Kilkenny ease past neighbours Enniscorthy in Towns Cup clash

On a cold but bright Sunday afternoon in Foulkstown, a large Kilkenny crowd gathered to witness the opening round of the Provincial Towns Cup as Kilkenny RFC took on old rivals Enniscorthy RFC.

The occasion was made even more special by a prematch meal hosted by the club which was attended by members of the victorious 2001 and 1986 Towns Cup teams - a powerful reminder of the proud history behind the competition.

It was the Noresiders who struck first and set the tone early.

Out-half Aiden McDonald produced a superb solo effort to score the opening try after a confident start at No 10. Scrum- half Simao Costa was unable to add the conversion, leaving Kilkenny 5–0 ahead.

Kilkenny’s set-piece proved a major strength once again, with the lineout operating like a well-oiled machine under the guidance of Wes Carter and Donal Kealy.

The opening 15 minutes saw both sides attempting to use the stiff breeze to their advantage, with tactical kicking dominating the battle for territory.

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Sustained Kilkenny pressure soon paid off. A slick backline move, finished by a perfectly timed offload from Podge Mahon, allowed full-back Conor Walsh to touch down for Kilkenny’s second try.

Costa was again off target from the tee, but the momentum remained firmly with the home side.

Despite Enniscorthy’s strong pedigree in the competition, they struggled to gain a foothold in the first half as Kilkenny dominated possession and territory.

The pressure told just before the break when Podge Mahon powered over for a well-worked try, sending Kilkenny into half- time with a commanding 15–0 lead.

While pleased with the performance, the Kilkenny management remained cautious at the interval, fully aware of Enniscorthy’s ability to mount rapid comebacks.

Captain Garry Dunne echoed that message at the break, urging his side to maintain intensity and discipline.

The opening stages of the second half saw Enniscorthy enjoy a brief spell of pressure, forcing a scrum penalty and capitalising on a few Kilkenny handling errors.

However, any hopes of a revival were soon extinguished when Aaron Askins crossed for Kilkenny’s fourth try.

The conversion drifted wide, but Kilkenny remained firmly in control.

Moments later, McDonald capped a fine individual display by grabbing his second try of the afternoon — Kilkenny’s fifth overall.
This time, Askins made no mistake from a difficult angle near the touchline to seal a deserved 27–7 victory.

Kilkenny showed impressive resilience, structure, and attacking flair throughout, delivering a performance that will give them great confidence heading into their crucial league clash away to DLSP on February 7th as they look to move up the table and away from any relegation worries.

Attention then turns back to the Towns Cup, where the second-round draw has paired Kilkenny once more with familiar foes Tullow RFC, with the tie set to take place in Black Gates on March 8.

Kilkenny - Brian Howe, Donal Kealy, Josh Evans, Wesley Carter, Jonathan Young, Jason Connolly, Harry Prineas, Garry Dunne, Simao Costa Pereira, Aiden McDonald, Thomas Murphy, Mark Coughlan, Padraig Mahon, Aaron Askins, Conor Walsh.

Replacements: Mark Power, Jay Leahy, Liam McWey, Joe Murray, John Drennan, Dan Dowling, Rory O’Carroll.

Enniscorthy - Isaac Kearney, Senan Fallon, Andrew Redmond, Ryan Collier, Cian Bolger, James Rothwell, John Hemingway, Laurence Power, Tommy Cahill, Cian Hogan, James Kalyta, Mikey Nolan, Darragh Breen, Kevin O’Connor, Adam Power.

Replacements: Jim Doyle, Gavin Redmond, Ryan Bailey, Luke Wheelock, Sean Kelly.