The U8 squad made their way to Ashbourne on Sunday morning to participate in a blitz with the

hosts , Athboy and Balbriggan. It was a beautiful morning and the perfect conditions for running
rugby suited the Dundalk lads to a tee. The squad was divided into two teams of nine and each team
played three matches.

Dundalk A opened proceedings with a joust against Ashbourne. The lads were quickly in their stride
and some great scores from Shane Smyth and Tom McCourt laid the foundations for a routine
victory. Up next was Balbriggan and they provided a sterner test for the boys. The pitch was smaller
than the other ones and this did not suit the free flowing style of Dundalk. But some power running
from Max Valentine and Oisin Nash , allayed with some crunching tackles from Enda Dooley and
Ewan Kelly helped secure a draw for Dundalk. The final match was against the second Ashbourne
side and the boys certainly kept the best until last running out easy victors. Ashbourne could not
cope with the strong running from David Coyle and Michael Carroll and with the last play of the
game DD Reilly capped a fine individual performance with a wonderful try which brought generous
applause from both sets of supporters.

Dundalk A: Max Valentine, Tom McCourt, Oisin Nash, David Coyle, DD Reilly, Shane Smyth, Michael
Carroll, Ewan Kelly, Enda Dooley.

Dundalk B burst into life straight from the start in their first match against Balbriggan. David Crilly
and Daire Thomas converted this momentum into some well worked scores as the boys ran out
easy winners. Next up were Ashbourne, but again this team were no match for the work ethic of the
Dundalk team. Luke O Connell and Rory Wallace led the way with some great foraging runs while
Tom Cunniffe and Ciaran Leyden finished the scores with aplomb. Dundalk’s final game was against
Athboy and this proved to be a closer affair. The game was level going into the last minute but then
a fantastic tackle and turnover from Eoin Purton gave Dundalk possession. Donal Lavery gathered
the loose ball and surged forward and supplied a perfectly timed pass to Adam McCoy who burst
through three ‘would be’ tacklers to score the winning try.

Dundalk B: Eoin Purton, Rory Wallace, Adam McCoy, Ciaran Leyden, Tom Cunniffe, Daire Thomas,
David Crilly, Donal Lavery, Luke O Connell.