Enniscorthy hosted Bruff at Alcast Park on a bitterly cold and wet day, where the home side emerged victorious with a 34-8 scoreline, securing a crucial 5 try bonus point win. Alcast Park has become something of a fortress for Enniscorthy this season, again living up to its reputation as the hosts battled through brutal conditions to come out on top.

From the very first whistle, Enniscorthy set the tone, with Tomas Stamp crossing the try line early, Rhyan Whelan's successful conversion put the home side ahead 7-0. Bruff responded with a penalty, narrowing the gap, but the momentum remained with Enniscorthy. After 17 minutes, a slick lineout starter play saw Jack Kelly cut through the centre for Enniscorthy's second, with Whelan once again adding the two points to stretch the lead to 14-3.

A period of penalty exchanges followed, with both teams seeing repeated infringements. Bruff found themselves down to 14 men after a sin-binning, but despite the disadvantage, they struck back with a try just before the break. Enniscorthy held a narrow 14-8 lead at half-time, but the message was clear: discipline would be the winning of this game in the second half.

The home side came out in the second half with that message and renewed purpose. Mounting pressure quickly saw Jack Kelly over the line for his second try of the match, while Whelan had added a penalty shortly before. At 22-8, Enniscorthy looked in control. Despite some dogged resistance from Bruff, who never gave up in the face of challenging conditions, Enniscorthy's quality began to show.

Timmy Morrissey was at the end of several pick-and-go moves from the pack, displaying the dominance of the forward unit on a day when they laid the platform for victory. With 13 minutes remaining, Ivan Jacob sealed the win with a try, putting the finishing touch on a fine performance from the home side.

Enniscorthy's 34-8 victory not only earned them a deserved bonus point but also moved them into second place in the league, just 3 points behind leaders Midleton. The team now looks ahead to their crucial clash against Midleton on March 1st, and the players would greatly appreciate a large, vocal traveling support to cheer them on.

A dominant performance in challenging conditions, Enniscorthy showed their strength, resilience, and class. With the momentum building, they will be looking to carry this form into their upcoming fixtures.

Team: Ore Lasisi, Davie Murphy, MJ Doyle, Tom Ryan, Tomás Stamp, Liam Stamp, Lee Treacy, Timmy Morrissey, Fiachra Hourihane, Graham Barry, Ivan Jacob, Dave O'Dwyer, Nick Dyle, Rhyan Whelan, Jack Kelly Subs (all used): Andy Redmond, Mikey McVeigh, Darragh Joyce, Kevin O'Connor, Miguel Byrne.

Photo credit: John Walsh Photography