Tallaght girls turn on the style to see off Tullamore in league

TALLAGHT’S women’s rugby team played their first home game of the season against Tullamore in Division Four of the Women’s league and emerged 73 to 15 winners.

Because Tullamore were short of players, the game was played with ten a side but it didn’t take Tallaght long to score.

Aisling Pyke held her width and Grainne Flood got the ball out to her to streak away for the opening try of the match after two minutes.

Tallaght had barely stopped celebrating before they were scoring again.

Straight from the restart centre Nicole Fanning broke away for a try and Grainne Flood kicked the conversion to give Tallaght a 12-0 lead.

Tallaght’s discipline wasn’t great though and some needless penalties let Tullamore back into the game.

They kept the ball through multiple phases and got over for a try to make the score 12-5.

It didn’t take long for Tallaght to respond though with Aisling Pyke bursting through to score her second try of the match.

And once again Tallaght had two tries in two minutes as skipper Eileen Shanahan broke away to score under the posts.

Grainne Flood converted both to make the score 26-5 to Tallaght.

Credit to Tullamore, their heads didn’t drop.

They hung onto the ball well and their exciting winger broke away for two fine tries to reduce the deficit to 26-15 and briefly threaten to make the game a contest.

However Sorcha Burns soothed any Tallaght nerves by breaking away and riding a despairing tackle to score a try in the corner.

This made the half-time score 31- 15 to Tallaght. In the second half Tullamore began to tire and skipper Eileen Shanahan broke away for her second try of the match.

With Flood off the field, Louise Leonard took over the kicking to make it 38-15.

Shanahan could have had a hat-trick shortly afterwards after breaking clear again.

But she unselfishly tried to pass to a supporting runner and the ball went to ground.

It didn’t matter though as instead Aisling Pyke completed her hat-trick of tries shortly afterwards.

Pyke then scored her fourth try of the match to make it seven tries in the first two games of the season.

Ellen Crotty scored a typical breakaway try and then Abbie Keeley got in for her first try of the season.

The last word was left to Grainne Flood who scored and converted the final try of the match for a 21 point haul making the final score 73-15 to Tallaght.

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