Hard-fought Hosie Cup final sees Newbridge edge out Cill Dara
The Newbridge team with the Hosie Cup Photo: Martin Rowe
Newbridge are the 2025 North Midlands Hosie Cup champions after an epic battle with Cill Dara on Sunday afternoon in Silken Thomas Park.
Newbridge led by three after a physically gruelling first half. Cill Dara cut the gap to a single in the second half, but Newbridge were that bit too strong, winning in the end by eight points. The game brought the curtain down on a magnificent festival of rugby, hosted excellently by Cill Dara, with four cup competitions decided on the day.
The Hosie Cup began with Cill Dara beating North Kildare in the quarter-finals and Portlaoise in the semis to book their place in the final alongside Newbridge, who came in at the expense of Naas and Clondalkin.
The final burst into life in the fifth minute when an unbelievable charge down the right channel from centre Riain Murphy released winger Gav Houlihan who touched down in the corner.
It was end-to-end throughout, with some ferocious carries from Cill Dara, particularly from Thomas Cleary and Adam Meehan, while Newbridge's kicking kept them looking dangerous on the counter attack. Newbridge produced some big carries of their own, with plenty of bone-crunching collisions dished out by both sets of players.
The game continued to ebb and flow, but it was Newbridge who scored next, finally making their pressure count after half an hour when Donal Cashman slotted a penalty to make it 8-0.
Houlihan twice went close to scoring his and Newbridge's second try, but Cill Dara showed plenty of grit to keep him out.
The home side needed a score before the break and camped in the Newbridge 22 in the closing stages before finally breaking their duck with the final play of the half when centre James O'Loughlin crossed the whitewash for a try after a great carry from Stephen Walsh. Moore's conversion came back of the post to leave Cill Dara behind 8-5 at half time.
Houlihan thought he had finished off a five-star try at the start of the second as Newbridge went coast to coast, only to be denied the score when referee Ian Thompson called a forward pass in the buildup.
The contest at the scrum was enthralling, following the back-and-forth nature of the game as a whole. Likewise, there was little to choose between the sides' respective kicking game, but where there did seem to be a point of difference was in the lineout, where Newbridge were beginning to get on top.
And it was a lineout in the 52nd minute that led to Newbridge scoring their second try, going coast to coast again before Zack Meehan crashed over in the corner to give his side an eight-point cushion.
Cill Dara were relentless in their response, knocking on the door time and again until Stephen Walsh powered over for a try midway through the second half. Moore added the extras to make it 13-12 heading into the final quarter.
But Newbridge produced a try of sublime skill not long after, showcasing some wonderful soft hands right throughout the team before releasing Houlihan who ran in under the posts for his second second try. Cashman added the extras to put Newbridge eight points ahead with 12 minutes remaining.
A superb carry from Chris Cousins, complete with two silky side-steps, led to a long-range penalty for the home side, with Moore on target to make it a five-point game heading into the final five minutes.
But Newbridge did a brilliant job of running down the clock and ended the game with a penalty from Cashman to win the Hosie Cup. The result was part of a tremendous double for the Rosetown club, with the Newbridge U18s beating Portlaoise in the curtain-raiser.
Bryn Moore (1 pen, 1 con); Thomas Dunne, James O'Loughlin (1 try), Daire Kemp, Adam Meehan; William Doran, Philip Kenny; Conor McCormack, Oisin Carroll, DJ Brannock; Billy O'Shea, Stephen Walsh (1 try); Christopher Walsh, Ross Dooley, Thomas Cleary.
Aaron Kane, Robin Dempsey, Sinon Cahill, Ryan Hogg, Chris Cousins, Tadgh Doyle, Senan Brannock.
Darragh Whyte; Gav Houlihan (2 tries), Riain Murphy, John O’Brien, Stephen Cooke; Donal Cashman (2 pens, 1 con), Fergal Doyle; Dave Morgan, William Jennings, Bren Comanne; Steve McElligot, Cameron English; Mark Bennett, Denis Clarke, Shane Treacy.
Adam Bingham, Michael Ugochukwu, Jack Moore, Max McLaughlin, Chris Leech, Robbie Waters, Shane O'Loughlin, Zack Meehan (1 try).
Ian Thompson
