CLONTARF MAKE THE SEMIS AGAIN!
21/04/2008
Clontarf 37 Galwegians 14


Last game of the League section of the AIB League left Clontarf with the straightforward target of a win to qualify for the playoffs in May. Thankfully, not for us the angst ridden afternoon of calculators and mobile phones as the permutations are hashed and re hashed across the various rugby grounds across the country. I lived through those times and while they are warm memories now, on the days in question, I died a thousand deaths. One stark memory will never leave me; I was invited to the Terenure lunch by some work colleagues on that famouis day when Clontarf needed to win by a generous margin to survive. I was so tense I couldn't swallow my food. Literally, dry mouthed with stress, I sat at the table like a man trying to swallow a tennis ball. As you know the result went with us and we survived and Blackrock were relegated. The unusual thing was that at the end of the game the victorious Clontarf supporters and players stood around and cried and the losing Terenure players and supporters stood around and laughed.......................... Amazing!    

On Saturday, Galwegians never stood a chance. In fact as the day unwound it became a distinct possibility that they could slip into relegation peril as Clontarf set about destroying their points differential. In the end it didn’t matter as the victory for Dungannon in Eaton Park along with a solid comeback from Terenure versus Lansdowne ensured that the Westerners live to play another year in Div 1.

Clontarf opened the scoring on the 7 minute mark when, after the pack had done serious damage up the side, Darragh O’Shea took a screen pass going right to left towards the car park; he rounded his man and stepped inside the fullback for the try which he then converted into a strong breeze. 7 minutes later he added a penalty after offside in front of the posts. 7 minutes later the O’Shea show continued when after a mix up between O’Donoghoe and O’Brien saw the ball grounded, Keegan snapped it up brilliantly and rode a tackle to put O’Shea clear again. Despite the screaming support from full back Keatley, O’Shea managed to struggle to the line for his second try which he converted for 17 0.
5 minutes later the game was ended as a contest. Galwegians tried to put some phases together on the half way line and got absolutely monstered by the Clontarf defence.
Every alley they tried had denizens of darkness down them and they ended up in disarray on their own 22 where the option was to kick the leather off the ball. Instead they tried to run it and their backline, totally intimidated by the presence of Crawford dropped it at his feet and he sent Hewitt over for 22 0.
On 29 minutes Galwegians managed to manufacture a penalty which sailed to the right for a 22 drop out. Peter O’Brien sent it long to the full back who galloped out of defence enthusiastically and got emptied about 2 yards beyond the 22, the ball went right and Phil Howard whipped in after a pass from O’Shea.
Just before half time and the Galwegians defence was in disarray as Clontarf made huge ground down the left, Keatley made it to the 5 yard line and slick hands saw it go right where AJ Clarke did the right thing and gave it to Howard for his second try, Clontarf’s fifth, and 34 0. Darragh O’Shea added a penalty right on the break for 37 0. Needless to say the second half was much quieter and Galwegians were good value for their two tries from wing Cleary. 

So we go to Con for the semi final on May 3rd. We will be underdogs as far as the pundits are concerned and that is fair enough.

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