht Academy crew in this fixture, the Athlone squad has improved immeasurably as the season has progressed and will be hopeful that silverware returns to Dubarry Park and momentum maintained prior to the conclusion of the AIL season.
