CLONTARF SUBDUE MARY'S !
18/04/2006
St Mary’s 23   Clontarf 32


On a bright , sunny Saturday in Templeville Rd , Clontarf and St Mary’s played out the second instalment of their rugby series which began two weeks ago when ‘Tarf took the Leinster Senior Cup from their West Dublin rivals. Unfortunately for Marys, sandwiched between there two fixtures was a difficult loss to Cork Con in the AIB Cup final which also cost them some experienced players to injury.
The ‘Tarf supporters could have been forgiven for thinking that , given the two Cup final losses, the injuries , and the fact that for this season St Mary’s were out of the race for honours in the AIL , the home team might have lost some of their recent steam.
Well….. no….. As if to follow on from the Leinster final ‘Mary’s were, again, happy to fling themselves into the contest like pit bull terriers scrapping over an old shoe.
It didn’t help that Clontarf seemed to suffer from a kind of rugby Alzheimer’s disease; switching off tactically for long periods of the game. It didn’t help either that the St Mary’s rush defense, when breached by solid driving close in seemed very slow to retreat out wide. That left lazy runners all over the pitch and regularily cut down the ‘Tarf options.
Marys opened the scoring when their out half Sexton put a delicate grubber over the Tarf line for winger Norton to score. Clontarf responded with a similar move for O’Shea to get in and then both sides exchanged penalties for 10 10.
An excellent interplay between Gissing and Carson at a lineout saw the second row make huge ground down the right. The ball was moved quickly left where Keane scored after an outstanding long pass by O’Brien. O’Shea added a superb conversion from the sideline for 10 17 .

Approaching half time Clontarf were dominating and it was clear that another score would have a terminal impact on the home sides moral; however, as in the Leinster Cup final, Clontarf decided to marry their territorial dominance with some doubtful decision making and execution reminiscent of an old ‘Keystone Cops’ movie.
St Mary’s, having lost one second row to injury promptly lost another to a harsh yellow card right on half time. ‘Tarf went to the corner with the penalty and with all assembled expecting the catch and drive they inexplicably went off the top and wide where Hewitt was double teamed and driven back to the 22. To their credit they managed to recycle a couple of times and created a three man overlap to the right.
At this point the gods of sport took over and smiled benignly on the Mary’s winger and captain Mc Weeney who ,up to this point in the season, had not received a scoring pass from any of his teammates.

He received a beauty from Clontarf. Under the posts for 17 17.

Half time saw the introduction of Hepworth in the centre for Breffni O’Donnell who had twisted a knee. It was his first appearance for Clontarf and he was to make a telling contribution before the game ended.
Early in the second half Sexton popped over a penalty for 20 17. Soon after Keane hauled down a high pass and got in at the corner for his second try. O’Shea converted again from an impossible angle for 20 24 . Another exchange of penalties made it 23 27 and we moved nervously into the closing stages of the game.
With five minutes to go the man from Yorkshire entered the proceedings. St Mary’s were now playing with the freedom of a team who sensed cracks in their opponent’s composure. Clontarf were making nervous errors all over the park and the young St Mary’s side, buoyed by their defensive performance, could smell an upset.
Another ‘Tarf error saw a turnover in the Mary’s 22 which was seized by Sexton and spun wide to full back Smyth who received the ball and, a low flying, Hepworth at the same time.
It was one of those forthright ‘Well that’s enough of that’ moments straight out of Rugby League and in the time it took the sideline to reinflate the stricken full back the spirit slowly but surely seeped out of the Mary’s side.
Two minutes later Hepworth found himself in a world of space in the centre with O’Brien outside him on the wing. Instead of tossing a long pass he drifted his man out until the defending winger was drawn in and having occupied the two of them in a little Morris dance he flipped a lovely reverse pass to O’Brien who strolled in at the corner for the bonus point. 23 32
It was a nice moment.
Hepworth is having a mixed experience with Leinster so it was warming to see his contribution to his adopted club. So many others wouldn’t have bothered.
Clontarf are now guaranteed a semi final place. This is the fourth year in five that we have made the top four of the AIL. 

Lansdowne rd is beckoning!

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