Newbridge RFC bring trophy to Kildare with first ever Plate win

Newbridge RFC - 22

Clondalkin RFC - 17

In a thrilling repeat of the 2019 Towns Plate final, Newbridge RFC claimed a historic 22–17 victory over Clondalkin RFC in Rosetown.

It was a fiercely contested match between two in-form sides, Clondalkin had topped Leinster League Division 2A, while Newbridge were champions of Division 2B.

A coin toss granted Newbridge home advantage, an edge they made count to secure their first Towns Plate win since the club's formation in 1996.

Despite Clondalkin entering the game as firm favourites, they were met with dogged resistance by the Kildare outfit. The visitors dominated early possession, and their imposing pack applied significant pressure on the smaller Newbridge side.

Centre Pulusiatina Toeoaana was off target with an early penalty but made no mistake with his second attempt to give Clondalkin a 3–0 lead.

Newbridge spent much of the opening half on the back foot, but their defensive intensity, led by the outstanding back row trio of Max McLoughlin, Mark Bennett, and captain Dinny Clarke, kept them in the game. At the half-hour mark, a turning point came. A clearance kick from player-coach Robbie Waters bounced favourably for Zack Meehan, who collected the ball near half-way and danced through the Clondalkin defence to score under the posts. Darragh Whyte slotted the conversion to give Newbridge a 7–3 lead.

Buoyed by the score, Newbridge grew into the game. Powerful carries from Dave Morgan and Cameron English opened space out wide, allowing winger Gavin Houlihan to finish in the corner. Whyte's conversion was just wide, but Newbridge entered hal-ftime with a deserved 12–3 lead.

Clondalkin started the second half with renewed energy, capitalising on Newbridge's mistakes to earn a 5-metre scrum. Number 8 Simon King powered over from the base, and Toeoaana added the extras to cut the deficit to 12–10.

Moments later, Toeoaana finished a strong midfield carry to put Clondalkin back in front, 17–12, with momentum swinging their way firmly.

But Newbridge were not finished. In a pivotal moment, Clondalkin’s Mickey Russell attempted a chip over the top near halfway, only for full-back Darragh Whyte to snatch the ball and launch a brilliant solo run. Evading multiple tacklers and stepping the last man, he touched down for a stunning try and converted his effort to restore Newbridge’s lead at 19–17.

Whyte added a penalty with 10 minutes remaining to make it 22–17. One final long-range penalty attempt from Whyte narrowly missed, but it proved inconsequential as Newbridge held out for the final whistle, sparking jubilant celebrations.

This victory marks a milestone moment for Newbridge RFC, capping off a remarkable season and securing their first-ever Towns Plate title.

It’s a win built on resilience, unity, and belief and could be the beginning of something special for the club and the squad.

NEWBRIDGE: 1 Dave Morgan 2. Adam Bingham 3. Brendan Commane 4. Cameron English 5. Jack Moore 6. Max McLoughlin 7. Denis Clarke 8. Mark Bennett 9. Fergal Doyle 10. Donal Cashman 11. Zack Meehan 12. Robbie Waters 13. Stephen Cooke 14. Gavin Houlihan 15. Darragh Whyte 16. Cillian Beirne 17. Stephen McElligot 18. Chris Leech 19. Riain Murphy 20. Kevin Commane.

CLONDALKIN: 1 Thomas Duffy 2. Brian Doyle 3. Darren Madden 4. Cillin Walsh 5. Lemeki Vaipulu 6. Neil Finley 7. Eoin Delaney 8. Simon King 9. Conor Loughrey 10. Michael Russell 11. Karl Jebb 12. Darren Madden 13. Pulusiatina Toeoaana 14. Thomas Carter Jnr 15. Cathal Downey 16. Josh Domican 17. Tom McGrath 19. Daniel Steed 20. Liam Redmond.

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