Carrick RFC U13s shine in dominant first half against Westport

Carrick-on-Shannon’s Under 13 Boys travelled to Westport on Saturday for an exciting encounter under a crisp winter sky, with the majestic snow capped Croagh Patrick providing a scenic backdrop.

From the opening whistle, Carrick imposed themselves with a physical and disciplined display. The forwards laid a rock-solid foundation, securing clean ruck ball, while the backs executed slick passing and exploited space out wide leading to a superb first try of the game with less than three minutes played. The Carrick lads continued to execute the simple things well throughout the first half playing some of their best rugby of the season adding six more tries before the half-time whistle establishing an imposing 41–0 lead at the break.

Westport, to their credit, regrouped impressively in the second half. They upped their physical intensity and began to expose gaps in Carrick’s reshuffled defensive line. Despite Carrick’s efforts to regain control, Westport ran in four tries, three unanswered in the final quarter.

In the end, Carrick’s first-half excellence ensured a well-deserved victory. Both teams will have gained valuable experience from this competitive clash. 

Carrick now turn their attention to their upcoming home fixture against Ballinrobe this coming Saturday at Castlecarra Road, where they’ll aim to build on their impressive first-half performance.