TARF MULLERED BY CON!
18/02/2008
Clontarf 7 Cork Con 36


‘Winning is great , sure , but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.’

Wilma Rudolph 1940-1994 (First US woman runner to win three gold medals at a single Olympics) 



Jaysus ! …..what was that?

First rule of thumb in playing a Munster side is to get a good start. Preferably score first and establish parity in the set piece phases of play. After three minutes Con out half Manning tried a cross kick outside the Clontarf 22 which was blocked and caught by O’Shea who summed the situation in an instant and sent a kick downfield which Max R Mc D gathered after burning his opposite man Cronan Healy in the chase. 7 nil Tarf and happy days.
After 30 minutes of parity Con pounced on a home error moved the ball at lightning speed and went blind for the equalising score. From that point on the pattern of the game became more evident. Con were utterly ruthless in defence and punished the home side for every indiscretion. As the first half ended an indiscreet kick in the Con 22 was gathered by the defending side who punted long, chased, caught the ball carrier, turned over possession and won a penalty which they converted. Almost immediately they turned possession again and Manning dropped a goal for 6 13 at half time.

The second half was a nightmare for Clontarf as Con realising that Howard at nine was a courageous but inexperienced Scrum Half pounded every Clontarf ruck with a ferocity which disrupted the home possession and continued the turnover trend. From this defensive superiority Con were able to manufacture some lightning counterattack scores until they had run the Clontarf side ragged by the final whistle scoring three more tries in the process. Their discipline was outstanding. Clontarf did not get one kickable penalty in the second half which was remarkable given the energy that Con put into disrupting the home sides ball. Any possession Clontarf got was slow and wobbly and inevitably arrived with a loony Munster man in close attendance looking to pound somebody. As is usual in these situations the away side also got a serious rub of the ref with some debatable competition for the ball blithely ignored by the official who seemed to spend most of his time waving play on like some crazed farmer trying to shoo crows off his crops.

In the end it was Con’s day and no one in Clontarf was complaining. A superb performance by a big talented side.

Fair dues to Phil Howard who took the number 9 jersey and survived in the most trying of circumstances.

So we move on to Greystones in Castle ave in two weeks time. We are now in a pitched battle for fourth spot.

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