CLONTARF PREVAIL IN SLOG
19/02/2007
Clontarf 20 Buccaneers 3


Here’s a thing now…. Winger is put clear with the advancing fullback to beat. Without breaking stride the winger ‘knees’ the ball over the advancing fullback, re gathers and dots down under the posts. Try or No Try?
 
…..Answers please to Peter by email at crfc@indigo.ie .

Niall O’Brien’s slight of knee was the highlight of a first half during which both sides lurched and lunged at each other like two drunks brawling over their last fag. The referee ruled his delicate chip as throwing the ball deliberately forward and awarded a penalty to the visitors. It was thoughtful of him because the spectators had begun to atrophy with boredom and needed something or someone to roar at. The problem was that Clontarf’s tactic of taking it on up front was pretty well defended by the huge Buccs pack which left static ball for the home backline who understandably tossed it around like a ticking bomb to no avail. At half time the score was 3 3 after a penalty by Conal Keane was cancelled by Tom Cregan for the visitors.

The second half finally saw a breakthrough when, after a good buildup from the forwards, the ball went left to right inside the Buccs half. O’Shea found Mc Namara on the loop with a super quick pass off his left hand and the no 10 headed for the corner , drew the defence, and popped the ball inside for the supporting Keane to score. The full back landed the tricky conversion and Clontarf were rolling. 10 minutes later no 8 Garvey made a telling burst up the middle, the ball went right sucking in defenders and when it went left after that phase the Buccs defence was as holey as a croched vest and Mc Namara skipped through almost untouched for the score. Keane added the convert to an earlier penalty and brought the score to 20 3 where it stayed until the final whistle. 

Congrats to Conal Keane who was awarded 'man of the match'
Congrats also to the forwards who piled it on again and again despite stern resistance from Buccs who seemed to get the rub of the ref when it came to offside in ruck and maul.
Finally congrats to Niall O'Brien for the try that never was .... I have perused the IRB rules and cannot find anything to suggest that what he did was illegal. 

P.S. Dave Hewitt was in the club last week and was wondering whether we would reset the message board on the website for overseas members to keep in touch, post obcenities, insults , etc. We will report on this suggestion soon. 

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