January 3rd, 2013 
Rob 
Leinster Division 1a Previews
Dundalk v Garda – 2:30
Home stretch now for Garda in a rought season, the margins were getting bigger before Christmas with Enniscorthy breaking 80 and Wanderers 90 before a 67-6 loss in Newbridge.
No point us putting scoreline predictions on this but Dundalk will have no difficultly getting the bonus. They had been on a decent run until a 32-0 loss at Tullamore on December 8th, their November win away to Wanderers remains a high point but their might be more to come.
Home by 30 +
Newbridge v Enniscorthy – 2:30
From the outset man had these sides as title challengers and while three teams are sandwiched in between them in the table there is very little between these two sides overall.
Newbridge have bounced back with their Hosie Cup win over Christmas and while the Garda win stopped a slide the three defeats in a row are the most relevant details in assessing form before the break.
Yet still they sit second and Enniscorthy are on a poor run. They’ve lost four of six with the Garda win offering little solace. That includes the South East Cup loss to Tullow. They’ll need an upsurge ahead of the All Ireland semi.
This will be close but the Black and Yellow are strong at home.
Home by 7
Caption: Action from earlier meeting this season. Pic: Newbridge RFC
Wanderers v Coolmine - 4:15
Interesting late afternoon clash as Wanderers who many feel will pull clear in second as the season draws to a close host a Coolmine side that have as good as form as any side in this league since the end of October.
The men from Ashbrook have won at Enniscorthy and picked up a bonus point in a home win over Newbridge as well as accounting for the bottom two. Donal Crotty will be pleased that they are finally in the groove but this is a big test of that status.
Home by 2
Cill Dara v Tullamore – 7:00
The early season meeting had an edge too it but Tullamore did what they’ve done to every side who have visited Spollanstown this season, they turned on the power pulled clear in the second half.
It’s hard to see and upset here, had Cill Dara beaten Newbridge in the Hosie Cup their case would have been stronger but while they’ll be a menace, Tullamore are too strong.
This is a very important few weeks for the Champions elect. Last season they build towards a big finale in early February with the All Ireland Cup, this season, if all goes to plan they’ll be playing high intensity rugby for an extra two months until the qualifiers end in April.
That’s got to be managed and games like this test the best laid plans.
Away by 12
The Table
| P | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | D | B | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tullamore | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 318 | 76 | 242 | 7 | 39 |
| 2 | Newbridge | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 223 | 150 | 73 | 4 | 28 |
| 3 | Coolmine | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 228 | 165 | 63 | 6 | 26 |
| 4 | Wanderers | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 279 | 151 | 128 | 5 | 25 |
| 5 | Enniscorthy | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 241 | 169 | 72 | 3 | 25 |
| 6 | Dundalk | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 200 | 180 | 20 | 3 | 23 |
| 7 | Cill Dara | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 139 | 216 | -77 | 3 | 9 |
| 8 | Garda | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 65 | 586 | -521 | 0 | 0 |
Posted in
dundalk home to garda could be a cricket score, the only question here will be will dundalk hit the century?
newbridge to push on again and beat this years underachievers enniscorthy by 15+
coolmine to sneak it by 3 away to wanderers.
tullamore to win by 10 away to cill dara
Dundalk by 70+
Newbridge to win a tight game
Tullamore will hose Cill Dara
Wanderers to win by 15
Dundalk by a lot…
Enniscorthy by 3
Tullamore by 23 (a nice round number!)
Coolmine to pull out a head turning 18 point win!
Dundalk and Tullamore should win well.
I think Newbridge will beat Enniscorthy at home by a small score.
The Wanders Coolmine game could be very interesting – other than Tullamore I recon they are the best sides in the league – Wanders having the home avantage should take this one.
Think coolmine to shade it over wanderers, Dundalk and tullamore both to get wins, Enniscorthy and newbridge… Neither have covered themselves in glory this season, who will take the reins in the left and the whip in the right and kick on in 2013… I always back the outsider..Enniscorthy by 5!
Unaffiliated,
Thats a little harsh. To say Newbridge have flattered to deceive I wouldn’t be writing them off for the Towns Cup, They currently lie 2nd in the league and have just won a Hosie Cup for the first time in well over a decade. I think that constitutes a reasonable season to date does it not?! Either that or your barometer for success is a little unrealistic.
id agree, newbridge will win well tomorrow and will be difficult to beat in the towns cup, they play their best rugby in firm ground so when pitches harden up it will suit them.
