West Offaly Lions News

West Offaly Lions Host first ever touring team Rockfort R.F.C. Buffalo N.Y.

WOL Seniors finished their season with a game against Lockport RFC from Buffalo New York on Sunday. A new Lions team took to their task with zeal against their physically superior opponents. George Moony opened
the scoring but slack tackling by the Wol midfield allowed the American centre in for an equalising score. Wol started their continuity game to which the visitors had no answer. A second half revival ensured a better contest after the break but the result was not important as both teams took leave to express themselves on this fine easter afternoon.

Players and members of the West Offaly Lions R.F.C. and the Lockfort R.F.C. after there game.

Padraig Flaherty organised a Blitz to finish off the u.14 season last saturday in Ferbane. All teams had an enjoyable day and  at the end of a long day Buccaneers were presented with the cup by Marion Gilligan Secretary of West Offaly Lions. Hopefully this will become an annual event on the calender and many thanks to the Flaherty family for providing the soup and sandwiches for both the players  and mentors.
MINIS The mini season concludes with the annual fun day at 11.30 next sunday in the school field. Peter Auret and Charlie Couper have organised a better than ever event which has proved so enjoyable in the past. Parents be ready to pit your wits against the u12s in a tag game. So all adult u14 mini players and parents are welcome.
Congratulations to Callum Boland who has starred in Irelands games in the FIRA u18 championships in France and to all those who have contributed to his being there

The west offaly lions u 14 team continued there development in this there first year together with a match against buccaneers.The match was played in the excellent facilities of Dubarry Park, Athlone on a cold saturday morning both teams contribuited well to a good overall game and although the lions won there is still a lot of work to be done on the training field. Michael Butler, Gerry Lyons and John Mannion had fine games in what was a good team effort

The month so far has seen some good and not so good displays from the lions on October the 5^th the lions played host to two teams, it was a momentous occasion as on this weekend the lions produced two senior teams the j2 teams who had a very exciting and hard contest against Ballinasloe and the j1 team had a tough had battle against a very well organised Buccaneer's u20 side, although both teams were on the end of defeats it was not going to take away from the occasion that was for a club that is very new to rugby and only in its second season in senior rugby producing two senior teams both of whom acquitted themselves very well against the two teams, who have had a lot more match practice than either lions team. There were some excellent displays from both team with Rogger and Jeffery putting in fine displays on both wings and Paddy Marshall at out half for the j2's and Ronnie, Quinny and Steve Rourke to name a few from the j1 team.

October the 12^th saw the visit of the Westport Bulls to the home of the Lions for a tough hard battle. Both side had met last season in j2 and if last season's matches were anything to go by this one was going to live up to expectation with the two teams going at each other from the off the Lions were to cross the line first with a Donall Corbett kick through which he touched down himself but the try was not given, this did not stop the lions from trying to penetrate the Westport defence with Tom Gilligan making some excellent line breaks and offloads and his hard work was duly rewarded with a sublime try in the closing stages of the first half, the second half started as the first had finished with huge intensity and work rate from 1 - 15 and it was Aidan Keenaghan who struck next with a great try on the wing and minutes later Anthony Quinn touched down after some hard dogged work from the forwards Jason Kelly converted and an earlier Matt Boland penalty left the score line 22 - 0. It was an excellent team display from everyone, from Frankie Kenna and Julian Walsh and Ciaran Coughlan in the forwards to Tom Gilligan, Ritchie Clancy and Aidan Keenaghan in the backline, no man gave a yard and it's a good reward to the hard work been put in by Charlie, Peter, Seamus and all those involved in the training sessions which are continuing every Tuesday and Friday night in the school pitch at half seven.

The j2 team travelled away to Galway to play OLBC and the team were severly hit by injuries, the went down bad to the OLBC team loosing 53- 0 it was a poor display considering the early preformance against Balinasloe which was overall a very good show by the lions, much work is needed if they are to compete at this level and extra numbers are needed at the training sessions, hopefully once injuries clear up and others return the j2 team will start to preform like they know they can, its give something to work on in training and the only way is up.

West Offaly Lions got their season off with a tough gruelling match against the Leinster j1 side Athy. Despite being without several of last seasons regulars the Lions acquitted themselves well in the warm humid conditions. Such was the appetite to do well by both side's that every ruck, maul and break was contested full blooded and whole hearted. Both side's fought hard to gain the yards and find the breaks, and although the pre-season has been going well for the lions the four previous matches which Athy had under their belts really stood out as they seemed just that little bit sharper match wise, but it give the lions something to think about for training Tuesday night. Newcomers Roger Quinn, Cathal Scott, Julian Walshe and Stephen Rourke made fine contributions. Next week we will travel to Gort for a league game at 3pm on Sunday. It's the first league match of the season and we hope to make it a good one with a win to start the season off.

Also best wishes to Ian bracken for a speedy recovery from injury.

Congratulations to all those involved in Tag Rugby in aid of cancer on a well organised and successful day.

U.14 training starts on Saturday at 11.30 in the nun's field and Padraig Flaherty and his helpers Collie Malone and George Mooney welcome all new members.