Battling Bruff on the boil as Queens stewed

IT’S a very social club, is Bruff RFC, and that was much in evidence at last Saturday’s vital AIL division 3 match against promotion rivals Queens University, from Belfast.

The kitchen was hopping as the Ladies Committee prepared the lunch, busy again in the afternoon with a couple of massive pots hopping on the stove: “A stew for the teams after the thirds game this evening,” said Marian O’Rourke, mother of first-team number eight Martin, “Every team that comes to Bruff gets fed, no matter what age.”

Bruff are unbeaten in division 3 this season and remain firmly on course for promotion.

It’s been some climb through the ranks, some journey, but it hasn’t happened by accident. From humble if enthusiastic beginnings, Bruff RFC soon established itself as a force to be reckoned with. Off the pitch, they had a stroke of good fortune, when their first chairman, Colonel O’Grady, ex-British Army, sold them a field for £500; he sold them the other field later on for £1,000, a huge help.

That largesse by Colonel O’Grady has now been parlayed into three pitches (one fully floodlit) and a modern pavilion; Kilballyowen Park.

On the pitch also there was rapid progress. Alongside the greenhorns were several experienced rugby players, local lads who had learned the game while boarding in St Munchin’s, a renowned Limerick city rugby nursery.

One such was Mickey Cahill, and he helped Bruff establish itself as one of the premier junior clubs in Limerick and thus — by natural extension — in Munster.

It wasn’t just as a player, however, that Mickey made his impact. Club PRO David O’Keeffe says: “The AIL is there since 1990, 18 years; around that time we decided to take underage by the scruff of the neck and a number of wonderful people were centrally involved.

“Seoirse Clancy was one of those, Michael Cahill was another — I’d say virtually every player here today was coached by Mickey up along, at several stages.

“Under these lads we won three All-Ireland Community Games in rugby, won two All-Ireland U16 titles, added an U20 crown in 2001.”

To that too was added an All-Ireland junior crown, and promotion to senior ranks.

And so we come to season 2007-8, and last Saturday’s game. An entirely home-grown team (Ger Luby the only ‘foreigner’, from Kilfeacle, but he did play U20 with Bruff), inspired by three sons of Mickey Cahill — Tony, Brian and Owen, at scrum-half, out-half and inside-centre — and powered by a magnificent scrum, Bruff simply blew Queens off the park.

From first touch to last the home side were on top, suffocated the visitors with their outstanding defence. At half-time they led 7-0, courtesy of try by out-half Brian Cahill, which he converted himself; it should have been more.

Hooker and captain Cathal O’Regan was inspirational, props David Horan and Gearóid Ryan destroyed their opponents, second-rows Diarmuid Murnane and Alan Bourke provided the muscle in the engine-room, while the backrow of Luby, John Stephen Shine and Martin O’Rourke wiped the floor with the game Queens trio.

John Malone combined well with the Cahill brothers in the centre while the back three of Paul O’Brien, Finbarr ‘Istabraq’ Hogan and full-back Brendan Deady offers a three-pronged threat. This team is going places, this club is going places.

BRUFF: B. Deady; P. O’Brien, J. Malone, O. Cahill, F. Hogan; B. Cahill (1T 1C), T. Cahill (2P); M. O’Rourke, J.S. Shine, G. Luby; A. Bourke, D. Murnane (IT); G. Ryan, C. O’Regan (c), D. Horan.

Replacements: S. Foster (Horan 66); A. Goodman (Murnane 76); J. Hogan (O’Regan 80+1); D. Gardiner (O’Rourke 80+2); G. Leonard (O. Cahill 80+2). Blood sub – Leonard (B. Cahill 39/48).

QUB: D. McIlwaine; M. Barker, M. Arneill, I. Whitter (c), C. Cochrane; M. Pyper, I. Porter; S. Shannon, M. Robinson, G. Hooks; A. Lilton, P. McGann; P. Karayiannis, P. Jackson, M. Ferguson. Replacements: M. Fyffe (Cochrane 53); G. Megaw (Jackson 66); S. Downey (Hooks 66).

Referee: A. Rogan (Leinster).