Well newbridge have one win more than Enniscorthy and the same number of losses! And yet 3 places seperated them both in the table! A few bonus points go along way in this league! I wouldn’t consider it a fantastic season??
by the time the “pitches harden up” for newbridge the season will be over.
yes they can play well on good ground if their pack could front up, they have made progress but are still light weight wanders away on the plastic pitch will be made for them but again i think they strugle up front not to mind wen they viait tullamore,dry pitch or wet pitch u have to have a platform to play,they are 4th best team behind tul wan and cool,but wit wan and cool not in towns cup and tul minds on round robin they have a chance front up ye little black and yellows.
Lord of the Manor,
You flute! You obviously don’t play for a club that gets to the business end of the cups. Your right! When your season is over the pitches will be soft. That’s the last weekend in Jan! When the cups are being handed out in April the pitches will be firm. At that stage you’ll be playing bog ball for your local GAA club. Best of luck on that front.
Dont play gaa actually. Ye Newbridge lads have an excuse for everything. Pitches are soft, hilly pitch, cold showers, illegal scrummaging. Your running out of excuses now at this stage.
newbridge would be better off doing their talking on the pitch rather than bumblebee blowing smoke up their arses on eggs and rashers. They’d be better off getting their eggs and rashers tomorrow morning because these blow ins wont be physical enough for it. Fancy boots and foreign names just dont cut it when the going gets tough.. COME ON TULLAMORE.
”Blow Ins”? I beg your pardon that is an outlandish statement. We brew some of the finest young aspects in the league and offer an exciting and go forward style of rugby that will be hard bet on any day. When Tullamore snore we shall ROAR.
PS) Every man, woman and child that ever loved Newbridge RFC get down there and roar on our little black and yellow lads. Get on the bus , Gus!
Bridge for glory.
Billbumsucker,
You guys in ‘Tulliers’ know all about blow ins. Last Time I checked at least 7 of your starting XV are either from West Offaly or Buccs. People in Glass houses n all that….
at least they are local half of your starting XV are kiwi imports never mind the ones poached from other clubs, you are no position to talk
A draw result in newbridge? Any feedback from the game?
10-10 newbridge poor and indisciplined up front, bad decision making by enniscorthy cost them the win. Hard to see where all this newbridge hype is coming from
Newbridge 10 10 Enniscorthy…….strange old game. Newbridge dominated the first half but only went in 10-3 up at half time. They should have been at least 20 points up had they taken their chances. In the space of 5 mins in the second half the game changed in the Wexford mens favour with first a yellow card for a no arm tackle and then a red for a spear tackle. scorthy dominated for the next 20 mins but couldn’t convert enough chances to take the lead. Newbridge showed their mettle by camping on the scorthy line for the final five mins but equally scorthy showed theirs by holding out with some impressive defending for a draw that meither team will probably be happy with.
Lack of decision making in the last 3rd cost scorthy the game today, but both teams with chances to win, both outhalves will rue a missed penalty each in the second half! Very good rugby from both teams and scorthy pack had a great game around the field.
That’s the 2nd time this year I’ve seen Newbridge reduced to 13 men in a match and still come away with result. Fair play huge mental strength to do that.
A great game between two of the leagues most exciting and open playing teams. A word must go out to the Enniscorthy fans however, who played a major part in boosting their teams moral with words of encouragement and enthusiasm.
I thought the Newbridge support attempted to silence this by mocking the Enniscorthy players and embarrassed themselves in the mean time. (At times even their subs joined in). Its always a special occasion when these two teams meet in battle and i just hope the fans on both sides assemble in future to rally on their troops in a positive manner as the young Scorthy boys did today.
PS) This is not the time for partisan bickering.
This is not the time for politics as usual.
Some of us are devoted fans.
Some of us are devoted players.
Some of us are knowledgeable enthusiasts.
JOLLY GOOD SHOW.
That’s a major part of playin in Rosetown, seen it on more than a few occasions this season! Whether its an actual tactic, poor sportsmanship or there just ignorant I can’t decided! But iv seen this type of Sh1t in Rosetown before!
Unafilliated.
so you play in Rosetown regularly do you ??, been there on more than a few occasions this season have you ?? – funny then you were not at today’s game ? methinks you are full of S*** and trying to stir more of it – both teams tried hard today to play an open game played in a great contest and spirit throughout. The players had respect for each other unlike the clowns on the touchline from both sets of supporters but mainly 2nd team members from enniscorthy – juvenile BS from idiots who need to grow up.
