Dundalk Sharks Under 10s Kick off New Season in Style against Boyne
The all conquering undefeated under 9 side of last season, kicked off their new season as Under 10s in style on Friday under lights at mill road with an excellent hard fought victory over Boyne RFC. Boyne travelled with a well oiled compact unit of 20 players while the Sharks ranks have swelled to 40 plus players with many new players to rugby having joined the team for the new season. The Sharks were split into 2 even teams, the Black Sharks guided by Stuart Jones, John McDonnell and first team player James McConnon and the White Sharks guided by Hugh Pheifer and Paul McEvoy. The first outing of the season was always going to be a balancing act between the seasoned players ready to hit the ground running and the newer players getting their first taste of match rugby against a physically strong and talented Boyne side.
Game 1 for the Black Sharks was a tight affair with brilliant tackling, rucking and competing at the breakdown from the likes of Conal O’Callaghan, Robert Malone, Ronan McDonnell, James O’Connor Sam Malone, Jonny Jones, Luke Clarke and Cillian Murphy but to name a few. Worthy of a mention was a great defensive tackle in the second half from Aaron Murphy, new to rugby and playing in his first game. Some strong performances from newcomers Aaron, Tadhg, Cillian, Peter O’Hanlon, Aaron Murphy and Sean Leonard were also worthy of a mention. The Black Sharks ended up victors in an extremely tight affair, winning 5-4 thanks to tries from Ronan McDonnell, James O’Connor (2) and man of the match Kieran McArdle who capped a fantastic running display with 2 excellent tries.
Game 2 for the Black Sharks was a more routine victory, a 5-2 win coming courtesy of tries from Ronan McDonnell (2), man of the match James O’Connor, Kieran McArdle and Conal O’Callaghan. There were excellent performances from Sam Malone, Robert Malone and all of the newcomers were a credit to their families and coaches for the way they handled themselves on the night.
The White Sharks were equally as impressive winning both their encounters, the first match an 8-6 nail biter and the second a more comfortable 4-1. Both matches were tight and there wasn’t much between the teams, but the sharks prevailed thanks to more solid defending. The early season training was clearly bearing fruit with mighty tackling from the White Sharks with this full commitment combined with powerful determined running from the backs. Every player played their heart out in both matches with try scorers including Eoghan Staunton, Joseph Pheifer, Leo MacRuairi, Fionn Duffy, Aaron McGuinness, Milo Moore, and Aron McEvoy. Trojan tackling by the smallest man on the field Brian McCahill was definitely a highlight as was tireless work from Fiacra O’Gorman, Lorcan Ticehurst, Ciaran Tiernan and Alex Gregory. The newcomers were all again a credit to themselves, but particular mention goes to stunning displays from Liam Dorian and Lorcan Rice who acquitted themselves more akin to seasoned pros and defied their lack of experience showing remarkable promise at this early stage.
All in all it was a fantastic opening night with a clean sweep of wins. There will be tougher challenges ahead, with the team competing against the cream of Dublin rugby this season in the Gold section of the Metro League, but the lads have certainly shown they are up for the challenge.
