Roots & All is a project where we pick a few teams that don’t normally make the spotlight week in week out and feature them regularly throughout an entire campaign.
Blog no 2 and we are into week 3 of the season and the Naas first team have been very busy and productive. They have played 3 matches in the Leinster Senior League Shield Section A and won all 3 with a 4 try bonus point in each. I reported on the win against Old Wesley in my last piece but since then they went away to Seapoint RFC and registered a 29-23 win in Killiney in what could only be described as a cracking game.
Then last weekend we had our first glimpse of the team on home turf, coinciding with the opening of the refurbished members bar in the clubhouse. Question before the game was could they continue the away form at home against the only other Senior Kildare side “The Local Derby” and the team we will meet in a few weeks time in the opening Ulster Bank League match NUIMBarnhall
Well the boys didn’t take long to answer because on the 5 minute mark Daragh O'Shea score a cracking try after receiving a clever inside pass from Rob Campbell just inside the right touchline following an attacking move which originated on halfway involving Sam Sutton, Peter Osborne and Henry Bryce. And it didn’t stop there as they touchdown for another 2 trys before half time. Both side were up for this game and provide a very entertaining game for the good crowd whom the sunshine brought out.
The second half was as entertaining with 2 tries form Barnhall and both team exchanging kicks and it look like at one stage that Naas were going to let a good Barnhall team back into the game but them Jonny Delany put in an 80m run to touch down under the posts to put the result to bed. Final score Naas 34 Barnhall 17 and maximum points form the first 3 games of the season probably the best start to a season Naas have had for a long long time. Lets hope they can continue the winning streak and make this 90th year a real celebration
Also play in the sunshine that day were the J1’s u17’s u19’s and the u21’s what a festival of rugby.
Minis and youths are moving along nicely and the numbers of registrations are high again this year with 60+ at U12’s and all the other age groups recording 50+ players and we’re only in early September. The enthusiasm is definitely there from the kids so all we have to do as coaches is fuel it with the skills!!
So this weekend I, along with 7 other coaches, are throwing ourselves at the mercy of the Leinster branch’s foundation course to try and improve our coaching skills. All going well I’ll have a bit to say about it in my next instalment in two weeks time.
I couldn’t finish this weeks ramblings without mentioning one of Naas Rugby Clubs famous sons, Geordan Murphy who launches his autobiography The Outsider this week. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on it after hearing the interviews today and the “Experts Analyst's” comment on the insights of a professional rugby player career. Should be good!! For the record I'm with Thornley on this one.
Till next time happy rugby
Naas RFC will be back with their next update in two weeks.