Absolute nonsense! I’m afraid you are the one embarrassing yourself here my good fellow. You’re way off the mark with your comments and I call on any other fair minded enniscorthy people reading this to rebuff what you’ve said.
Yes there was banter between supporters. There always is and given the recent history between these two excellent sides you would expect it to be a little more heated that usual but at no time did it get nasty in any way… Anyone at the game today will testify to that…
i am from neither newbridge or enniscorthy rugby club but have been at both grounds this year and last year. i would have to say in my experience newbridge support is very vocal but just passionate and nothing malicious or over the top or offensive ever said.
on the other hand the opposite was the case in enniscorthy where a small section of their ‘fans’ and even subs/management have twice directed serious abuse to the away team, fans and officials.
last year a small group of ‘fans’ jeered an injured player as he was helped off in a game i watched. i was disgusted. this kind of stuff should be left to the morons who think this is ok to do in soccer and gaa. thankfully it seems to be a small group of people. you would be far better off sorting out your own problems my man before throwing stones at the good folk of newbridge.
Havnt played rugby for many years gentlemen! Time waits for no man! I support as many junior games as possible, this seemed quiet apparent today as it has done on many occasions in newbridge! It’s something I would hate to see infiltrate our great game!
I suggest you read my post again as at no point did i say it
was nasty – I said it was juvenile BS from both sets of supporters but mainly 2nd team members from Scorty – and that is an opinion only and obviously not a fact which is what this site is about i think i.e. expressing an opinion!
Chill out man… My post was directed at “Rugby Player”
Cill Dara 20 Tullamore Fat Club 14
Ba ha ha ha. Good one there fa fa!
what happened tullamore?
can any team catch them, looks possible.
hosie cup champions newbridge must fancy their chances ive read on here that they play the most exciting rugby ever seen
Some kick in the stones for Tullamore
Hey Big Ben…. tullamore forgot to bring there hose with them…..
Yeah fuck a duck that was some shock result. Didn’t see that one coming….who did …ha! Were you at the game? What was the story?
Penalty try in the 83 min for Cill Dara after a dour struggle…
Anyone in Beechpark tonight? Fair play to the Cill Dara lads… That’s some turnaround… We’ll have in tough in Rosetown next sat after that win. Well done lads…
And by the way “kick in the stones”…ye got a nice one todat!!
Well done cill dara, improving all the time!
Wel done chill dara, pity all the rest of the teams are beaten one another,handing it tullamore on a plate just when there closing the fuck up. Five points for them next week god knows what will happen in the other matches ,
great win for cill dara! it was a very scrappy game, on balance i thought cill dara deserved it as they never gave up and just ground it out, they had the better of it up front for much of it and took their points, tho to be fair tullamore had to play over 60 minutes with 14 men, then missed 3 or 4 kickable penalties too.
overall this win is huge for cill dara, it will give them a huge lift for the towns cup
The Tullamore game was quite physical with Cill Dara’s back-row in particular quite effective at closing Adrian Hanley and Tullamore’s other ball carriers down. The game was scrappy but I thought that was more due to the physical element than anything else. It would probably be easy to say that with Cill Dara nullifying Tullamore’s plan A they didn’t have a plan B but with the red card for an act of petulance rather than any real menace Tullamore couldn’t risk an expansive game as Cill Dara would have always had the numbers. With a game like last night there will always be plenty of hypotheticals, what if Tullamore had a full 15 for all the game but what if Cill Dara had a functional line-out particular in the opposition 22 and Cill Dara also lost their 10 who was having a fine game 5 minutes into the 2nd half. Bottom line it was only 1 game out of the 14 that determine the league, Tullamore have shown more than enough in the other games and the champions elect should close the league out and I reckon two more wins will do it for them. And just as one defeat won’t break Tullamore’s season one win won’t make Cill Dara’s. Still Cill Dara could be a serious dark horse for the Towns Cup.
Who has been taking notice of this ever improving Wanderers outfit? It sounds like they completely put away a coolmine outfit who rated themselves. They’ll be seriously hard to beat from here on in!
They go unbeaten from here on in if they get up this weekend.
Coming to enniscorthy this weekend will be a completely different challenge for them, potential for a great game
wanderers will wipe the floor with enniscorthy this weekend