UCD HAVE NO ANSWER TO CLONTARF POWER
06/11/2006
Clontarf 27 UCD 6


UCD had no answer to Clontarf brawn at a bright and blustery Castle Ave last Saturday. As with our previous meeting this season in the Leinster League the students employed their traditional fast paced wide game to attempt to outflank the ‘Tarf defense. It was the UCD dashing , cavalier students, all hair gel and attitude versus the Clontarf troglodytes , all stubble and terminal halitosis.
College managed a few passages of brilliance , their outhalf Keatley was tireless in his efforts to ignite his backline but when your pack is getting monstered the writing is on the wall.
Clontarf opened the scoring after 5 minutes with a penalty kick from O’Shea. 12 minutes later a penalty to the corner got the pack rumbling and O’Loughlin got in with a snappy break from the back of the maul. On 33 minutes College converted a penalty and from the restart ‘Tarf regathered possession and Niall McNamara cut through on the UCD 22 ;the ball was taken on by Healy followed by Trenier and right to the line by McNamara who placed it for O’Brien to pilfer the easiest of scores.
The half time score was 15 3 to Clontarf .
5 minutes into the second half College got their second penalty for 15 6. On 53 minutes Trenier turned over possession at the half way line and McNamara put a superb grubber into the College 22 that they scrambled to touch with the hordes bearing down on them. It was a short respite as ‘Tarf again set the maul and Wickham was on hand to dot down for 20 6. Clontarf then set about chasing the bonus which they managed, again, through route one. This time from 3 yards outside the UCD 22, the maul was magnificently steered by Jackman, like a Asian mudslide relentlessly slithering to the line. The only downside was that the try was claimed by out half O’Brien! who, having pilfered a really cheap one earlier, cuddled onto the back of the maul for the score. O’Shea added the convert for a final score of 27 6.
This was vastly more satisfying for the Clontarf support. The team is starting to gel and some of the play towards the end of the game was electrifying. While the pack will take the plaudits for the power game the backline was superb in defence and reduced their opponents to a shambles. There were some great individual performances also; John Duffy was voted man of the match on his return …. His partner Alan Trenier had another stormer. Fiach O’Loughlin, again , tackled like his life depended on it and O’Shea filling in for Hewitt at 13 was rock solid. Niall McNamara showed great composure and some nifty footwork and was involved in two of the scores. Inside him Pete O’Brien stole two tries and should be ashamed of himself!

On Sunday the J1’s charged back to the top of the league by dismissing St Mary’s with 6 tries to none. Ronan Dillon at scrum half was peerless in defence and tormented the opposition backrow at scrumtime. It was a superb team performance peppered with great tries.

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