Towns Cup

[Flanders]

Navan v Tullow Towns cup final , David v Goliath clash. It would be a massive result should Tullow win given Navan's experience and form at the moment after the Junior Cup win last week. Game kicks off at 3.30pm in Tullamore rfc

[Dave Cahill]

Should be a good one alright

[silly punt]

I hope I'm wrong, but I think it will be Navan by 20 points. Tullow will be praying for bad weather conditions to turn it into a battle of attrition, then they will have a chance.

[jaybyrne]

who won????

[Dave Cahill]

who won????

its on tomorrow

[jimmy the bone]

If Tullow win today they will become legends in Tullow for all time. Its a huge carrot I think they have a real chance as they will want it more. Just ask Cill Dara. It would be great for the cup if they could do it

[groundhog]

If Tullow win today they will become legends in Tullow for all time. Its a huge carrot I think they have a real chance as they will want it more.

That sums up your rugby knowledge Jimmy.

Tullow were a shambles, 8-0 after 5 mins and they didn't get into Navan's 22 once in the 1st half. Even though Navan won 30 - 13 they didn't even play well. Karl Manning had a good game at full but again it was their foreign contingent that made all the difference, Harris dominated the line-outs, Roberts had a fine game at 10 and Iro carried very very well.

[Dave Cahill]

From D'Indo

NAVAN, with a magical display in the first half of this clash at Tullamore, particularly by a very talented back division, which yielded four great tries, won the title for the 10th time in their history. They were the holders and can now display two trophies having won the All Ireland Junior Cup last week.

Tullow actually won the second half, a heartening performance of sheer bravery that yielded two tries and kept Navan so much at bay that all they added -- even with the advantage of that cutting east wind -- was a single penalty goal kicked by their highly talented New Zealand outhalf, Ryan Roberts, from a few metres inside his own half.

Roberts opened proceedings with an early penalty, then supplied a clever chip which forced Tullow to concede a five-yard scrum which gave scrumhalf Mattson his chance to nip in for a try which Roberts didn't convert.

Then more good Navan backplay and their number eight, Sylvanus Iro, rounded off affairs for try number two which Roberts converted.

The third try was scored by centre Ronan Conaty after Navan had stolen a Tullow line out. Just before halftime came more skilled Navan passing after which fullback Karl Manning managed the fourth.

A bemused Tullow could only manage a solitary penalty goal by outhalf Willie Canavan, and the halftime score of 27-3 seemed to augur a torrid second half for Tullow.

But whatever the team talk at the interval suggested, it was a much more determined Tullow in the second period. Suddenly Navan found the going much tougher. A revitalised Tullow took the game to Navan and even if the Carlow side lacked the guile to take on their rivals in the running game, they began to tackle like demons and with such forwards Ivan Glynn, until injured, Roan Burger, John Roche and backs Canavan, Paddy Byrne and Paul O'Sullivan, they had Navan back on their heels. No longer were the gaps emerging in the Tullow midfield.

Midway through the second half the entire Tullow team, minus just two backs, produced an unstoppable maul on the Navan line and Donal Cashin, who had come on as replacement, scored a try. It was a somewhat similar assault that yielded Tullow's second try in the last seconds of the match, scored by number eight John Fitgerald. A surprised and somewhat bemused Navan only managed that single Roberts penalty in the second half.

Navan -- K Manning; D Geraghty, R Conaty, S Donnelly, S Hogan; R Roberts, K Mattson; E King, C Brady, D King, B Harris, P Fenney, S Dawson, B Smyth, S Iro.

Tullow -- D Vance; P Fitzgerald, P Byrne, P 0'Sullivan, W 0'Brien; W Canavan, W Deacon; I Glynn, J 0'Connor, A Burns, R Bolger, F Murphy, J Kearney, J Roche, J Fitzgerald.

REF -- B 0'Keeffe.

- Sean Diffley

[the spoofer]

If Tullow win today they will become legends in Tullow for all time. Its a huge carrot I think they have a real chance as they will want it more.

That sums up your rugby knowledge Jimmy.

Tullow were a shambles, 8-0 after 5 mins and they didn't get into Navan's 22 once in the 1st half. Even though Navan won 30 - 13 they didn't even play well. Karl Manning had a good game at full but again it was their foreign contingent that made all the difference, Harris dominated the line-outs, Roberts had a fine game at 10 and Iro carried very very well.

Where do Navan get the moolah to pay the "mercenaries"?

[groundhog]

Allegedly Navan have a budget of 250K a year, they would have a strong business support in Navan Town and historically are one of the biggest Junior clubs in Ireland. Their player/coach Brad Harris is full-time and as an Aussie is their overseas player, Roberts and Mattson, two Kiwi's have Irish passports and Iro is a contonou player. The rest of their squad is home-grown though.