CLONTARF WIN IN CORK
04/12/2006
Dolphin 9 Clontarf 18


Clontarf registered their third win of the AIL season in Musgrave Park on Saturday and will be reflecting on a strong first half played into a squally breeze. Playing into the wind requires discipline and control and Clontarf showed pots of both with a great deal of skill thrown in also.
The first try of the game was beautifully created by Niall McNamara who fixed the close defence and held the ball for debutante centre Conor Keegan to zip into a gap; he had the composure to look for support and made the correct decision to pass inside to put the supporting Duffy in for the score under the posts. Nethery converted for 7 nil. The rest of the half saw Dolphin attack with the wind but Clontarf’s defence was up to the task and fairly battered the home team around the fringes. Half time came with the score 10 3 to ‘Tarf with Nethery and Dolphin Outhalf Keeshan exchanging penalties.
One could be forgiven for thinking that having weathered the storm in the first half, and turning with the wind and a seven point lead for the second half, that Clontarf would sail away with the fixture. Well no …. Both the weather and the referee conspired to make a game of it for the final 40 minutes. Clearly when playing with the wind you put the boot to it and build from there. McNamara delivered in spades with some huge kicks. Clearly when playing in deteriorating weather conditions you would focus on mauling with some close in driving to add variation. Unfortunately, due to some lazy technique, and an official who seemed to forget the laws regarding how rucks and mauls should be defended, Clontarf conspired to reduce the game to a mud fest where Dolphin made hay leaping in at the side of every ruck and hanging out of the bottom of every maul like the balls on a bull. On one occasion when Clontarf had set a maul the instructions coming in from the Dolphin centres to ‘pull it down ‘ were shouted so loud that everyone in Turners Cross heard it , never mind the people in Musgrave Park. Unfortunately the referee was oblivious to the obvious and so we had a nail biter.
Jackman eased the worries with a great burst off a maul for a score, Nethery made a superb tackle to stop a promising home move and then after Keeshan had made it 15 9 Nethery again stepped up to seal it at the death.
Great relief for the away support.
Dolphin will be justifiably disappointed that they didn’t get something out of the match. They deserved it for guts alone.

Congrats to Conor Keegan who was excellent on his debut and made the correct life and death decision by giving the try scoring pass to Duffy.
Congrats to Duffy for covering the remaining 15 yards with three strides and a belly flop for the score.
Special mention to Simon Crawford who thundered around the park spreading havoc and destruction …… God he must have been a horrible child! ……
Congrats to the half backs who dealt brilliantly with the weather and the energy of the home defence. Fiach O’Loughlin, in particular, resisted the invitation of the Dolphin pack to join every ruck with the enthusiasm of a nun at an orgy.

Next week we travel to Belfast Harlequins.

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