26/10/2026
Wanderers 29 – Cashel RFC 12
Cashel Battle Hard Before Wanderers Pull Away Late in Dublin
Cashel RFC travelled to Merrion Road in Dublin to face a highly fancied Wanderers side, who had former Munster and Ulster out-half Bill Johnston and Irish Sevens sensation Jordan Conroy among their squad.
Played in very blustery conditions on an excellent playing surface, the game proved to be a tough test for Cashel against a strong Wanderers outfit.
Wanderers made the perfect start, opening the scoring inside five minutes through a well-worked maul, with Matthew Sherrin touching down to give the home side an early lead.
Wanderers possessed a powerful pack, with their lineout proving particularly effective throughout the contest. They also put Cashel under considerable pressure at lineout time and disrupted the visitors’ efforts to build momentum through their own maul.
Cashel responded with an excellent try of their own. Following great work from Fearghaile O’Donoghue at the lineout, Cashel drove towards the Wanderers line with a strong maul that came close to crossing. The ball was then moved quickly and accurately out wide to Alan Flannery, who finished brilliantly under the posts. The conversion was successful, bringing Cashel right back into the contest.
Despite the difficult conditions, Cashel competed well throughout the opening half. One area that will leave the visitors disappointed was the return from the scrum. Cashel enjoyed dominance in this department for much of the game but managed to earn just one penalty from their efforts, while Wanderers were awarded two.
At half-time, Wanderers held a narrow 8–7 advantage, leaving Cashel very much in the game.
The second half brought an even greater challenge for the visitors as they faced a strong and increasingly blustery wind, which made progress up the pitch difficult. Wanderers continued to use their forward strength and lineout effectiveness to put Cashel under pressure.
Cashel made a change at ho**er after 53 minutes, with Matias Masetti replacing Philly Ryan. Ryan had delivered an outstanding performance, arguably his best of the season so far, and left the field having made a significant contribution to Cashel’s efforts.
Masetti made an immediate impact. Shortly after coming on, he finished off another well-executed lineout move, touching down at the back of a driving maul to score a superb try. It was an excellent example of Cashel’s ability to threaten from set-piece possession and a reward for the forwards’ hard work.
With the game finely balanced, Cashel remained firmly in contention right up until the 78th minute. At that stage, the result could genuinely have gone either way, with little separating the sides. However, Wanderers managed the conditions slightly better in the closing stages and found another gear when it mattered most.
Wanderers’ late pressure eventually told, with Dan Carroll crossing for a try in the 78th minute before Mark O’Reilly added another in the 84th minute. These late scores proved decisive, as Wanderers secured a 29–12 victory.
While the final score will disappoint Cashel, it does not fully reflect how competitive the contest was for much of the afternoon. Cashel will take encouragement from their scrum dominance, the well-worked try finished by Alan Flannery and Matias Masetti’s immediate impact from the bench. Ultimately, Wanderers adapted better to the challenging conditions when the game was on the line.
Cashel will learn valuable lessons from the defeat, and the squad will be determined to put those lessons into practice. However, there will be little time to lick their wounds, with another major challenge awaiting next weekend.
Cashel, currently lying third in the league, return to Spafield on Saturday, 31 October, to take on second-placed Dungannon in what promises to be a huge encounter.
The Cashel Second XV will also be in action at home, facing Old Crescent at 6pm, making it a double-header of rugby at Spafield.
All support would be greatly appreciated as both Cashel sides look to make home advantage count.
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Cashel RFC Bid Farewell to Josh Pickering
Cashel RFC would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the departure of Strength and Conditioning Coach Josh Pickering, who is moving on to take up a position within the Ulster Academy’s Strength and Conditioning department.
Josh has given an outstanding 12 years of service to Cashel RFC as a player and has also made a significant contribution to the club through his work as an underage coach and, more recently, in strength and conditioning.
His contribution to Cashel RFC goes far beyond the pitch. Josh has been a valued member of the club both as a player and coach, but above all as a person. His presence, commitment and character have made a lasting impression throughout the club, and he will be greatly missed by players, coaches and everyone involved with Cashel RFC.
While the club is sorry to see Josh leave, his appointment with the Ulster Academy is a wonderful opportunity and a testament to his hard work and dedication to his profession.
Everyone at Cashel RFC would like to express their sincere gratitude to Josh for everything he has given to the club over the past 12 years and to wish him every success and happiness in the next chapter of his career.
Thank you, Josh, for everything you have done for Cashel RFC. You will always be a welcome member of the Cashel RFC family, and we wish you every success in your new role with the Ulster Academy.
