Bruff chase All-Ireland double
THESE are heady days for Bruff rugby club.
A season that started off with a sensational first ever Limerick Charity Cup success that included victories over recently promoted to division one Young Munster in the semi-final and highly fancied UL Bohemians in the final, now looks like going out on a blaze of glory.
The clinching of promotion was a momentous landmark for the club three weeks ago, spectacular in the manner in which it was achieved with fourteen wins and one draw from fifteen outings. The only side to put any brakes on the South Limerick rugby express were Ards when they forced a 10-all draw.
This weekend, Bruff go in search of All-Ireland glory on two fronts. The senior side entertain Banbridge at Kilballyowen on Saturday in the semi-final of the All-Ireland League Division Three while on the same day the U18 side travel to tackle Wicklow in the All-Ireland U18 League final.
The senior side, who are holders of the All-Ireland League Division Three following their success over Wanderers in the final at Templeville Road, Dublin last May, will be keen to see out the season unbeaten.
Coincidentally, the sides met in the last round of the League section with Bruff winning comfortably at the County Down venue. While they won the title last year, the Limerickmen had narrowly missed out on promotion and winning the title was just a consolation prize. However this year with the number one goal of promotion already achieved, they will face these play offs high in confidence and will fancy their chances against the Northern visitors.
The prize for the winners, is a place in the final against the winners of the Instonians/Queens University semi-final.
The U18 side have gone through the season unbeaten, the 2007 winners Waterpark provided the opposition in the Munster final, Bruff having comfortably beaten West Munster representatives Killorglin in the semi-final. After a titanic struggle at Clonmel, the Limerick side got the verdict over their Waterford counterparts 3 – 0, the game's only score coming from a Barry Enright penalty.
Wicklow are something of an unknown rugby entity, but they won the All-Ireland U16 title in 2007 and are likely to include the nucleus of that side on Saturday. Bruff shared the All-Ireland U18 League title with Corinthians in 1997/98 following a very exciting 3-all draw at Lansdowne Road.
While the seniors and U18s were seeking success at national level, the club's Junior 2 team chalked up another success nearer to home when defeating Old Crescent in the McInerney Cup final at Kilballyowen Park on last Friday evening.
A big crowd turned out on a lovely evening for football under the newly installed club floodlighting. Des Power and Trevor Casey guided their side to an impressive 20-13 success over the city side with tries from Michael McCarthy, Danny Slavin and John Paul Herlihy. Dave Clarke added one conversion and a penalty.
Bruff lined out: Derek Dowling, John Paul Herlihy, Eoghan O'Shea Timo Shinnors, John O'Sullivan, Dave Clarke, Danny Slavin, Michel Whelan , Bob Kiely, John Dunworth, John Paul Moloney, Joe Power, Darren Sheehan (capt), Philip Hogan and Michael McCarthy. Subs Used Paraic Fogarty, James Ryan Ronan Deady Seamus Sheehan and Joe Guiney.
It was a richly deserved success for a side that unluckily lost the Gleeson League semi-final to Garryowen and the Webb Cup semi-final to Kilrush.
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Weather for Limerick
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
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